The Friends of Gumbo Limbo will stage a “Pop Up Shop” for the public on March 13th and 20th to benefit Gumbo Limbo Nature Center.

Merchandise from the popular Boca Raton barrier island park’s gift shop will be available from 8 a.m. to 12 noon both Saturdays at the Pop Up Shop, located at Petruzzelli Real Estate, 2325 N. Ocean Blvd., Boca Raton – just .4 of a mile north of Gumbo Limbo Nature Center.

Gumbo Limbo Nature Center and the gift shop have been closed since March 18, 2020, due to the coronavirus pandemic. 

A wide assortment of gift shop goods will be available for purchase. Jewelry, shirts, hats, bags, stuffed animals and other merchandise will be on sale at the events.

Founded in 1984, Gumbo Limbo Nature Center is a cooperative project of the City of Boca Raton, the Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District, Florida Atlantic University, and Friends of Gumbo Limbo.

Gumbo Limbo monitors five miles of local Boca Raton beaches – and beyond – marking/monitoring sea turtle nests and rescuing stranded turtles. The nature center also provides medical treatment for sick/injured turtles.

The nature center features several tanks for fish/turtles and other sea creatures, a trail through the woods located on the property (new observation tower under construction), a museum filled with exhibits and the gift shop.

Gumbo Limbo has a variety of events focused on sea turtles, from its popular annual Sea Turtle Day in March (postponed this year because of the pandemic), to turtle walks in the late spring and turtle hatchling releases in the summer.

Prior to being closed down due to the pandemic, more than 200,000 visitors toured the nature center in 2019, a 20-acre park located at 1801 N. Ocean Blvd., in Boca Raton.

The Friends of Gumbo Limbo, a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization, supplies pivotal financial support for the center. The group provides staff support, plays a key role in the organization of special events and assists the center in its evolution.

Some of the projects supported by the Friends of Gumbo Limbo, according to the Gumbo Limbo Website, include:

• Funding for exhibits to “Fill the Tanks” in the four salt-water tanks in the two pavilions that opened in June 2012 and current satellite tagging project to monitor behavior of post-Rehabilitation sea turtles after being re-released into the ocean
• Contracts with veterinarians for animal care
• Raised emergency funds for the 2009/2010 cold snap which affected more than 5000 endangered green sea turtles
• Provided GPS tracking equipment for sea turtle research with the release of FeeBee, Milton, and Neptune and more
• Secured $50,000 donation for the installation of solar panels to supplement energy costs
• Has provided over $100,000 in scholarships to undergraduate and graduate students throughout Florida to achieve their goals in higher education and research

IF YOU GO 

WHO: Friends of Gumbo Limbo

WHAT: Pop Up Shop

WHERE: Petruzzelli Real Estate,  2325 N. Ocean Blvd., Boca Raton

WHEN: 8 a.m. to noon on Saturdays, March 13/20

PARKING: Limited on site at Petruzzelli Real Estate. 

CONTACT: 561.544.8605

ONLINE: shopgumbolimbo.org