There Is A Lot Of Slime In Nature And So Many Animals That Use Slime In Different Ways. One Of My Favorite

Importance of Volunteering

If you are a high school student, volunteering is probably a requirement for graduation. Finding an organization to volunteer with can be challenging, especially during a global pandemic. There are a couple of resources that can help you find opportunities. Before we get to those, I want to encourage you to think about your interests and what you hope to get out of your volunteer experience. I also want to encourage you to look beyond fulfilling a graduation requirement. Volunteering provides you with experience that you can list on your resume and if you stay with an organization for a while, it can lead to references and letters of recommendation. I always remind my volunteers to treat their volunteer position like a job. Just because you are not getting paid does not mean you’re not acquiring work experience.

Where to look

Hands on Broward is a database of volunteer opportunities in Broward County and it allows users to search for opportunities based on their interests and location. Volunteer Connect is Volunteer Florida’s opportunity portal. It runs on the same software as Hands on Broward and is another resource I recommend to anyone interested in volunteering.

Different organizations use these platforms in different ways. At the Sawgrass Nature Center and Wildlife Hospital we use Hands on Broward to recruit episodic volunteers. This means that volunteers that sign up for these opportunities are not making a long-term commitment to us. You can volunteer once or multiple times, but you are limited to the dates and times posted.

If there is a specific organization, you are interested in start by visiting their website. Often, organizations will have volunteering information online. Be sure to read the requirements carefully and follow the instructions provided. If you have questions give them a call or send an e-mail if one is provided. Depending on the organization some volunteer opportunities will have age requirements. For example, our volunteer program has two different tracks based on age: Junior Volunteers are aged 13-17 and Adult Volunteers are 18 and older.

How to be a great volunteer

I am fortunate to work with amazing volunteers daily. They show up and do great work every single day. Our most successful volunteers understand our mission and how it relates to their assigned position. It is for this reason that I encourage volunteers to find something that aligns with their interests and goals. Please start your search early so that you are not scrambling to complete your hours with only months left to spare. Due to Covid-19 a lot of volunteer programs are operating at a limited capacity if they are operating at all.

Lastly, use volunteering as an opportunity to practice important skills such as speaking on the phone and writing professional e-mails. If you need to excuse yourself from a shift or need to ask a question it is a good idea to do it yourself rather than rely on an adult to do it for you. I love hearing from my volunteers and I especially like to see students taking an active role in the management of their volunteer role.

Learn more here: https://sawgrassnaturecenter.org/2020/11/17/finding-volunteer-opportunities-for-high-schoolers/

Those of you that follow us on social media may already be familiar with Bumper and the reason he got his name. Bumper likes to bump shoes with the front of his shell. This is a territorial display that is meant to inform the keeper of the day that they are in his home and they are only welcome as long as there is food.

Bumper is with the Sawgrass Nature Center because he is considered an exotic species. That means his species is not native to Florida.

What is Bumper?

Greek Tortoise

The Greek tortoise is one of five of the Mediterranean species of tortoises. They can grow to an average size of 5-8 inches in length, making them one of the smaller species of tortoise. Even though they have an average lifespan of about 50 years, they have been recorded to live up to 125 years in captivity with proper care and treatment.

Want to see Bumper?

Even though these guys are small in size, they require a pretty big habitat space to be kept happy and healthy. This includes lots of dirt and vegetation. That’s why if you come by the SNC to visit Bumper, you may have a hard time spotting him in such a large exhibit area. The best time to see Bumper is feeding time Tuesdays-Sundays around 11am-12pm. You might even get to see him do his famous “Bumper” display.

“Fragile & paper thin, is the compelling nature of many perfect things. Like butterfly wings, unfolding from a chrysalis, vibrant & vital in release. Exploring their place in this tangled world, faint heartbeat fluttering over roaring air, velvet lace floating on fitful winds. Barely there for the briefest of moments, then with one final, breathless flourish—gone again”.

RhymingTherapy—November 2020 (Caper White butterflies in my garden last weekend) poem inspired by @Writerscreed challenge “we need unfolding”

Raccoons like the pool to cool off, but they also use it to wash their hands and food. 

Sinbad

A fan favorite at the Sawgrass Nature Center and Wildlife Hospital, is Sinbad, a yellow-naped amazon parrot. The main mission of the SNC is to rehabilitate and release native wildlife back into the wild, but sometimes we have to provide permanent residency to the animals that come our way. Sinbad is a great example of two of the usual three reasons.

