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Tuesday 9am - 4pm Wednesday 9am - 4pm Thursday 9am - 4pm Friday 9am - 4pm Saturday 9am - 4pm

GTM Research Reserve

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Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
GTM Research Reserve

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Friends, fans, and volunteers working in support of the Guana Tolomato Matanzas National Estuarine Research Reserve.

Dedicated to the preservation of an unspoiled and undeveloped natural treasure, supporting a vibrant ecosystem and subsystems. Sea turtles, land tortoises, porpoises, manatees, roseate spoonbills, North Atlantic right whales...all these and many more live here year-round or are seasonal visitors.

10/28/2026

Due to weather impacts, ESTUSCARY has moved from the South Beach Access Lot to the Guana River Dam, but the haunted trail and hayride are still on!

Guana River Dam
505 Guana River Road, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082
Parking is available at the dam and Visitor Center.

October 29 & 30 | 7–9:30 PM
Recommended for ages 10+
$20 online | $30 at the trail (cash only)
Online sales close at 3 PM each event day.

Costumes encouraged. Scares await!

Still time to get your tickets: https://estuscary2026.eventbrite.com

10/26/2026

“As much as I went into it to give, I get something back every time I go.”
— Shelley Marsh, author and GTM Research Reserve volunteer

From welcoming visitors to decorating the ESTUSCARY Haunted Trail, Shelley has found plenty to love about volunteering at GTM Reserve.

We’re excited to celebrate the release of her new eco-mystery, "Up the Creek", inspired by the coastal landscapes and conservation efforts of northeast Florida.

Meet Shelley in NERRA’s latest “Talk NERRdy to Me” interview and discover how her love of nature connects her volunteering and writing.

Congratulations, Shelley, and thank you for all you bring to GTM Reserve!

Read her story: https://www.nerra.org/talk-nerrdy-to-me-shelley-marsh/

10/23/2026

Some birds are always dressed for Halloween.

Spotted at GTM Research Reserve, this black vulture has more going for it than a great costume.

Clever about dinner: Black vultures often follow turkey vultures to find a meal.

Remarkable stomachs: Their stomach acid is often compared to battery acid, helping destroy many harmful bacteria in the decaying remains they eat.

Devoted families: They form lasting pair bonds, share food with relatives and feed their young for months after they leave the nest.

Here’s to nature’s cleanup crew. Keep an eye out for them next time you’re visiting GTM Research Reserve.

10/22/2026

One week from tonight, the ESTUSCARY Haunted Trail opens at GTM Research Reserve. Gather your family and friends for twisted paths, unseen watchers and a few reasons to stick together.

Then keep the thrills going with a hayride into the deep, dark woods (included with your ticket).

October 29 & 30 | 7–9:30 PM
GTM Research Reserve South Beach Lot
2200 South Ponte Vedra Boulevard, Ponte Vedra Beach

$20 online—save $10 per person!
Tickets at the trail: $30, cash only.
Online sales close at 3 PM each event day.

Recommended for Ages 10+

Choose your night and get your tickets: https://estuscary2026.eventbrite.com/

10/21/2026

Meet one of GTM Reserve’s smaller residents.

This squirrel tree frog (Hyla squirella) was spotted during last week’s drift fence survey at GTM Research Reserve.

These little frogs live among vegetation and feed on insects such as beetles, crickets and flies.

Drift fence surveys help researchers at GTM Reserve document the amphibians and reptiles living in the Reserve’s habitats.

📷 Photo credit: Candace Killian

10/20/2026

Understanding our waterways takes more than a single water sample.

Recent reports of a fish kill in the Guana River have raised questions about local water quality. GTM Research Reserve monitors these waters throughout the year to understand what’s changing.

That ongoing work matters. GTM Reserve's data helped the state assess Guana River and Guana Lake. In 2022, both were designated impaired for nutrients, based on high chlorophyll levels that indicate excess algae.

More recently, high bacteria and chlorophyll levels led GTM Reserve researchers to collect samples weekly and at more locations. These results don’t tell us what caused the fish kill, but they help scientists know where to look more closely.

GTM shares this information with the agencies responsible for managing our waterways so they can make informed decisions about how to protect these waters.

In the coming weeks, we’ll share more about what we’re learning and how we can all help care for our local waterways.

10/19/2026

One cleanup. Two locations.

Join GTM Research Reserve this Saturday, October 24, from 9–11 a.m. for our monthly beach cleanup—now with a new location in Marineland!

Meet at 9 a.m. at the location that works best for you:

GTM Reserve Visitor Center
505 Guana River Road
Ponte Vedra Beach

GTM Reserve Marineland Office
9741 Ocean Shore Boulevard
St. Augustine

Gloves and trash bags are provided, and no signup is required. Bring water, sunscreen, insect repellent and a hat, and come help care for our coast.

10/16/2026

How do you study a whale? Sometimes, you get a view from above.

We’re halfway through the six-week Whale and Dolphin Course at GTM Research Reserve led by Terran McGinnis of Wild Lessons .

This week, the class was treated to an outdoor drone demonstration led by a Marineland Right Whale Project volunteer. The demonstration showcased how researchers use drones to spot and document North Atlantic right whales.

The drone also captured a species much easier to spot: the class, waving from GTM Research Reserve.

Thank you to Terran and Wild Lessons for bringing this learning experience to GTM Reserve, and to this week’s guests for sharing their work.

10/13/2026

Fall migration is in full swing and our coast is part of the journey.

The Atlantic Flyway is a major north–south bird migration corridor along the eastern side of the Americas. Each fall, birds travel through it toward wintering grounds farther south.

Long journeys require places to rest and refuel. GTM Research Reserve’s marshes, forests and shorelines provide habitat for migrating birds, winter visitors and year-round residents. Protecting these places connects conservation here at home to a journey that crosses borders.

See the Atlantic Flyway and where our coast fits in.

Map: U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Address

505 Guana River Road
Ponte Vedra Beach, FL
32082

Opening Hours

Tuesday	9am - 4pm
Wednesday	9am - 4pm
Thursday	9am - 4pm
Friday	9am - 4pm
Saturday	9am - 4pm

Telephone

+19043808600

Website

http://www.gtmnerr.org/

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