Whitney Lab and Sea Turtle Hospital provide Lifelong Learning Opportunities

/ Made in St Augustine/
Whitney Lab and Sea Turtle Hospital provide Lifelong Learning Opportunities

The Whitney Laboratory for Marine Bioscience is a biomedical and biotechnology research institute of the University of Florida, located on the border of St. Johns and Flagler Counties in St. Augustine, Florida.

Cornelius Vanderbilt Whitney and UF’s Medical School leadership founded the Lab in 1974. It is composed of nine different internal labs that use marine organisms for basic biological research that can be applied to human health, natural resources and the environment.

Not only a center for rigorous marine research, Whitney is well-regarded for providing the community lifelong learning opportunities. The lab provides training for future experimental biologists, education programs for Kindergarten through university-level students and monthly lectures for the general public. 

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Textile Arts Guild Preserves Hand-Crafting Heritage

/ Made in St Augustine/
Textile Arts Guild Preserves Hand-Crafting Heritage

History isn’t just written on the pages of books or spoken aloud from scripts meticulously fact-checked. It’s recorded in the work of the hands.

St. Augustine Textile Arts Guild members live up to the mission defined by its founders in 1995: Maurine Boles, textile historian; Nancy Garrard, a spinner and weaver, and Irene Toreula, a weaver. The mission is to preserve the textile arts and crafts from St. Augustine’s founding in 1565 through Statehood in 1845, and to encourage interest in the historic and contemporary arts.

Members are spinners who turn fibers into yarns and threads for weaving, knitting and decorative arts; crafters who embellish hand-made garments tapestries and linens with beading or embroidery, crochet, knit, quilt, or felt, create jewelry, and children’s soft-knit toys. 

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Adopt a New Furkid from S.A.F.E. at Made in St. Augustine

/ Made in St Augustine/
Adopt a New Furkid from S.A.F.E. at Made in St. Augustine

Saving Animals From Euthanasia is a 501c3 non-profit organization run entirely by donations.

Each day S.A.F.E. rescues wonderful precious animals that have been thrown away like garbage so that they may go on to live happy lives with families who will cherish them.

S.A.F.E. treats pets for medical conditions needed to make them adoptable and healthy. Some simiply have broken hearts and minds, and need time and TLC to heal and know what love is. S.A.F.E.’s foster homes provide that.

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Dance around the World without ever Leaving St. Augustine

/ Made in St Augustine/
Dance around the World without ever Leaving St. Augustine

Gina Marie Newman has been dancing since childhood but began gravitating to world dance styles as an adult.

Today, she shares her passion for American Tribal Style Dance, Middle Eastern Dance, Near East Dance, Spanish Fusion and more through Blue Lotus World Dance Company.

She believes this style of dance is enriching both culturally and spiritually – not to mention a healthy, creative outlet for all ages, sizes and backgrounds.

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Experience Nature at the GTM Research Reserve

/ Made in St Augustine/
Experience Nature at the GTM Research Reserve

The GTM Research Reserve, one of 29 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Estuarine Research Reserves, encompasses 74,000 acres of conservation lands and waters from Ponte Vedra to Palm Coast. It is managed by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Florida Coastal Office. The Reserve was established as a protected area for long-term monitoring, research, education and stewardship programs.

On Saturdays, you can explore ten miles of upland hiking trails and approximately seven miles of beaches on Guided Cultural Hikes or Beach Walks and have fun in Guana Lake at a Family Seining event. You can also explore the River-to-Sea Preserve or the coquina rock beach on guided explorations. If you are a nature lover, GTM Research Reserve offers multiple options for a wedding at Guana Beach, the Environmental Education Center or the Guana Trails! There are also indoor hands-on presentations where you can learn about whales, sea turtles, snakes, birds, butterflies, and other amazing life. 

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St. Augustine Textile Arts Guild Keeps Traditions and Skills Alive

/ Made in St Augustine/
St. Augustine Textile Arts Guild Keeps Traditions and Skills Alive

Textile arts have been part of St. Augustine’s culture since the city was founded. The Textile Arts Guild was formed in 1995 to perpetuate the textile arts of the past for the future.

The members of the group are interested in all kinds of fiber arts, both colonial and contemporary. Among their skillsets and talents are weaving, spinning, lace and paper making, knitting, crocheting, embroidery, felting, needle punching, basketry and more.

