Florida Wildlife Commission
Contributor
The Northwest Region Volunteer Program offers many opportunities for citizens to get involved in the conservation of Florida’s wildlife. Volunteers can assist on wildlife surveys and studies, habitat enhancement, grounds maintenance, shorebird monitoring, data entry and analysis, and more! This region covers Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Holmes, Washington, Bay, Jackson, Calhoun, Gulf, Liberty, Franklin, Gadsden, Leon, Wakulla and Jefferson counties.
Scallop Sitter Program
April - January
Scallop Sitters are volunteers who are helping to restore bay scallops in St. Joseph and St. Andrews bays by “babysitting” a cage of scallops from April through January. Volunteers must have access to the either of these bays via dock or boat and must commit to checking on and cleaning their scallops once a month. The scallops are kept in predator-exclusion cages to protect them from predation and increase the chances of successful reproduction during spawning season. Other volunteer opportunities that support the Scallop Sitter Program or scallop restoration efforts are posted on the FWC Outreach Calendar. If interested in becoming a Scallop Sitter, please register online at https://myfwc.com/research/saltwater/ mollusc/bay-scallops/sign-up.
Shorebird Stewards
April - September
The Panhandle is known for hosting high numbers of nesting shorebirds, including least terns, snowy plovers, and black skimmers. We are always in search of volunteers to act as Bird Stewards at popular nesting sites on the beach. Stewards help to educate the public about nesting shorebirds by sharing information and allowing beachgoers to view the birds and chicks from afar through binoculars and birding scopes. FWC and Audubon Florida work closely to ensure coverage on all busy beaches throughout the nesting season.
Bog Frog Call Analysis
Year-round
Regional biologists are actively restoring habitat for the Florida Bog Frog. In order to determine habitat use and population estimates in these areas, recordings are collected at specific times. Volunteers are vital in helping us process the data from the recordings. If you have a computer that can read either a flash drive or an SD card and have fair to good hearing, you can help! Volunteers listen to the recordings for bog frog calls and record the timestamps of any.
Diamondback Terrapin Monitoring
Year-round, except very cold months
Have you spotted one of these beautifully patterned terrapins? Let us know! Biologists are aiming to learn more about the presence and habitat use of Diamondback Terrapins in the Panhandle. To report a sighting, download the iNaturalist App and join the FWC Diamondback Terrapins of Florida project. Then just take a picture and submit! Any photos or notes you submit, along with the location, are sent to our biologists.
Bear Aware Volunteers
Year-round, busier in fall months
Bear Aware volunteers educate homeowners and communities about living with Florida black bears and how to minimize human-bear interactions. When bears have been spotted in neighborhoods and communities, Bear Aware volunteers visit those areas to share with neighbors how to secure bear attractants in an effort to discourage bears from utilizing the area. Volunteers are interviewed and undergo formal trainings – only the best become Bear Aware Volunteers!
Wildlife Management Areas
Varying timeframe
FWC supports many Wildlife Management Areas (WMAs) across the region. Biologists often need assistance on these areas for a variety of activities including bird nest box construction, wildlife surveys and population checks, maintenance, data entry, and more.
Please email the NW Region Volunteer Program Biologist to learn about these and more current opportunities at Richard.Barker@myFWC.com.
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