Phillips Wharf Environmental Center on Tilghman is inviting children to bring their parents and grandparents to this fall’s Critter Release on Sunday, Oct. 21, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. At this annual event, the Center returns to the Bay animals that have spent the summer in its exhibition tanks.

Parents and grandparents should bring cameras to capture the scene as children carry horseshoe crabs, blue crabs and a variety of other Chesapeake Bay creatures to the edge of Knapps Narrows for release. There are also games and other entertainment. The Center is at 21604 Chicken Point Road, the first left after crossing the drawbridge onto Tilghman’s Island.

Kristina Henry the author of “Sam: The Tale Of A Chesapeake Bay Rockfish”,” The Fish Tank”, “The Rat Tank”, and “The Turtle Tank” will be on hand to sell and autograph copies of her books. Scales & Tails, the state Department of Natural Resources’ popular traveling exhibit of live reptiles and birds of prey, will also be there.

Pit beef prepared by Catering by Jamie and oysters — opened by the celebrated shucker Heavy D — will be available for purchase.

“It’s a perfect family event,” said Kelley Cox, founder and executive director of Phillips Wharf Environmental Center. “We always do this the day after Tilghman Island Day, so a lot of the weekend folks as well as fulltime residents come. It’s a great way to meet other people who care about the environment.

Phillips Wharf Environmental Center is a nonprofit organization whose aim is to “inform, inspire and involve” people in Chesapeake Bay stewardship. Its Tilghman Islanders Grow Oysters program distributed over 350 cages of oyster spat to spend the winter hanging off Tilghman and Lower Bay Hundred docks. Its Fishmobile traveling aquarium takes living Bay creatures and educational programs to schools and special events. Its Winter Wednesdays program offers free evening lectures on a variety of topics January to March each year.

The Center itself, based in the last surviving crab shanty on Knapps Narrows, exhibits Bay creatures and hosts individual visitors, tour groups and school field trips April to October.

Critter Release marks the end of the season at the Center. For additional details about the event go to www.pwec.org.