Celebrating northeast Florida’s estuaries at Tide Fest – SJRWMD

Celebrating northeast Florida’s estuaries at Tide Fest

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Sanford Middle School students learn about water quality monitoring and one of the eight stations set up for Tide Fest, a school and community celebration of estuaries held at the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve.

Sanford Middle School students learn about water quality monitoring and one of the eight stations set up for Tide Fest, a school and community celebration of estuaries held at the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve.
Sanford Middle School students learn about water quality monitoring and one of the eight stations set up for Tide Fest, a school and community celebration of estuaries held at the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve.
Palatka, Fla. Oct. 13, 2026 — Agencies and community organizations from across northeast Florida came together for Tide Fest, a regional celebration held as part of National Estuaries Week. Hosted by the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve (GTMNERR), the collaborative event brought together agencies, educators, community organizations with students and families to learn about estuaries and the important role they play in Florida’s environment.

The event, featured two sessions: a morning program for students and an afternoon session open to the public. Participants visited eight different interactive stations where they learned about the estuary and the species that call it home. Hands-on activities included water quality monitoring, oyster aquaculture, watershed function, impacts of turbidity, fish feeding habits and more. Participants also had the opportunity to try fishing, with several successful catches throughout the day.

More than 450 students and families participated in the event.

“Tide Fest is a celebration of our local estuary and one of the unique resources of northeast Florida,” said Executive Director for the Friends of the GTM Research Reserve DaleAnn Viger. “The event brings students and community into the field for hands-on experiences, helping build lasting connections to a resource that benefits us all.”

“The District values opportunities like Tide Fest to work alongside partners and engage the students and community in learning about, celebrating and protecting Florida’s water resources,” said St. Johns River Water Management District Education and Outreach Coordinator Ali Pressel.

Tide Fest partners include the St. Johns River Water Management District, Florida Department of Environmental Protection, St. Johns County Parks and Recreation, Anastasia Mosquito Control District, Matanzas Oyster Company, St. Johns County Audubon and Florida Water Warriors.

National Estuaries Week is an annual celebration that highlights the importance of healthy estuaries and the communities that depend on them. GTMNERR is open to the public year-round and holds community events throughout the year highlighting the estuary.

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