About
Brooker Creek Preserve Youth & Family Programs offers activities such as Book Time at Brooker with a nature-related story and a craft, guided hikes like the Bird Hike, Teen Homeschool Hike, Sleep in Saturday Hike, Botany Walk, and Watershed Walk, and special programs including Living with Coyotes and From the Ground Up Lecture Series: The Magic of Mushrooms. The program also includes Stories & Songs with the East Lake Library, the Project Learning Tree Educator Workshop using the Project Learning Tree environmental education curriculum, and arts-focused events such as the Artists' Closing Reception: Nature's Medicine Chest and Plein Air 2026.
• Ages: 0–18 years old
• Schedule: Ongoing programs include Book Time at Brooker every Thursday from 10:30–11:00 a.m., with additional events such as hikes, workshops, lectures, and art programs scheduled on specific dates and times; the Project Learning Tree Educator Workshop is a six-hour workshop, and Plein Air 2026 runs from 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. on either February 20 or 21.
• Price: Free Admission with donations welcome; the Project Learning Tree Educator Workshop is free; some hikes are free with limited space; Plein Air 2026 has a $20 non-refundable participation fee, and 20% from any Plein Air artwork sales is requested as a donation to Friends of Brooker Creek Preserve, Inc.
Book Time at Brooker is geared toward 3- to 5-year-olds, is led by Brooker Creek volunteers, and does not require registration. Registration is required for all programs, hikes, events, and webinars except Book Time at Brooker, and registration is also required for Stories & Songs with the East Lake Library. The Teen Homeschool Hike is led by volunteer hike guide and naturalist Sara Ratza, the Botany Walk is led by James Stevenson, Education and Outreach Specialist, Living with Coyotes is led by biologist Rhonda Latour from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and the Watershed Walk is led by Lara Milligan, Natural Resources Agent for UF/IFAS Extension. For the Project Learning Tree Educator Workshop, participants are asked to bring their own lunch and reusable water bottle, and Teen Homeschool Hike participants are welcome to bring a lunch to enjoy after the hike together.
Brooker Creek Preserve is approximately 8,700 acres, is the largest natural area in Pinellas County, and consists primarily of forested wetlands and pine flatwoods with four different ecosystems represented. It is bordered by dense urban development, provides a refuge for native flora and fauna, and serves to protect a significant portion of the Brooker Creek Watershed. The Preserve includes a complex of hiking and equestrian trails, scenic boardwalks, hiking and horse trails, and exhibits and trail signs that help visitors understand natural Florida, with guided tours and nature hikes available by reservation. The Environmental Education Center includes exhibits, displays, programs, and classes.
Summer Camps and Teacher Camps are yearly events sponsored by partners. Stories & Songs with the East Lake Library is offered in partnership with the East Lake Community Library. Plein Air 2026 is sponsored by the Friends of Brooker Creek Preserve, Inc., and the Friends of Brooker Creek Preserve are presenting the Nature's Medicine Chest exhibition. The Project Learning Tree curriculum used in the educator workshop is described as award-winning, and From the Ground Up: The Magic of Mushrooms is hosted online by Weedon Island.
Plein Air 2026 encourages use of the Preserve as inspiration for nature-inspired works of art, and all artwork must be created within the Preserve grounds on specified dates. Up to two pieces per artist may be submitted, all works must be framed or canvas wrapped with a wire on the back for hanging and with a submission form attached, and sale of Plein Air artwork is encouraged. Resulting Plein Air artworks will be displayed in the Brooker Creek Preserve Auditorium Gallery through April 26th, with a Reception and Awards program scheduled from 1:00–3:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 26th, and juried prizes offered for Best in Show ($125) and First ($100). From the Ground Up: The Magic of Mushrooms will not address edible wild mushrooms.
Last updated February 12, 2026.
• Ages: 0–18 years old
• Schedule: Ongoing programs include Book Time at Brooker every Thursday from 10:30–11:00 a.m., with additional events such as hikes, workshops, lectures, and art programs scheduled on specific dates and times; the Project Learning Tree Educator Workshop is a six-hour workshop, and Plein Air 2026 runs from 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. on either February 20 or 21.
• Price: Free Admission with donations welcome; the Project Learning Tree Educator Workshop is free; some hikes are free with limited space; Plein Air 2026 has a $20 non-refundable participation fee, and 20% from any Plein Air artwork sales is requested as a donation to Friends of Brooker Creek Preserve, Inc.
Book Time at Brooker is geared toward 3- to 5-year-olds, is led by Brooker Creek volunteers, and does not require registration. Registration is required for all programs, hikes, events, and webinars except Book Time at Brooker, and registration is also required for Stories & Songs with the East Lake Library. The Teen Homeschool Hike is led by volunteer hike guide and naturalist Sara Ratza, the Botany Walk is led by James Stevenson, Education and Outreach Specialist, Living with Coyotes is led by biologist Rhonda Latour from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and the Watershed Walk is led by Lara Milligan, Natural Resources Agent for UF/IFAS Extension. For the Project Learning Tree Educator Workshop, participants are asked to bring their own lunch and reusable water bottle, and Teen Homeschool Hike participants are welcome to bring a lunch to enjoy after the hike together.
Brooker Creek Preserve is approximately 8,700 acres, is the largest natural area in Pinellas County, and consists primarily of forested wetlands and pine flatwoods with four different ecosystems represented. It is bordered by dense urban development, provides a refuge for native flora and fauna, and serves to protect a significant portion of the Brooker Creek Watershed. The Preserve includes a complex of hiking and equestrian trails, scenic boardwalks, hiking and horse trails, and exhibits and trail signs that help visitors understand natural Florida, with guided tours and nature hikes available by reservation. The Environmental Education Center includes exhibits, displays, programs, and classes.
Summer Camps and Teacher Camps are yearly events sponsored by partners. Stories & Songs with the East Lake Library is offered in partnership with the East Lake Community Library. Plein Air 2026 is sponsored by the Friends of Brooker Creek Preserve, Inc., and the Friends of Brooker Creek Preserve are presenting the Nature's Medicine Chest exhibition. The Project Learning Tree curriculum used in the educator workshop is described as award-winning, and From the Ground Up: The Magic of Mushrooms is hosted online by Weedon Island.
Plein Air 2026 encourages use of the Preserve as inspiration for nature-inspired works of art, and all artwork must be created within the Preserve grounds on specified dates. Up to two pieces per artist may be submitted, all works must be framed or canvas wrapped with a wire on the back for hanging and with a submission form attached, and sale of Plein Air artwork is encouraged. Resulting Plein Air artworks will be displayed in the Brooker Creek Preserve Auditorium Gallery through April 26th, with a Reception and Awards program scheduled from 1:00–3:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 26th, and juried prizes offered for Best in Show ($125) and First ($100). From the Ground Up: The Magic of Mushrooms will not address edible wild mushrooms.
Last updated February 12, 2026.
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