Who:
Southwest Florida Water Management District Governing and Basin Board members and staff, hundreds of volunteers
What:
District volunteers awards presentation, exhibits, picnic lunch and nature hike. Speakers include Governing Board chair, Heidi McCree; and Martha Garcia, Tampa Bay Watch environmental scientist.
When:
Saturday, April 8, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The award ceremony begins at 11:30 a.m.
Where:
Green Swamp West Preserve/Field Office
Why:
Volunteers are an important role in maintaining the District’s many recreational trails and campgrounds and assisting with Tampa Bay restoration projects on District land.
District Contact:
Kim DeVary, 800-423-1476, ext. 4470 or (cell) 352-279-3891
Directions:
From south: Take I-75 north to S.R. 52, go right on S.R. 52 to Dade City, turn right onto Meridian Avenue (first traffic light past Pasco High School), turn left on U.S. 98 Bypass, turn right onto River Road and go east about 5 miles, cross over the Withlacoochee River to the main entrance.
From north: Take I-75 south to U.S. 98 South/S.R. 50, go east and turn left onto Cortez Blvd./S.R. 50 East, follow S.R. 50 to U.S. 98 South and turn right onto U.S. 98 and go south about 3.8 miles, turn right onto U.S. 98/U.S. 301 Bypass, turn left on River Road just past the Pizza Hut and follow the road about 5 miles, cross over the Withlacoochee River to the main entrance.
Volunteer Appreciation Day Fact Sheet
The Southwest Florida Water Management District is holding a Volunteer Appreciation Day to honor approximately 300 volunteers involved with the District’s Land Resources Volunteer Program and 55 volunteers representing more than 800 volunteers involved with the Surface Water Improvement and Management (SWIM) Program.
The Volunteer Appreciation Day will feature an awards presentation, exhibits, picnic lunch, live music and a nature hike.
Volunteers play an important role in maintaining the District’s many recreational trails and campgrounds and assist in the restoration of Tampa Bay.
SWIM Program volunteers assist with the restoration of Tampa Bay by participating in uplands and salt marsh planting as well as other activities.
More than 800 volunteers from 15 different groups have assisted the District’s SWIM Program in the past year.
More than half of the volunteers are part of 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 following groups are being recognized for their participation with the District’s SWIM Program:
oBloomingdale High School
oDixie Hollins High School
oLakewood High School
oEast Bay High School
oPalm Harbor University High School
oGE “ELFUN” Volunteers
oScheda Ecological Associates
oFlorida Natives Nursery
oBoy Scouts of America Troop 203, Wesley Chapel
oJoseph Newkirk, Boy Scouts of America Troop 203
oGardenville Recreation Center, Hillsborough County Parks Recreation and Conservation Department
oSt. Petersburg Audubon Society
oPinellas Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society
oHillsborough County Parks Recreation and Conservation Department Resource Management
oTampa Bay Watch
The District’s land volunteer program, which was established in December 2003, tracks volunteers’ hourly contributions and honors a volunteer or organization when that person or organization reaches an established milestone.
The program’s established milestones are 50, 100, 200, 300 500 and 1,000 service hours.
Here is a list of all of the properties maintained by volunteers and the groups involved that help maintain the land:
oGreen Swamp Preserve Withlacoochee River Trail Canoeists, Florida Trail Association, West Central Boy Scouts Chapter, Hampton River Riders and Triple B Riding Club
oUpper Hillsborough South Creek Equestrian Club, Florida Sport Horse Equestrian Club, Florida Trail Association
oLower Hillsborough South Creek Equestrian Club, Wilderness Trails Association, and WYME Equestrian Club
oCypress Creek Troop 33 Land O Lakes Boy Scouts
oLake Panasoffkee Friends of Hanover Citizen Support Organization
oPotts Preserve Florida Trail Association
oStarkey and Serenova Tract Pasco County Sheriff’s Mounted Posse, Inc. and Venture Crew Boy Scout
oRV Griffin/Deep Creek/Lake Manatee Lower Watershed Myakka River Riders
The following individuals involved with the District’s Land Volunteer Program will receive special recognition:
oBill Blommel (525 hours) Hampton River Riders
oJack Phethean (505 hours) South Creek Equestrian Club
oSteve Zimbler (505 hours) South Creek Equestrian Club
oKaren Michalak (510 hours) Pasco County Sheriff’s Mounted Posse, Inc.
oRon Michalak (510 hours) Pasco County Sheriff’s Mounted Posse, Inc.
oMike Ferraro (400 hours) South Creek Equestrian Club
oJim Watkins (332 hours) Hampton River Riders
oKenneth Sutton (325 hours) Hampton River Riders
oSonny and Carol Mattice, campground hosts, Lake Panasofkee
oMarty and Linda Scoville, campground hosts, Green Swamp West