FOL Speaker explores Ponte Vedra’s Sister City
Local historian, entrepreneur and storyteller Gary Sass will shine a light on Ponte Vedra’s history as he explores “A Tale of Two Cities — Pontevedra, Spain, and Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.” Sass wraps up the 2024 season of the FOL Speaker Series with his talk at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 15, at the Ponte Vedra Beach Branch Library.
Sass is president of AdLib Luxury Tours & Transportation and has personally conducted more than 100 different tours in North Florida, mostly in Jacksonville and St. Augustine. He’s a member of the Jacksonville Historical Society and St. Augustine Historical Society. When he is not giving tours, you can find him on the trail as the History Hiker or experiencing activities in North Florida.
Thanks to the Friends of the Ponte Vedra Beach Library, the program is free and open to the public. The doors to the FOL Community Room open at 6 p.m. and the program begins at 6:30 p.m.
Palm Valley Market every Tuesday
The Palm Valley Market is held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Tuesday inside the Palm Valley Community Center, 148 Canal Road. The market offers fresh produce, baked goods, local honey, tea, seasonal treats, soap, jewelry, plants and more.
Family seining activity planned
Join a guided family seining activity from 9 to 11 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 12, at Guana Tolomato Matanzas (GTM) National Estuarine Research Reserve.
Learn about the animals and their roles in Guana Lake by pulling a seine net and collecting species of fish, crabs and other marine life.
Meet at GTM Research Reserve Guana Dam, 505 Guana River Road, Ponte Vedra Beach.
Register online at gtmnerr.org/visit/events.
The event is free, but parking is $3 per vehicle. All necessary gear (waders and boots) will be provided. Hat, insect repellent, water and sunscreen are recommended.
Learn about wildflowers
A five-week course on wildflowers will start Saturday, Oct. 12, from 9 to 10:30 a.m. at Guana Tolomato Matanzas (GTM) National Estuarine Research Reserve.
Learn about plant characteristics such as seasonal blooms, growing wildflowers at home, native plant societies, botanical gardens and locations in Florida where native wildflowers can be seen, plus instruction for the use of online tools such as iNaturalist.
Meet at the GTM Research Reserve Visitor Center, 505 Guana River Road, Ponte Vedra Beach.
The price for the course is $175 for members of Friends of GTM Research Reserve and $225 for non-members. Register online at gtmnerr.org/visit/events.
Garden Center Day is Oct. 17
Ribault Garden Club, 705 Second Ave. North, Jacksonville Beach, will hold its Garden Center Day from 10 a.m. to noon Oct. 17. Guest speaker will be Sara Cheshire of Barn Yard Farms. Her topic will be “Micro Greens.” Chef Shane, founder of Barn Yard Farms where he has been a chef for more than 30 years, will also speak. He has used his culinary and expertise to grow microgreens, gourmet mushrooms & farm fresh produce.
The event is open to the public. There will be refreshments, door prizes and more.
Admission is free.
— Compiled by Shaun Ryan
