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Volunteer Program�Rosemary Badger, CVA�Volunteer Coordinator

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How do Volunteers support our mission?

Essential to our mission, integral to our organization

    • Education
    • Research
    • Animal Care
    • Advocacy

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Fiscal Year 2025

200 active volunteers

who donated 10+ hours

during fiscal year

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13,500+ hours

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443

participants

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In kind value and budget support

  • 13,500 hours at the Florida rate of $34.79* = $469,665

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  • On average one of our active volunteer donates 60 hours/year= $2,087

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  • We couldn’t do what we do without our volunteers!

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*Based on data from Independent Sector

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Education Programs

Touch Tank and Ocean EcoCenter Exhibit Guides

    • 37 Exhibit Guides (30 are year-round)
    • October through mid-March

28 shifts/week: 1,800 hours

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Special Program Presenters

    • 5 volunteers
    • October through mid-March: 380 hours

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Turtle Scouts

    • 11 volunteers
    • Summer months: 240 hours

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Animal Care at the Coastal Center

Stingray Tank Cleaners

    • 5 volunteers
    • October through mid-March

4 shifts/week: 117 hours

Food Prep Volunteers-adding soon*

  • 7 shifts, each 2-3 hours

(proposed saving 14-21 hours staff time weekly)

Operation Fishmas

  • 2 volunteers donated 153 hours

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*New and select opportunities like these allow me to promote known, dedicated and trusted volunteers.

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Research and Conservation Programs

Water Quality Testers

    • 49 testers at 38 sites who donate 1.5 hours/week
      • October-February donated 1,119 hours

Special Projects

    • Oyster Drilling/Oyster Monitoring
      • 2 volunteers
      • October-February donated 46 hours

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Research and Conservation Programs

Seagrass Research and Restoration:

    • Seagrass Nursery Maintenance: ongoing
      • 13 volunteers donated 494 hours October through mid-March

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Green Team and Operations

Green Team :

    • Help maintain our butterfly garden and grounds (not lawn maintenance)
      • 7 volunteers who donated 74 hours from October through mid-March

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Environmental Stewardship �& Community Engagement

Cleanups

    • Adopt-A-Highway
    • Adopt-A-Beach
    • MyCoast (Independent beach cleanup)

Community Events, festivals, fairs

Special Events (Holiday Project, Holiday Trees)

Committees and Task Groups

Board of Directors

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Who are our volunteers?

  • All Ages: 5 to 85+
  • Year-round and seasonal, from everywhere!
  • Diverse backgrounds, education levels, experience and interests
  • Passionate about protecting the environment
  • Ambassadors and champions for our mission and our organization
  • Inspiration to their family, friends, neighbors

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Where do we find/recruitment them?

  • Interest in environmental stewardship
  • Referrals from families, friends, community
  • Digital: website searches, social media, newsletter
  • Visiting the Coastal Center
  • Monthly Volunteer Interest Sessions (both in-person and virtually)
  • Volunteer Fairs / Outreach Events
  • Volunteer Applications

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Appreciation and Gratitude�

  • Volunteers are our friends, donors, members,

and ambassadors in the community

  • Track their time and contributions
  • Recognize milestones and special events

(such as birthdays)

  • Foster the relationships-checking in on them
  • Offer enrichment programs
  • Host appreciation event
  • Volunteer Spotlight
  • National Volunteer Appreciation Week (April 20-26, 2026)
  • Admission passes, chocolate and hot drinks!!!!

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Thank �you �for all �that �YOU do!