Friday, November 13, 2026
Outside, members of Rookery Bay’s Education, Coastal Training, Stewardship, and Research programs informed guests on the robust departments their fundraising helps support.
Outside, members of Rookery Bay’s Education, Coastal Training, Stewardship, and Research programs informed guests on the robust departments their fundraising helps support.
Outside, members of Rookery Bay’s Education, Coastal Training, Stewardship, and Research programs informed guests on the robust departments their fundraising helps support.
Outside, members of Rookery Bay’s Education, Coastal Training, Stewardship, and Research programs informed guests on the robust departments their fundraising helps support.
Rookery Bay’s Bash for the Bay was set against the picturesque coast of Marco Island at the JW Marriott.
Outside, members of Rookery Bay’s Education, Coastal Training, Stewardship, and Research programs informed guests on the robust departments their fundraising helps support.
Jeffery A. Carter (left), Environmental Administrator at Rookery Bay, and Clyde Butcher (right), renowned Everglades photographer, are a few of the influential conservationists who attended the event.
Bash for the Bay included a fun and creative opportunity for guests to be drawn by artists and take home a personalized piece of artwork to remember the evening.
Bash for the Bay included a fun and creative opportunity for guests to be drawn by artists and take home a personalized piece of artwork to remember the evening.
Craig Seibert (left), former science coordinator for the Collier County School District, accepts the annual Lavern Norris Gaynor Environmental Champion Award from Curt Witthoff (middle), President of the Friends of Rookery Bay, and Athan Barkoukis (right), Friends of Rookery Bay Executive Director.
Supporters of Rookery Bay Research Reserve mixed and mingled over a 3-course dinner and live auction in the elegant dining room of the JW Marriott.
Guests waved their bid sheets high in the air to secure their exclusive opportunities to experience wild Florida while supporting Rookery Bay.
Supporters of the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve gathered at the Marco Island JW Marriott for the annual Bash for the Bay on March 20, a celebration not only of Rookery Bay’s enduring mission but of the wild, generous spirit of Southwest Florida.
Guests enjoyed an elegant three-course dinner and open bar in the Marriott's dining room, along with specialty cocktails crafted just for the occasion. Outdoors, tables displayed hands-on exhibits and information highlighting Rookery Bay’s four core programs: Education, Coastal Training, Research, and Stewardship. The evening flowed like the tides the Reserve protects, the clinking of glasses echoing the promise of preservation.
Fundraising efforts included a silent auction and an exciting live auction, featuring prizes such as an ecotour for two with Rising Tide Explorers, an exclusive overnight stay in the Presidential Suite of the Marriott, and a once-in-a-lifetime excursion with alligator biologists to witness baby alligators hatching in the wild.
The event’s most heartfelt moment came with the presentation of the Lavern Norris Gaynor Environmental Champion Award to Craig Seibert in honor of his lifelong dedication to environmental education in Southwest Florida. Seibert, who pioneered Collier County’s Marine Science Program in the 1990s, extended hands-on, science-based learning to students from elementary through high school. He partnered with Rookery Bay’s education team to create immersive field trips that continue to inspire countless young conservationists.
Seibert teared up as he accepted the award. “So, at this point, we're now in the 1990s somewhere, and the whole district was booming with marine science,” he said. “And it really, to me, has everything to do with Rookery Bay stepping up, helping out, and being a great partner. And that's why it's so important for all of you here tonight to give generously to our kids. Thank you.”
As the fundraiser came to a close, the message was clear: protecting our coastal environments depends not just on science but on community—and events like Bash for the Bay help keep that spirit strong.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here