Previous Pet

In the wild, yellow-naped amazon parrots can live twenty to thirty years. In captivity, however, they can live sixty – eighty years. That means any potential pet owner of this gorgeous bird would have to plan for what is going to happen to their beloved parrot upon their death. Sinbad out lived two owners. The extended family of his owners reached out to the Sawgrass Nature Center for help and Sinbad became a permanent resident of the SNC.  Why can’t pets be returned back to the wild? Pet animals are usually captive bred and are totally dependent upon us for food, shelter, and water and may not be able to seek out these things for themselves. They most likely would not be able to survive on their own in the wild and may become easy prey to predators. This is why we should never just “let go of” an animal that we can no longer care for.

Exotic Species

As their name implies, yellow naped amazon parrots are not from Florida. This means they did not originate from Florida and were brought to the area by human intervention. Unlike invasive species, this exotic species does not have an established breeding population in this region and is not causing any inherent harm to our environment. In fact, you are only likely to see this particular species of bird in a place like a zoo, living as a pet, or in a nature center.

Because of the potential harm they can cause in our native ecosystem, it is illegal to release any exotic species into the wild.

Sanctuary Living

Sinbad, along with many other species, will spend the rest of his days being lovingly cared for by the dedicated staff at the Sawgrass Nature Center and Wildlife Hospital. He is provided a healthy and diverse diet of fruits, veggies, seeds, and nuts. One of his favorite things to do is serenade his caretakers in Spanish. He has also been known to give our Camp Director a scare or two by letting out a very good impression of a child screaming.

Interested in meeting Sinbad?

The Nature Center is open Tuesdays to Fridays 9am-5pm and Saturdays and Sundays 10am-3pm. To enter, a five-dollar donation for adults and a three-dollar donation for kids is greatly appreciated.

Ocean Conservation Organizations: Help Save The Oceans & And Its Babies

Oceana:

A non-profit ocean conservation organization that focuses on influencing policy decisions on the national level to preserve and restore our oceans.

Shark Angels:

An organization focused on the conservation of sharks and using technology, education, media and local campaigns to conserve the oceans shark population.

Shark Savers:

Focuses on ending the slaughter of sharks and manta rays. They aim to motivate the end of shark fin soup and the consumption of sharks. They also work to create shark sanctuaries in different locations.

Sea Shepherd Conservation Society:

Sea Shepherd is well known for many things. One being their on going campaign against the dolphin hunts in Taiji and chasing Japanese whalers out of whale sanctuaries. They also have campaigns to vault poaching in Guatemala and advocating a ban on the West Australian shark cull.

Ocean Preservation Society:

They use cinematography to expose crimes against the environment and its creatures.

American Cetacean Society:

Their mission is to protect the habitats of whales, dolphins, and porpoises through public education and outreach programs.

Whale & Dolphin Conservation:

An organization devoted to the well being of both wild and captive cetaceans. They campaign for the end to the trade of captive cetaceans.

Project AWARE Foundation:

A non profit organization that works with scuba divers in 182 countries to implement lasting change in two core areas of shark conservation and marine litter.

Ocean Conservancy:

A non profit environmental advocacy group that helps formulate ocean policy at the federal and state levels based on peer review science.

Coral Reef Alliance:

A non profit organization aiming to save the world coral reefs.

Our oceans and its creatures are in danger and it is up to us to save them both. Let’s work together to save our oceans and it’s precious babies.

It is officially baby season at the Sawgrass Nature Center! This week alone we have taken in 36 baby opossums with the goal to release them back into the wild once they are old enough to fend for themselves. 

Art and nature go hand-in-hand more often than people think. Previous artist in residence, Jan Kolenda, came out to touch up our tortoise statue. This statue highlights some important tortoise features such as their leathery skin that is adapted to crawling across land, their dome shaped shells, and the scutes that make up their shell. 

Make one of our wildlife friends your valentine this Valentines Day! For a $5 donation, we will deliver a yummy box of worms from you to them. Photos of the deliveries will be updated on Valentines Day. Donate here to get started: https://www.facebook.com/sncwild/posts/4168465543165140

This is Molly, our loggerhead musk turtle, receiving her first Valentine’s Day worm! Her incredibly strong beak is perfectly adapted to crushing through the tough exoskeletons of her prey. If you are interested in sending Molly a box of worms this Valentine’s Day, consider donating here: https://www.facebook.com/sncwild/posts/4168465543165140