Friends of Lily Point and the county parks department are inviting the community and visitors to celebrate the recent growth of the Lily Point Marine reserve with a day of guided tours and independent explorations.

On Saturday, June 27, tours of the tidelands and uplands of the now 240-acre park will take off at 10 a.m. from the parking area next to the cemetery at the end of APA Road. “We are including a small kid-friendly tour of the beach – hosted by Friends of Lily Point and the Cottage Pantry,” said organizer Samantha Scholefield. “We will also have a geologist and the parks naturalist leading tours for adults and teens.” The tide will drop to minus 1.4 feet, leaving acres of tidal flats to open to explore.

The event celebrates the June 2 addition of 119 acres to the park. The Nature Conservancy bought the parcel in 2009 for $2.5 million but was able to sell it to the county for $1.3 million thanks to state and federal grants.
Grants from the state allowed the county to make up difference in the purchase price.