I had the privilege to volunteer for Tampa Bay Watch for quite some time in their main facility, as well as at several outreach events and cleanups. They are a great group of people who are passionate about saving the estuaries of Tampa Bay and making sure they are alive for future generations to enjoy! Peter Clark and his staff accepted me into their group as though I was one of their own and I hope to be able to return to volunteering with them soon. Their work is important and the waters, esturaries, and beaches of Tampa Bay are a better place because of them!
Moving from IL to Saint Petersburg FL just over two years ago, I became aware of Tampa Baywatch (TBW) quickly. TBW is active and visible, with strong leadership and a talented small staff. They stick to their mission, which I admire, and are very efficient in the use of organizational resources. I soon volunteered in several different capacities--a bay clean-up, pulling salt grass from a nursery bed for transplant in the bay, and staffing an education table at a local park/preserve during a special weekend event there. TBW is an impressive non-profit! I am glad to offer support.
Tampa Bay Watch is a family like non-profit organization that has oppurtunities for people and families of all walks of life to participate. Whatever your phisical limits are there is a job for everyone. The great part of these projects is being able to see them grow (like a communtiy garden) year after year and know that you were one of the people that helped "plant the seed."
My daughter attended several years of summer camp at TBW. It was a great experience. Counselors were great. Activities were interesting. And the setiing (the beautiful waters of Tampa Bay) was magnificent. Since it has been 2 years since her last camp, I can now see the long term benefits of her attendance. She has a deep appreciation for the ocean, sea grass, mangroves, sea oats, etc. and all the creatures that live in or around the ocean. I think what the camp created was a life long advocate for the Gulf of Mexico, Tampa Bay, and the ocean world. She does not take our marine world for granted, but appreciates it and realizes its importance to us. I am impressed with her knowledge and passion. I credit TBW with opening her eyes to this amazing world.
We went with a group of ESOL students from Pinellas County Schools, and planted native plants along the shoreline. Tampa Bay Watch is an amazing organization, and the kids had a great time outdoors in a nature and also learned alot. They returned and made these beautiful displays depicting the day, to show off at a fair. It was one of the best field trips they had, in this day and age where kids don't get out of school much. So spending the day out learning about the environment, as well as actively participating in making the environment better, was just the perfect thing for them. I know they'll always remember that, and I know they'll forever look at nature as something to preserve and protect and appreciate. Thank you to Tampa Bay Watch for all the good work they do.
Tampa Bay Watch has been engaging people for nearly two decades. It's the only organization of its kind in the Tampa Bay region that is focused on protecting the bay by working through volunteers. Seagrass recovery, shoreline stabilization, HECK OYSTER populations and scallops...all due to the efforts of Tampa Bay Watch and their ARMY of volunteers of every age.
This is a fabulous place to learn about Florida's Gulf Coast environment including marine life cycles, invasive and native plant and animal species and the best summer camps for kids. This organization is making a real difference in the lives of all of Tampa Bay!
I have volunteered with the Tampa Bay Watch group for over two years. They have done so much to help the waters of Tampa Bay and they are so grateful toward each volunteer. Tampa Bay Watch is very active and has many opportunities available over the year to help the waterways of Tampa. The oyster bags and domes that are made help clean the water and restore the plant life. They also host an annual scallop search to review the quality of the aquatic life. I don't want to imagine how bad the water would be if Tampa Bay Watch did not exist. I am very grateful they are so dedicated in the recovery of our local waterways it has been a blessing helping them reach their goals.
My name is Gayle Hyde and I am from Jackson, Michigan. Anytime that I am able to visit my sister and brother -in-law Glory and Chuck Moore I always ask if Tampy Bay Watch has anything going on that I can help with. It is such a joy to see how involved and concerned people are reagrding the gulf, oceans, rivers you name it. What an experience every time I have been involved it has been. I have built oyster domes several times and seems like I learn something new about them each time. I wear my sunvisor and T-shirt proudly in Michigan and have even been asked what the Tampy Bay Watch it all about, so I give them a brief run down. Can't wait until I will be able to help out again with whatever it is that needs to be done. Being an avid scubadiver I can see the good that the Tampa Bay Watch has done and I appreciate each and everyone. THANK YOU!!!!!!
I spent 7 months working for Tampa Bay Watch as an education intern and in that time I was fortunate enough to see how well the Tampa Bay Watch team works together, and how passionate they are about their jobs. As an intern I not only taught, but I also learned a great amount about salt marsh ecology, plankton, mollusks, oysters and more. I enjoyed every minute of working for TBW and still rave about my experiences there. If any organization deserves a reward or to be recognized in any way TBW is it.
This is a great organization to volunteer for. They do a wide variety of organized events (e.g., seagrass plantings, coastal cleanups, oyster habitat building, sea scallop counting, etc.) that has a direct impact on the water quality of Tampa Bay. They also have a wonderful connection to schools, involvement of students in their programs, and summer school marine science activities. Their well managed, have a great staff, and have good visibility in the community. I'm a personal member and the company I work for is a Corporate member.
My friends and I have volunteered with Tampa Bay Watch over the last few years. We have built oyster domes, helped with Evening for the Bay and with an Easter event for kids. They have many areas to volunteer, with a wide variety of interests. They're website is very informative and easy to use. Volunteering with this organization is an awesome way of paying it forward for the true Floridian who enjoys the beaches, seafood and other activites that the Florida lifestyle offers.
