Back  to School Back to Nature

Just the way it should be in Camp Bayou   

By Gezil Andrews

I’ve been in the area three-plus years so Camp Bayou was a new venue for me – After my first visit, this weekend, I rated it “well worth the wait!”  I visited the camp during the Back to School-Back to Nature event this weekend to get deep “in the jungle” of learning.

How Camp Bayou is defined on the “net: “The Camp Bayou Outdoor Learning Center is a public- private partnership between Bayou Outdoor Learning and Discovery, Inc. (B.O.L.D.), and Hillsborough County Conservation & Environmental Lands Management.

Camp Bayou is located three miles south of SR674 at the end of 24th St SE in Ruskin. I like the B.O.L.D. part – it adds intrigue and depth to the property and its activities.

Youngsters who attended Back to School – Back to Nature event, at Camp Bayou, Saturday, August 5 received free school supplies for simply visiting the different booths staffed with volunteers, activities, and educational material. While it was obvious that the kids loved the free supplies, they sure like interacting with camp staff and volunteers to learn more firsthand. There was also a raffle for backpacks, just in time for school startups.

Facts and fun:  Did you know that Camp Bayou used to be an RV camp? Yes. It was an RV park before the County’s ELAP program purchased the land. Look closely and you can still see some of the cement camper pods!

Did you know that the Manatee River near the camp is pristine?  Yes, it is.

Did you know Paleo Village has vintage fossils of saber cats and mastodons? An absolute favorite of the kids! While visiting with volunteers at the Village, I learned a piece of folklore: “a herd of prehistoric pigs can eliminate a herd of dinosaurs.” One volunteer said this was “old time storytelling,” where another volunteer, with a moderately stern face said” Nope, that’s the absolute truth. I’ll leave it up to you.

The Uzita Native Camp is also within Camp Bayou. Uzita provides a glimpse into the life of the Native People who lived at the mouth of the Little Manatee River over 500 years ago. Volunteers created some historically believable structures and tools to educate visitors about the Tribe. For anyone (students?) who wants to delve more into the Uzita Tribe or the Uzita Native Camp can find lots of credible info on the internet to support a personal visit.

Feel a call to serve? Camp Bayou needs enthusiastic volunteers who love the outdoors and want to pass along a passion to others through firsthand activities, walks and canoe tours, as well as help with maintenance and exhibits. Contact Becki at 813-641-8545 or fill out the form at campbayou.org. A strong focus is on folks who want to help teach school groups ages K-6!

An interactive tour of my time at the camp was provided by Volunteer Coordinator, Becki Stafford. Becki is on the Board and has served at the camp in many roles for 25 years. She provides tours, teaches classes and cleans out invasive vines throughout the property. Walking throughout the property with Becki affirmed for me that we are in good hands at Camp Bayou!  Knowledge and passion for the mission are at the forefront. Dolly Cummings, Director of Camp Bayou has worked side by side with Becki most of those years. Quite a team!

Speaking of teamwork, the Butterfly Garden is maintained by the Audubon Society in partnership with Camp Bayou. The plants in the garden are all native plants – a requirement of Camp Bayou. The trails throughout the Camp are golf cart clean. This was a huge undertaking when the RV camp took the form of a garbage dump. It took a year of dedicated volunteer work to clean it up. One of those dedicated volunteers, Donna, spends many hours a week tending to  the garden – she keeps “old Florida” beautiful and vibrant for others to enjoy.

Noelle Licor, who also volunteers weekly, often with her husband and daughter, likes to remind visitors that Camp Bayou is rated totally separate as a non-profit within a park! This is a significant part of the history of the park! Noelle shared with me that the SCC Kayak Club members paddle the Manatee River throughout the year. Their rides average ten paddlers at a time. Many of the members of the Kayak Club are seniors who relish in the quiet, but vigorous rides.

Being visually in-tune while walking helps you uncover unique greenery in the camp—such as the potato vines that are rampant throughout the camp. They are immense climbers that are highly invasive. Becki reminded me that “you don’t want them in a pot or in your yard!”

There is so much more than can be shared about Camp Bayou, but we don’t want to ruin the fun of a personal visit! The native life is beautiful but so is the spirit, energy, knowledge, and engagement of the Bayou Camp volunteers!

A touch of 500-year-old history: The beauty of the word: baninoco or baninok: The Timucua language for the English word, “rainbow.”