Weekly studios, monthly meetings and special demonstration events throughout the year keep members engaged.

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Saint Augustine Garrison Recreates History

/ Made in St Augustine/
Saint Augustine Garrison Recreates History

Step back in time and experience Colonial Spanish St. Augustine. The Saint Augustine Garrison makes it possible. This group of reenactors portrays the life and times of the Spanish soldiers and their families in the 1740s.

During this time period, St. Augustine was a remote outpost on the fringes of the Spanish empire established to protect the Spanish treasure fleets that were returning to Spain along Florida’s east coast. Daily life was extremely difficult for soldiers and their families. Not only were they under constant threat of attack from hostile Indians, they were also combatting British invaders laying claim to Spanish territory from the north. Relief supply ships and reinforcements from the New Spain (Mexico) sometimes took years to arrive. It truly was a struggle to survive in this extremely harsh environment for those who lived in the first continuous colony in the new world.

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Find your Groove at Funkytown Fitness

/ Made in St Augustine/
Find your Groove at Funkytown Fitness

The “Funkytown Fairytale” began more than seven years ago when Beth Morucci approached Heidi Pidcock, her friend and co-worker at the St. Augustine YMCA, and asked her if she’d be interested in opening an exclusive, group fitness studio.

Having owned and managed a comprehensive fitness facility for 17 years, Beth recognized her friend’s talent, skill set and amazing following and felt confident they could build an incredibly successful partnership.

After months of planning and ultimately settling on a location, Funkytown Fitness opened its door in the Riverside Plaza on 312 in November of 2013. However, in order to meet the growing demand of clients and classes, they were quickly forced to relocate to a space twice as large and moved into their current home, a 4,000-square-foot space on Southpark Blvd.

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Ancient City Soccer Club: Providing Fun for St. Augustine’s Kids For 25 Years

/ Made in St Augustine/
Ancient City Soccer Club: Providing Fun for St. Augustine’s Kids For 25 Years

When kids are asked why they play soccer, the answer is simple: Because it’s fun! (And really, what’s not to love about running around on a wide open field with a ball?)

Since 1983, Ancient City Soccer Club has been providing fun for the youth of St. Augustine and St. Johns County through the game of soccer.

ACSC is an organization of players, coaches, parents, and friends of the game of soccer who are dedicated to the development of players and coaches to their highest potential. ACSC was established to provide an unparalleled personal growth experience through the game of soccer and to promote a life-long love for the sport.

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Twist and Shout with Magical Melodies

/ Made in St. Augustine/
Twist and Shout with Magical Melodies

Sing like nobody’s listening. Dance like no one’s watching. Live like it’s heaven on earth.

That’s what it’s like at Magical Melodies in St. Augustine.

Magical Melodies hosts music classes for young children, ages 8 months to 5 years, with a caregiver. Step into Michelle Smith’s class and you’ll be surrounded by moms, dads, grandparents and nannies singing out loud and cutting a rug with their little ones.

At first glance, Magical Melodies’ classrooms appear to be filled with kids and adults just having a grand time – which they are! However, Michelle actually integrates the serious business of learning into this fun and relaxed setting.

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The Adventure Project: Recess for Any Age

/ Made in St. Augustine/
The Adventure Project: Recess for Any Age

When was the last time you played your way to adventure?

You probably don’t remember. Because like most, you get caught up in the responsibilities and routines of daily life.

Amy Angellili recognizes this – but also believes in unlocking the possibilities and potential that lie dormant within every one of us.

Which is why she created The Adventure Project. Based in St. Augustine, The Adventure Project facilitates interactive, immersive experiences that enable you to be in the moment, connect to other life explorers and perhaps even discover your own unique life adventure.

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Mike Usina Casts Minorcan Magic at Made in St. Augustine®

/ Made in St. Augustine/
Mike Usina Casts Minorcan Magic at Made in St. Augustine®

A spool of twine, a needle, a mesh board, nimble fingers and time. These are the tools Mike Usina needs to create Minorcan Magic. 

Usina isn’t a magician in the traditional sense. But once you watch him tie knot after knot to transform bonded nylon into a 7-foot cast net - you will agree he is a magician in his own right.

Usina began hand making cast shrimp and mullet nets more than 65 years ago. While the English cast net made from bonded nylon is his favorite, he has made all types of fishing nets using an array of materials including linen, cotton, Nycott, braided spectra fiber and braided Dacron. 
 

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