The Friends of St. Joseph Bay Preserves, Inc., is a non-profit Citizen Support Organization established in 2003 to protect and preserve one of the most ecologically significant areas in the Southeastern United States, and to support the St. Joseph Bay State Buffer Preserve and St. Joseph Bay Aquatic Preserve.

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Summer Art Camp Visit, June 24th, 2025
We here at the St. Joseph Bay State Buffer Preserve had the opportunity to host a summer camp this past Wednesday! This art camp for students in elementary school visited the Buffer to work on creating masterpieces that combined nature with printmaking and sketching.  Students first arrived early in the morning and began a drawing assignment that was meant to get them thinking about all the things they might see at the Buffer Preserve. Artistic interpretations and expectations ranged from trees to bears to buried treasure!  Read More

Opportunities working directly with the Friends:
The Friends of St. Joseph Bay Preserves are interested in locating volunteers to assist with special projects such as development of the Buffer’s new interpretive trail, enlarging our social media presence, design and creation of print media, and, as always, help with our Bay Day Celebrations. Our Bay Day Celebration events, held each year on the first Saturday in February, serve as our major fundraisers.
Volunteering: Read More

If you are interested in becoming a Volunteer or Volunteer Host please call Sandra Chafin at 850-229-1787 or send her an email:  Sandra.chafin@floridadep.gov