PUNTA GORDA/ENGLEWOOD BEACH, Fla. (May 12, 2020) – The Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach Visitor and Convention Bureau, in collaboration with the Englewood Florida Chamber of Commerce, is inspiring outdoor family recreation while benefitting local tourism businesses in Charlotte County, through the sale of Englewood Youth Explorers (EYE) On Nature Youth Explorers Club Kid Paks.
Developed by the Englewood Florida Chamber Tourism Assembly and Englewood Community Services Inc. with support from the Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach Visitor & Convention Bureau and Visit Sarasota County, EYE On Nature is an educational program designed to help families discover natural attractions of the Englewood area.
EYE on Nature Youth Explorers Club is a program to introduce children to local wildlife by taking them on a series of rewarding adventures. Led by the magic turtle guide named Scout, they learn how to help wildlife and become good stewards of the environment. Available for purchase online at BestSideYourSide.com for $25 with $5 donated to Community Organizations Active in a Disaster Florida (COADFL) fund for Charlotte County, each Kid Pak includes:
- Heavy cotton backpack with EYE On Nature full color logo
- Book 1: “The Adventures of Scout: Turtle Tales” (16 pages/color)
- Two laminated Q&A activity parent guide sheets (one being the answer key)
- Field Notes journal with pen
- Metal EYE On Nature medallion
- Pewter sea turtle pin
- Clear, paintable plastic turtle ornament
Children will be engaged by the book, “The Adventures of Scout: Turtle Tales,” and excited to experience a series of rewarding outdoor adventures focused on the fourth grade age group, but of interest to all ages.
The book is written by award-winning author and Sarasota resident Lucy Beebe Tobias, and beautifully illustrated by local Englewood writer and illustrator Becky Barbier.
“We are fortunate to live in a community with an abundance of natural beauty,” said Ed Hill, Executive Director at The Englewood Florida Chamber of Commerce. “The annual nesting of sea turtles on our shores, and the eventual surfacing of thousands of hatchlings, is an environmental wonder. The Englewood Chamber is pleased to have create this educational program to help ensure this ecological miracle continues uninterrupted.”
Launched just in time for turtle nesting season (which officially kicked off May 1), now is the perfect time for families to get out and explore. The outdoor adventures are outlined in an accompanying Parent’s Guide, which identifies all of the natural attractions where children can further explore the exciting habitats of birds, marine mammals, turtles and more.
“BestSideYourSide.com was created to support local businesses and really bring the community together,” said Wendie Vestfall, Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach Visitor and Convention Bureau Director of Tourism. “We’re humbled to see it grow with the addition of the EYE On Nature program, and thrilled to add the educational component for kids that can be used right now for outdoor activities while at the same time serve as an additional contribution toward COADFL.”
ABOUT PUNTA GORDA/ENGLEWOOD BEACH
Located on Florida’s coveted Southwest Gulf Coast, halfway between Tampa and Naples, Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach is a charming collection of coastal communities surrounding the state’s second largest harbor. Florida’s premier year-round eco-tourism destination, the area offers pristine, unspoiled beauty. A haven for outdoor enthusiasts, Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach showcases a variety of vibrant experiences. From beaches to boating, hiking to harbor tours, fishing to nature discovery; to sun, shelling and fossilized sharks teeth, the destination celebrates the active traveler and lively local in search of relaxation and unlimited discovery. Most notably known for its 830 miles of pristine unparalleled shoreline, including captivating river passages, a mangrove-edged aquatic preserve and more than a dozen miles of natural Gulf beaches, the Charlotte Harbor Gulf Island Coast includes the areas of Boca Grande, Don Pedro Island, El Jobean, Englewood-Cape Haze, Little Gasparilla Island, Manasota Key, Knight Island, Placida, Babcock Ranch, Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda. To learn more about Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach, visit http://PureFlorida.com or call 1-800-652-6090 or engage with the destination on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @RealPureFlorida. Looking for fast, unique destination facts? Click HERE!
Located on Florida’s coveted Southwest Gulf Coast, halfway between Tampa and Naples, Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach is a charming collection of coastal communities surrounding the state’s second largest harbor. Florida’s premier year-round eco-tourism destination, the area offers pristine, unspoiled beauty. A haven for outdoor enthusiasts, Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach showcases a variety of vibrant experiences. From beaches to boating, hiking to harbor tours, fishing to nature discovery; to sun, shelling and fossilized sharks teeth, the destination celebrates the active traveler and lively local in search of relaxation and unlimited discovery. Most notably known for its 830 miles of pristine unparalleled shoreline, including captivating river passages, a mangrove-edged aquatic preserve and more than a dozen miles of natural Gulf beaches, the Charlotte Harbor Gulf Island Coast includes the areas of Boca Grande, Don Pedro Island, El Jobean, Englewood-Cape Haze, Little Gasparilla Island, Manasota Key, Knight Island, Placida, Babcock Ranch, Port Charlotte and Punta Gorda. To learn more about Punta Gorda/Englewood Beach, visit http://PureFlorida.com or call 1-800-652-6090 or engage with the destination on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook @RealPureFlorida. Looking for fast, unique destination facts? Click HERE!
