Hundreds of volunteers were honored this weekend for the valuable contribution they have made to help improve public lands and restore Tampa Bay.
The Southwest Florida Water Management District’s Volunteer Appreciation Day, which was held at the Green Swamp West Field Office, featured an awards presentation, exhibits, live music, a picnic lunch and a nature hike.
Approximately 300 volunteers are involved with the District’s Land Resources Volunteer Program. More than 800 volunteers are involved with the District’s Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Program.
Land Resources Volunteers
Land volunteers play an important role in maintaining the District’s many recreational trails and campgrounds, which makes the District’s public lands more accessible and enjoyable.
The land resources volunteer program tracks volunteers’ hourly contributions and honors a volunteer or organization when that person or organization reaches an established milestone. During the celebration volunteers were individually recognized and received plaques, shirts and caps. The program’s established milestones are 50, 100, 200, 300, 500 and 1,000 service hours.
“The volunteer program has been so successful we are planning to expand it,” said Will Miller, land use and protection manager. “It’s a win-win situation; the District benefits as well as the public.”
SWIM Program Volunteers
The volunteers who work with the District’s SWIM program play an important role in restoring Tampa Bay. More than 800 volunteers from 15 different
groups were involved with SWIM restoration projects during the past year.
More than half of the volunteers are associated with the Tampa Bay Watch Marsh Grow-Out Program, which involves students growing plants at their school nurseries and then planting them at restoration sites.
“The use of volunteers accomplishes two things,” said Brandt Henningsen, District senior environmental scientist. “The volunteers learn more about the environment and take ownership of the restoration of Tampa Bay. Using volunteers also saves taxpayers dollars.”
If the District did not use volunteers for these restoration projects, the District would have to pay a contractor to grow the plants and to install the plants at the restoration sites.