Tampa Bay Watch is a superb organization with outstanding leadership volunteer support. As people who live on Tampa Bay and regularly enjoy fishing and water sports, my family and I have all benefited from their programs. I have personally participated in a number of activities including planting salt marsh grasses in areas being reclaimed, building eco-friendly oyster domes and manufacturing and installing oyster shell bundles to prevent shoreline erosion and to provide structure to re-establish shoreline oyster beds. These activities are always well planned and enthusiasticly executed due to the organization's dedicated staff. Educational and outreach activities have contributed to increases in water quality and grass beds in Tampa Bay as well as educational opportunities for regional schools.
Tampa Bay Watch is one of the best organizations in the nation for habitat restoration, conservation and education . The hands on approach is one of the best ways to engage the public and make a difference for the marine ecosytem. The staff, board of directors and volunteers are all dedicated to TBW mission.
Tampa Bay Watch is the leading organization restoring habitat in Tampa Bay and it's estuary. It coordinates with other local, regional and national organizations to accomplish it's mission: "Tampa Bay Watch, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit stewardship program dedicated exclusively to the protection and restoration of the marine and wetland environments of the Tampa Bay estuary through scientific and educational programs." Many volunteer oppprtunities are scheduled that only last 4-5 hours, making it very convenient to participate. Educational programs for children are scheduled all year and include Summer Camps, as well. Community education is constant process, through emails and media coverage.
I have volunteered for many non profits over the past 40 plus years and with a degree in forestry have always aligned myself with groups who genuinely care about the environment on all levels. Tampa Bay Watch is one of those special organizations who definitely walk the walk as well talk the talk. Their zeal and energy and commitment are outstanding, so much so that my wife and I are supporters and members and volunteers and we live over a thousand miles away. We are that impressed with their staff and mission. We have helped out with one project in particular - the oyster dome building - which has numerous positive benefits to the water quality and erosion control of the region. Art Hoffman
I volunteer for Tampa Bay Watch to build oyster bars and protect the mangrove islands and other areas. This is just one of the many projects and efforts TBW does to help restore Tampa Bay to it's previous habitat. The effort of the group is amazing considering the very tiny staff, but the volunteer programs they sponsor and support gets the job done. We have done so much but there is so much more to do. They are a great group of folks!
I started volunteering with Tampa Bay Watch about two years ago. I have found the projects very interesting and helpful. I get to be in the great outdoors, whether standing by a lagoon or water inlet shoreline, or even get to ride in one of their boats on the Tampa Bay waters. It feels great to be giving back to the community while helping the world be a better place any way I can. The best part of Tampa Bay Watch is the wonderful people there. They are very generous, genuine, and helpful. They really care about the work they do, but, most importantly, care about the people that work on the projects, especially the volunteers!
Tampa Bay Watch is a great volunteer opportunity that provides very positive impacts to our waterways, animals and volunteers. They offer a range of "hands on" opportunities for volunteers to directly/positively impact our water environment. These activities offer teaching opportunities for our youth and "hands on - on-site" coastal waterways activities for our youth and all age level adults. (I am 65 years old and still am very active in their on-site projects.) Tampa Bay Watch always includes an educatio0nal componet to their volunteer opportunities - and typically they provide the volunteers to see the benefits of previous volunteer projects. Ron Heimburger - heimburger@mindspring.com - 813-677-9361
I have been a member of Tampa Bay Watch for some 20+ years now. Due to econimic stress, it is the only donation outside of church that I make on a regular basis. My reasoning - TBW does more to improve the environment (of Tampa Bay) than any other organization I personally know of. The fruits of their well rounded efforts have been realized through hands on projects, education and public awarerness programs. They have left no stones unturned in the restoration of the bay which has produced a marked increase in bay water quality (run-off & pollution control), habitat replenishment (mangrove and seagrass beds), reintroduction specie (scallops and oyster domes) to name a few. It is my view that TBW has physically done more to improve the 'overall' health of Tampa Bay than all the other organizations & government agencies that have attempted improvement through lobby, legislation and journalism. My hat is off to TBW, their voluteer staff and their workers for their unfailing stewardship of the bay waters. BRAVO Tampa Bay Watch!!!
TBEP is fantastic. As a college student always looking for ways to improve Tampa Bay's wildlife and learn more about Florida, TBEP has brought to my attention SO MANY services, classes, book signings, and volunteer opportunities that I would otherwise be unaware of.
Over the years, I have had the chance to work with the great team at Tampa Bay Watch and have enjoyed every moment. They do so many great things, not only for the environment, but also for the community as a whole. The only thing that I wish, is that I had more time to give or even was able to work for such a great project. You can see all the wonderful progress that has taken place around the barrier islands, estuarys, and keeping our coast line clean. While I was working for Post Properites, an apartment community, I was able to get the company to allow the employees to do volunteer work for Tampa Bay Watch as part of our companies Hope program. Everyone enjoyed themselves tramendously and many people started helping them on their own after that. Tampa Bay Watch doesn't only say they care about the community, they show it everyday.
While visiting our daughter in St. Pete she mentioned the need for volunteer work to be done with Tampa Bay Watch, so our adult daughters, my husband and myself rolled up our sleeves and joined in making oyster domes. It was great family time and I felt we had made a contribution to helping not only the organization but nature as well. THANK YOU T.B.W.
I have been a volunteer for Tampa Baywatch for 15 years (maybe more!) In that time the water quality of Tampa Bay, one of the most important estuaries in Florida, has improved dramatically. This is largely due to the efforts of Tampa Baywatch. Tampa Baywatch has also done a phenomenal job of bringing conflicting interest groups to the table to discuss issues that affect everyone.