PORT ST. LUCIE - The Oxbow Eco-Center, St. Lucie County's environmental learning center, has several events scheduled for April, including guided hikes, children's activities and its annual Earth Day celebration.

· Want to capture that down-home Southern Florida feelin'? Then join the Oxbow for "Marsh Music" on Friday, April 4 from 6:30 - 8:30 p.m. with the toe-tappin', knee-slappin' sounds of the Indian River Bluegrass Boys. Tickets are $5 per person and advance purchase is required.

· The Oxbow's "Wake-Up Lecture Series" is slated for Saturday, April 5 at 11 a.m. The topic will be "Living Green" - a presentation on some simple things you can do to live more sustainably while making your home and your lifestyle 'greener' and healthier. You'll get some tips on reducing your carbon footprint, creating less waste, and using your 'buying power' to effect change. This lecture is free and open to the public. Shade-grown, bird-friendly coffee is provided, just remember to bring your mug.

· Back by popular demand: The Oxbow's "Nature for Families" event "Florida Explorers" returns on Sunday, April 6 from 2 - 4 p.m. Learn how the different Native American tribes and colonists adapted to the Florida wilderness. Appropriate for ages 6 and older. The cost is $3 per person. Advanced tickets are required, and are available in the Oxbow gift store or by phone with a major credit card. Ticket purchases are non-refundable and seats are limited.

· The Oxbow will host a second "Nature for Families" event on Saturday, April 12 from 12:30 - 2:30 p.m., focusing on "Wildlife Mask Making." Participants will create a mask of their favorite wildlife creature with recycled materials. Children can take the masks home and bring them back for the Oxbow's Salute to Wildlife parade, which is part of the Earth Day celebration on April 19. Appropriate for all ages, the cost is $3 per person. Advanced tickets are required, and are available in the Oxbow gift store or by phone with a major credit card. Ticket purchases are non-refundable and seats are limited.

· Join the Oxbow for the area's largest Earth Day celebration on Saturday, April 19 from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. This year's festival will help visitors understand what "Living Green" is all about. Activities include live animals, educational displays, children's games, arts and crafts, live music, food and drinks and more. The event is free and designed for the whole family to enjoy. Please carpool as parking is limited.

· Guided hikes continue at the Oxbow every Saturday at 10 a.m. Join an Oxbow naturalist as they lead visitors along a series of trails, discussing the plants and wildlife that live in the different habitats along the North Fork of the St. Lucie River.

· Summer is almost here and registration is underway for the Oxbow's Junior Naturalist Summer Camp, running June 16 - 20 from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. Campers ages 9-11 will be immersed into an outdoor classroom where they hone their naturalist skills by observing and recording nature, learning about the plants and animals that call the Oxbow home. The cost is $80 per child. For registration/application information about this camp, contact the Oxbow at (772) 785-5842 or e-mail oxbow@stlucieco.gov.

Additionally, several club meetings and programs are held at the Oxbow Eco-Center:

· The Photography Club will hold its monthly meeting on Wednesday, April 2 at 6:30 p.m. All photographers, from novices to experts, are encouraged to attend. Field trips take place the following Saturday.

· The St. Lucie Audubon Society will meet Thursday, April 3 at 7 p.m. with Ricardo Zambrano of the Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission, who will present "Threatened and Endangered Terns and Skimmers in South Florida."

· The Florida Native Plant Society (Lakela's Mint Chapter) will hold its monthly meeting Tuesday, April 8 beginning at 6:30 p.m. Guest speaker Christine Kelly-Begazo will discuss "Sustainable Agriculture" at 7 p.m.

· The St. Lucie Regional Herpetological Society will hold its monthly meeting Wednesday, April 16 at 7 p.m. Guests are encouraged to attend and learn more about snakes, lizards and other reptiles.

In addition to the various scheduled events, the Oxbow's trails are open every day from dawn until dusk, while the education center is open Tuesday through Friday from 1-5 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon - 5 p.m. Situated on a 225-acre preserve on the North Fork of the St. Lucie River, the Oxbow offers a rare glimpse of "the real Florida" with nature trails, boardwalks, observation towers and an interactive environmental learning center.

The Oxbow Eco-Center is located at 5400 N.E. St. James Drive, Port St. Lucie (across from the Publix Shopping Center). For more information call the staff at (772) 785-5833 or visit www.stlucieco.gov/erd/oxbow.

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