The Grand Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve will celebrate its 18th birthday this weekend.
The Grand Bay NERR was officially designated as a NERR on June 16, 1999, making it the 24th reserve in the National Estuarine Research Reserve System. There are now 29 reserves nationwide.
During Friday’s celebration, visitors will be able to enjoy games, crafts, and the reveal of some new additions to the reserve.
“We’ve recently made a trail for visitors to walk through the pine savanna,” said Sandra Huynh at Grand Bay NERR. “You can find the beginning of the trail right off the Savanna Trail Boardwalk behind the Coastal Resources Center.
“Although the 18th birthday is our plan for a soft opening of the trail, we may have to only show visitors the trail at this time, but not walk through it, because of all the recent rain.”
A Science Discovery Room will also be available to visitors during the celebration.
“The Science Discovery Room will have a ‘Small Science’ theme, where guests can explore different environments through a microscope,” Huynh said. “We’ll have samples of water from our research stations in the estuary, all the way to exploring life in a ditch.”
The celebration will be held Friday from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at 6005 Bayou Heron Road in Moss Point.
For more information about the Grand Bay NERR, visit their website.
