Artist Day at Felts Audubon Preserve

Join us at Felts Audubon Preserve for a morning of artistic exploration! Bring your sketchbook, camera, painting supplies, or journal, and experience this landscape for yourself, as you peruse the property while taking in the scenery and finding inspiration from nature.

This is a free self-guided event, and all guests will be provided a trail map upon entry. Artists must bring their own supplies. Big Waters Land Trust and Manatee Audubon Society representatives will be onsite to answer any questions about our vital work protecting nature and wildlife. We hope to see you there!

This program is suitable for all ages. All participants under the age of 16 must attend with a parent or guardian. Please note that pets are not allowed on the property.

Participants should bring a water bottle and wear clothing appropriate for the weather. We recommend sun protection, bug spray, and closed-toe shoes, no flip-flops. You may wish to bring binoculars or a camera as well. Please note that there are no restrooms or water fountains on-site. We recommend using the restroom before you arrive.

This program is provided in partnership with the Manatee County Audubon Society.

More about Felts Audubon Preserve

Felts Audubon Preserve is a captivating 28-acre nature preserve in the heart of Palmetto. Initially farmland, this special place found a new purpose when it was generously donated to the Manatee County Audubon Society by Otis & Anita Felts after Otis' passing in 2002. Otis and Anita dreamed that their farm would never be developed. To safeguard this land and the donor’s wish, Manatee Audubon worked with Big Waters Land Trust in 2020 to permanently protect Felts Audubon Preserve with a conservation easement. Today, the Manatee County Audubon Society and Big Waters Land Trust oversee the preserve, ensuring its protection as a haven for nature, forever.

Felts Audubon Preserve features over a mile of footpaths, primarily consisting of mowed grass (please note that wheelchair accessibility may be limited), leading you through a diverse landscape of covered bird blinds, uplands, pine flatwoods, ponds, wetlands, and meadows—each a magnet for migratory and nesting birds. The spectacular Painted Bunting is the signature bird at Felts Audubon Preserve. Audubon members have documented 194 bird species and 33 butterfly species at the preserve.

Event Venue & Nearby Stays

Felts Audubon Preserve & The Manatee County Audubon Society Inc., 4600 24th Avenue East, Palmetto, United States