The Friends of St. Joseph Bay Preserves, Inc., is a non-profit Citizen Support Organization established in 2003 to protect and preserve one of the most ecologically significant areas in the Southeastern United States, and to support the St. Joseph Bay State Buffer Preserve and St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve.
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Join Us For Our Popular Winter Bay Day!
Saturday, February 7th, 2026
9am – 3pm EST
Friends of St. Joseph Bay Preserves present a day of education, shrimp and music. Learn about the preserves and life along the bay. There will be lots to see and lots to do. Best of all, the Low Country Shrimp Boil will be delicious – as always! Meet you on the deck of the Visitor Center! … no admission fee! Read More
Birding Tour at Salinas Park Bayside:
Natasza Fontaine, Apalachicola Shorebird Biologist-Audubon Florida, will be leading the 2 hour bird tour around St. Joseph Bay during Bay Day. Participants meet at Salinas Park Bayside (280 Cape San Blas Rd, Port St. Joe, FL 32456) at 8:30am EST.
“We will bird that area and potentially drive a short distance to a second location that I will scout before the birding walk just to see if there will be birds foraging the flats. The meeting time will be at 8:30 am and if the second location is active, we will probably end at 10:30 am. Regular walking shoes should be fine. It would be great for participants to bring binoculars.”
Summer Art Camp Visit, June 24th, 2025
We here at the St. Joseph Bay State Buffer Preserve had the opportunity to host a summer camp this past Wednesday! This art camp for students in elementary school visited the Buffer to work on creating masterpieces that combined nature with printmaking and sketching. Students first arrived early in the morning and began a drawing assignment that was meant to get them thinking about all the things they might see at the Buffer Preserve. Artistic interpretations and expectations ranged from trees to bears to buried treasure! Read More
Opportunities working directly with the Friends:
The Friends of St. Joseph Bay Preserves are interested in locating volunteers to assist with special projects such as development of the Buffer’s new interpretive trail, enlarging our social media presence, design and creation of print media, and, as always, help with our Bay Day Celebrations. Our Bay Day Celebration events, held each year on the first Saturday in February, serve as our major fundraisers.
Volunteering: Read More
If you are interested in becoming a Volunteer or Volunteer Host please call Sandra Chafin at 850-229-1787 or send her an email: Sandra.chafin@floridadep.gov