ABOUT US

Organization to support Master Naturalists in Pinellas and Florida

Who We Are

OUR EVENTS

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Upcoming Events

OUR MEMBERS

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WELCOME!

The Friends of Pinellas Master Naturalists: 

  • We celebrate Florida’s breath-taking ecology up close and personal
  • We live by the credo of leave nothing behind but footprints, take nothing but memories
  • We share our passion for Florida and all things living through public outreach programs and field trips
  • We fight for and spread the word about Florida’s environmental issues
  • We network with and support other like-minded groups
  • We evangelize best environmental and sustainable practices
  • We give back through volunteering and offering scholarships for Florida Master Naturalist classes

Friends of Pinellas Master Naturalists, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit environmental organization supporting the mission and goals of the UF/IFAS Florida Master Naturalist Program (FMNP). The mission of the Florida Master Naturalist Program is to promote awareness, understanding, and respect of Florida’s natural world among Florida’s citizens and visitors. The University of Florida’s adult education, statewide program offers environmental education through three, 40-hour Florida ecosystem Core Modules and four 24-hour Special Topics Courses created for anyone interested in learning more about Florida.

We offer nature-related quarterly programs for adults and families, field trips for members and guests, and support FMNP by educating potential students about the upcoming classes at environmental booth events and festivals throughout the year.


The Friends of Pinellas Master Naturalists have proudly partnered with the city of Clearwater to support the Pollinator Power Initiative. In this partnership, The Friends of Pinellas Master Naturalists are sharing Fun Facts about pollinators at community events and we are promoting Florida native flowering plants as host and larval plants through UF/IFAS Florida Master Naturalist Program courses and events. 

SAVE THE DATE!

March 1st - Annual Membership meeting at Folly Farms in Safety Harbor from 1:00pm to 4:00pm.

Events

Events in April 2026

  • Rainbow River Paddle

    Rainbow River Paddle

    All day
    April 24, 2026

    Join your Friends to paddle a scenic stretch of the Rainbow River with field biologist and environmental educator George Heinrich to observe, identify, and learn about the river’s turtle species. This field experience will be a combination of education and recreation, so bring your snorkel gear and be prepared to get wet.

    George will guide the adventure at a slow, interpretive pace with frequent stops for close-but-respectful views of turtles, and ID tips covering shell shape, size, coloration, behavior, and habitat. We’ll launch from KP Hole Park and paddle up to the headspring, with breaks for turtle ID and underwater observation (snorkeling and swimming) along the way. We’ll enjoy the gorgeous headspring swimming area and then float back to KP Hole

    with breaks along the way.

    Rainbow River is a beautiful river, designated a “Special Water” within the Outstanding Florida Waters classification and is also one of Florida’s Aquatic Preserves. In this small group adventure, we will get to know some of Rainbow’s turtles and enjoy one of Florida’s “Special Waters” from above and below.

    Date & Time: 8AM, Friday April 24. We should finish up around 1:30PM.

    Location: KP Hole Park, 9435 SW 190th Avenue Road in Dunnellon. Meet at the Payment Booth.

    Parking: There is a $7 parking fee. Parking is very limited at KP Hole. It's best to pad your arrival time with extra time to park.

    Group size: 10 boats total – single or tandem kayaks. FPMN members only.

    Cost: $25, which we will donate to Florida Turtle Conservation Trust.

    Rainbow RIver KP Hole Pack
    View Location

    Read more

Events

Latest News Releases

PADDLING THE HILLSBOROUGH RIVER

Seven Friends enjoyed a leisurely autumn paddle on the Hillsborough River a couple weeks ago. They launched from Sargeant Park, paddled upstream for a couple miles into the newly cleared Seventeen Runs area before floating with the current back to the launch. The five-mile journey revealed egrets, herons, ibises, and kingfishers above and alligators, gar, and (unfortunately invasive) sailfin catfish below. Swamp lilies, pickerelweed, and water hyacinth were blooming and attracting hundreds of swallowtail butterflies. A magical morning with delightful paddlers! read more

A Honeymoon Island State Park Adventure to Remember

Friends of Pinellas Master Naturalists Members Stroll the Osprey Trail with Dan Larremore By Joan Landis It was as close to a perfect day as anyone could have wished for at Honeymoon Island State Park last Sunday on the Osprey Trail.  Filling the time as our Friends of PMN Member’s Only group was assembling at the trailhead, our leader, Dan Larremore, started sharing stories about his adventures as Park Biologist, Ranger, and all-around steward, conservationist and really cool guy. Dan read more

Tampa History Museum Tour

What an interesting time we had at the recent tour of the Tampa  History Museum! We Met inside at the Visitor Services Desk and we Enjoyed a 90 minute guided tour. After the tour some folks explored the Touchton Map Library cartographic research center in the THC, dined at the Columbia Café, visited the museum store, and took a stroll on Riverwalk. This museum is a wonderful gem. For more upcoming field trips and lectures, please check out the Calendar read more

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