Tybee Island Marine Science Center Announces Continuing Lecture Series

Sustainability. Ecology. Awareness. (S.E.A.) Series

Tybee Island, GA: The Tybee Island Marine Science Center announces the third guest speaker in its lecture series featuring area conservation and research groups sharing their knowledge of coastal area flora and fauna. “Our hour-long Walks, Talks & Treks provide a lot of information about the beach, marsh, sea turtles, and more,” said science center executive director, Maria Procopio, “but we wanted to bring in area speakers who are knowledgeable on a wider range of coastal species that we feel are of interest to visitors and island residents alike.”

The next lecture will be offered on Sunday, February 17, 4:30 pm, at the science center. Guest speaker Randy Tate with the Longleaf Alliance will discuss the habitat and history of the longleaf pine tree; cover other area pine species (loblolly and slash), and show how attitudes on controlled burns have changed over time. Tate coordinates the Ft. Stewart/Altamaha Partnership, a Local Implementation Team under America’s Longleaf Restoration Initiative. He currently lives and works in Savannah, GA, and formerly worked for Georgia Department of Natural Resources (DNR) as Natural Resource Program Manager for Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites, where he administrated a statewide program for natural resource management. Before GA DNR, Tate worked for The Nature Conservancy (TNC) for 20 years in four different positions, the last 10 years as Director of Science and Stewardship for TNC Georgia. He has a Master’s degree in Biology (U Mass/Boston), has had a career in prescribed burning, and is an RxB2 Burn Boss.

Space for the February 17 program is limited to 30 participants. Tickets are complimentary, but you must reserve your space online at www.tybeemarinescience.org (click on the blue “Book Walks, Talks & Treks” button and then select the S.E.A. Series link).

The Tybee Island Marine Science Center’s protocol is catch and release with short-term stays for most of their species in accordance with its mission to cultivate responsible stewardship of coastal Georgia’s natural resources through education and conservation.

The mission of The Longleaf Alliance is to ensure a sustainable future for the longleaf pine ecosystem through partnerships, landowner assistance, and science-based education and outreach.Brenda Marion
Communications CoordinatorTybee Island Marine Science Center
PO Box 1879, 1510 Strand AvenueTybee Island, GA 31328brenda@tybeemarinescience.org
912-786-5917