Do you love being outdoors, meeting people from around the country and the world, and sharing your knowledge of nature? Then volunteering at Manatee Park might be perfect for you!
Concerned you don’t know much about Florida plants and animals? Manatee Park volunteers attend training sessions to learn the information needed to share with visitors. Potluck dinners with knowledgeable speakers and field trips to relevant and interesting nature areas, help educate volunteers.
Manatee Park is part of Lee County Parks and Recreation. Located just one mile from Verandah’s front gate, it abuts the Florida Power and Light Discharge Canal that attracts hundreds of manatees every year when water temperatures drop.
Manatees are marine mammals that are temperature sensitive, just like humans. When water temps in the Gulf of Mexico and rivers drop below 68 degrees F, manatees swim upstream looking for warm water sources.
The FPL discharge canal provides a warm water haven for manatees that return every year between November and March. Although the discharge canal contains water to keep them warm, there is no food for manatees to eat while there. Some become very emaciated and need to be rescued by FL Fish and Wildlife and transported to a facility for rehabilitation. Volunteers help by reporting manatees that are showing signs of distress.
Manatee Park volunteers can choose from a variety of volunteer options including:
- Rover (walking around the park sharing information with individual visitors)
- Ambassador (answering questions about the park and local area at an outdoor welcome desk)
- Presenter (presenting the All About Manatees Program to groups of people in the outdoor amphitheater)
- Environmental Education (presenting programs to local school groups who visit the park)
- Master Gardener (caring for and sharing information about plants)
Volunteer and Master Gardener, Barb Watson, has been volunteering at Manatee Park for 13 years. She was a Rover and still answers questions about manatees, plants and butterflies. When asked what she likes most about volunteering, Barb said, “Working in the park, surrounded by nature. A great place for nature lovers! There is always something interesting to see. Potlucks and field trips are fun too and the other volunteers are great to work with.”
Dee Levenson said, “I spent most of my time Roving. I loved talking with people in small groups and especially giving the children manatee coloring books. I would certainly recommend volunteering at Manatee Park.”
Diane Doster added, “I learned about Manatee Park while attending the Verandah Volunteer Fair held in Oak Park two years ago. I mostly volunteer as a Park Ambassador manning the welcome desk at the park entrance and answering visitors’ questions. The schedule is extremely flexible. You can sign for as many or as few as 11/2-hour shifts as you choose.”
“I do whatever is needed,” Bernadine Bonessa said. “I do school presentations, work on gardening days, but my favorites are to be a Rover or to man the welcome desk as an Ambassador. You meet so many interesting people from all over the US and world. Everyone wants to see a manatee!”
“I’ve been a volunteer at Manatee Park for ten years,” said Ann Ellinwood. “I love educating people about these wonderful mammals. I rove the park pointing out manatees and answering questions. Sometimes we’re lucky and have a mommy and baby manatee to talk about. I get exercise outdoors and meet people from all over the world.”
Deloris Donnelly, Annette Lohr, Laurie Simpson- Plouffe and Stephanie Levin are also Verandah residents volunteering at Manatee Park.
For more information on volunteer opportunities at Manatee Park, contact Zuliana Salerno, Program Specialist, at [email protected].
