Saturdays on the Marsh

Learn how to bring fun & sustainable conservation practices into your own home!

Learn how to bring fun & sustainable conservation practices into your own home! These programs will inspire attendees to reuse and repurpose single-use items to make life at home a little more green. By providing a foundation of environmental mindfulness within your family unit, small practices can lead to big ideas that positively impact our community. 

These workshops are suitable for all age groups and are geared toward families & households. Each workshop includes a craft project that you can take home!

This program is offered once a month from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Each workshop is $6 per person. This program will be held outdoors under our covered pavilion and out on our property.

See our 2025-26 schedule below and …
Book online now!

family making oyster windchimes

September 20 • Seine Netting in the Marsh | Come experience a “hands on feet wet” adventure at Saturdays on the Marsh. Watch from the shoreline or bring your water shoes, hat and sunblock to enjoy the many creatures that live in our salt marsh while seine netting and dip net exploring!

October 18 • Planting and Painting with Mangroves | Discover why Mangroves are so important to the Indian River Lagoon ecosystem! Collect mangrove propagules around MDC or bring some of your own. Plant some in the marsh and paint a picture using the red and black mangrove seeds.

November 15 • Soil Sampling | Like to get your hands dirty in the soil? Come and explore the soils found in New Smyrna Beach or bring your own and use some basic scientific techniques to test soil quality and which ones are best for growing native plants and vegetables.

December 13 • Water Conservation | Make a rain barrel or bucket to collect freshwater for your plants and garden! Check water quality using different instruments and techniques. Get some ideas for plants that are Native to Florida and are drought resistant.

January 17 • Bird Migration | Check out Florida’s real snow birds and see what’s flying around MDC! Climb Mount Morgan for some great bird watching and discover our bird friendly garden to see who is stopping by. Take home a small bird feeder to help those hungry birds!

February 21 • Clam and Seagrass Nursery | Take a behind the scenes tour of our Sea Grass and Clam nursery and discover how important a natural shoreline is for our lagoon and the creatures that call it home. Take home a clam and sea grass craft!

March 21 • Reptiles and Amphibians | Meet our resident reptiles at the MDC and learn how to make a friendly habitat for the amphibians in and around your yard. Bring a flower pot and we will provide the pipes for a frog hotel!

April 18 • Oyster Reefs | Explore the amazing world of an oyster reef and all the creatures that call it home! Discover how you can help these species thrive and survive in the lagoon. Use some of our oyster shells from our Shuck and Share program to create some wind chimes for your home.

May 9 • Pollinators | Learn about all the pollinators that help our plants to grow. Go on a pollinator hunt around MDC’s campus and find out which plants are attracting them. Build a home for bugs using a can and bamboo sticks!

If you have any questions about this program,
please contact Carley Metcalf at [email protected] or 386.428.4828. 

Our Mission:

"To protect our coastal ecosystems through education, conservation, and exploration"