NEW SMYRNA BEACH ECO TOUR FIELD GUIDE
Saturdays on the Marsh: Family Eco-Workshops on New Smyrna’s Salt Marshes
A 1.5-hour, family-focused series at the Marine Discovery Center that pairs a short lecture with hands-on crafting to teach simple, sustainable practices.
Saturdays on the Marsh: Family Eco-Workshops on New Smyrna’s Salt Marshes.
Saturdays on the Marsh is a family-friendly, 1.5-hour workshop series run by the Marine Discovery Center in New Smyrna Beach that introduces sustainable practices through a 30-minute lecture followed by a hands-on activity; families leave with a crafted take-away intended for use or enjoyment at home and new habits to help local ecosystems.
Highlights
Outing Highlights
Short Lecture, Immediate Craft
Each session pairs a focused 30-minute talk with a guided, family-made take-away—turning a compact lecture into an immediately useful household project that demonstrates how to reuse and repurpose single-use items.
Rotating, Seasonal Marsh Curriculum
Workshops rotate through hands-on topics across the year—oyster reefs, pollinators, seine-netting, mangroves, native plants, composting, bird migration, clam and seagrass nurseries, and reptiles and amphibians—so each visit covers a different facet of lagoon ecology and stewardship.
Practical Sustainability for Families
The sessions are designed to seed household-level change: take-home items are crafted as a family and meant to be used at home, reinforcing small, repeatable practices that benefit the local community and the Indian River Lagoon.
What the day feels like
What a Saturday on the Marsh Feels Like
Expect a compact, active program: a didactic 30-minute lecture on the day’s subject followed by guided, hands-on work where families build or plant a take-away item. Sessions are designed for family participation and to demonstrate easy-to-adopt sustainable practices in an engaging on-campus setting.
Suitability
Who it's for
Who gets the most from Saturdays on the Marsh
Practical planner
Details to review before reserving
Workshops run seasonally; specific dates and topics are scheduled across Spring 2026 and Fall 2026–Spring 2027—check the Marine Discovery Center calendar for the exact topic on a given date.
Each session is 1.5 hours long and combines a 30-minute lecture with a hands-on family crafting activity.
Bring a reusable water bottle and a smile; some dates ask participants to bring specific items (for example, water shoes, hat, sunblock, a container to decorate, or a flower pot)—refer to the date description before attending.
The program is family-oriented, and all children and students must be accompanied by a paying adult.
Review cancellation policies before reserving.
Frequently asked questions
Planning Your Outing
How long is each Saturdays on the Marsh session?
Each workshop runs 1.5 hours.
Who runs Saturdays on the Marsh?
The Marine Discovery Center operates the Saturdays on the Marsh workshops.
Do children need to be accompanied?
Yes—this is a family program; all children and students must be accompanied by a paying adult.
Will I make something to take home?
Yes—each session includes a hands-on activity where families craft a take-away item intended to be used or enjoyed at home.
What should I bring to the workshops?
Bring a reusable water bottle for every session; certain dates ask for additional items—examples include water shoes, hat, sunblock, a container to decorate, or a flower pot—so check the date description before attending.
What kinds of topics are covered during the season?
Topics rotate seasonally and have included oyster reefs, pollinators, seine netting, mangroves, native plant gardens, composting, bird migration, clam and seagrass nurseries, and reptiles and amphibians.