NOAA's national marine sanctuaries celebrate one million volunteer hours
NOAA thanks coastal stewards for 40 years of public service
June 15, 2012
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary volunteer
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary volunteer John Menke teaches visitors
about intertidal invertebrates at the annual San Simeon, Calif. Coastal
Discovery Center Fair.
Download here
<http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2012/images/volunteer1.jpg> . (Credit:
NOAA.)
From removing trash to counting whales and educating school children,
volunteers across the country performing a variety of critical functions
have donated more than one million hours of community service to help
conserve the country's ocean and coastal treasures for future generations,
NOAA <http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/> 's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries
announced today.
"We are incredibly thankful for every single hour volunteers dedicate in our
marine sanctuaries, and we appreciate the way they excite and engage the
next generation of ocean stewards," said Daniel J. Basta, director, NOAA's
Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. "We would not be able to accomplish
many of the things we do without the selfless commitment of citizens in
communities all across the country."
NOAA's Office of National Marine Sanctuaries manages 14 marine protected
areas spanning more than 150,000 square miles of ocean and Great Lakes
waters from the Hawaiian Islands to the Florida Keys, and from Lake Huron to
American Samoa. This year marks the 40th anniversary of the sanctuary
system. Since the mid-1990s, sanctuary volunteers have provided more than
$15 million of in-kind support, according to a national value of volunteer
time.
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary volunteers
Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary volunteers Rita Chaffin and Ron Eby
cruise the waters of Elkhorn Slough in Moss Landing, Calif.
Download here
<http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2012/images/volunteer2.jpg> . (Credit:
NOAA.)
Examples of volunteer opportunities include annual events such as Ocean
Count <http://hawaiihumpbackwhale.noaa.gov/involved/ocwelcome.html> at
Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary, where more than
1,000 volunteers monitor humpback whales from the shores of O'ahu, Hawai'i
and Kaua'i during whale season. In Southern California, the Channel Islands
Naturalist Corps <http://channelislands.noaa.gov/edu/edu_natc.html>
volunteer program teaches the public about the sanctuary's important
ecosystem at community events, whale watching tours and free lectures.
Channel Islands Naturalist Corps was named the 2011 Take Pride in America
<http://www.takepride.gov/> Outstanding Federal Volunteer Program.
On the other side of the country, volunteers of Team OCEAN
<http://floridakeys.noaa.gov/volunteer_opportunities/welcome.html> in
Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary patrol sanctuary waters to provide
boaters with valuable navigational information and report illegal activity
to sanctuary law enforcement officers. Volunteers also represent their
communities through participation in sanctuary advisory councils
<http://sanctuaries.noaa.gov/management/ac/welcome.html> , which provide
advice to NOAA on the management and activities at each of the 14 sites.
A volunteer shows a young girl a model of the whales
A volunteer shows a young girl a model of the whales they are hoping to see
during the Whale Watch cruise off the coast of the Channel Islands National
Marine Sanctuary in Southern California.
Download here
<http://www.noaanews.noaa.gov/stories2012/images/volunteer3.jpg> . (Credit:
NOAA.)
"One million hours is a monumental achievement, but we encourage more people
to get involved and help ensure marine sanctuaries remain America's
underwater treasures for generations to come," said Tracy Hadjuk, NOAA
national volunteer coordinator for sanctuaries.
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