Please join VolunteerWAKULLA, other charities, agencies, and businesses in celebrating volunteer contributions to our community. VolunteerWAKULLA will host its 3rd annual Make a Difference Day on Saturday, September 11, featuring simultaneous community service events (Park improvement, Keep Wakulla Beautiful and others).

Volunteer sign-up will begin at 7:30 a.m. at Hudson Park, where next at the Sheriffs Office, an event commemorating 9/11 will begin at 8:30 a.m. Our volunteer service is from 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. After the activities are completed there will be a free lunch, door prizes, and community celebration (12:30 p.m.) at the park to conclude the day’s events.

VolunteerWAKULLLA.org can connect you to local service opportunities in Wakulla County. These services will allow you to recruit volunteers to assist you with the needs at your service club, church or business. VolunteerWAKULLA works in conjunction with One Voice: which includes VolunteerWAKULLA, the Coalition for Youth, and the National Alliance for Mental Illness.

At various times throughout the year, VolunteerWAKULLA provides specialized training for volunteers and those who use their services. By working with other agencies we are better able to meet the community’s needs.

Volunteers are very important to Wakulla County. Everyone benefits when we work together. Governments, businesses, and agencies all benefit from volunteers. Of course, volunteers benefit by gaining valuable work experience.

So, sign up as a volunteer for Make a Difference Day on September 11. Call 745-0060 for more information.

Click here to view a list of confirmed venues for the event.

Ramon Medina, a long time member of VolunteerWAKULLA, is now VolunteerWAKULLA’s volunteer coordinator. He was hired in June through the Compassion Florida grant, and will be the contact for VolunteerWAKULLA. You may call him at 745-0060 or email: VolunteerWakulla@gmail.com.

Gulf Specimen Marine Lab/Mississippi Canyon 252 Oil Spill Update:

The Gulf Specimen Marine Lab has pumped a hundred thousand gallons of clean and healthy sea water, from the Gulf into an enclosed system aquarium. Gulf Marine Specimen Lab will restore marine life to help rebuild the fishing industry after the oil spill is cleaned up. Currently, the GSML is rushing to dig new drain lines and install pumps before the the oil spill further impacts the area. They have purchased new pumps (but need more) and are installing larger drain pipes so that the marine lab is self contained and can continue to operate during uncertain environmental conditions of the oil spill.

TODAY -GSMarine Lab is currently being retrofitted with “Operation Noah’s Ark”. The project has already ML is in need of volunteers, ditch diggers, plumbers and piper layers, fiberglass people and carpenters to assist in the the effort. Because this is a community funded and completely volunteer effort, GSML is also in need of contributions. GSML is a 501(c) 3 tax exempt scientific and educational organization and contributions can be made at their website, www.gulfspecimen.org. Volunteers should contact the Gulf Specimen Marine Lab at 850-984-5297 or 850-445-8618.

ABOUT THE OIL SPILL

We are all devastated and angered by the daily news reports and pictures of oiled wildlife, and we all want to help.

St. Francis Wildlife is receiving dozens of emails and calls each day from people in our wonderful community asking how they can help St. Francis Wildlife help the wildlife victims of this environmental disaster.

Wildlife rehabilitators and other organizations have strict instructions from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service NOT to collect donations and supplies for the oil spill victims. Everything needed will be paid for by BP. Cleaning and rehabiltation of all oiled wildlife is being handled by Tri-state Bird Rescue and Research, which is being paid by BP.

If and when Tri-state needs our assistance, Teresa Stevenson, our wildlife rehabilitator, has already taken the required additional classes and is certified to care for and rehabilitate oiled wildlife. She is on call.

That said, St. Francis Wildlife has great needs RIGHT NOW for volunteers, funds and supplies to care for the 1,000 to 2,000 orphaned birds and animals from Leon, Gadsden and surrounding counties in north Florida and south Georgia that we are rescuing and raising this spring and summer.

The best way to help wildlife right now is to donate funds or supplies or volunteer and get hands-on experience handling and feeding wildlife, building enclosures to accommodate additional animals, etc.

Then, if and when we become one of the centers that receives wildlife that will need longer term care after being cleaned or if we need to rescue and transport wildlife, you will be a very valuable, experienced volunteer. In the meantime, you will also be helping orphaned and injured wildlife, most of whom were also victims of unfortunate interactions with people, their mowers, weed whackers, cars, pets, glass windows, guns and discarded fishing line.

Thank you. We truly appreciate your concern.

Sandy Beck
Education Director
St. Francis Wildlife Association
Tallahassee, Florida

Contact Sandy at sandybeck@stfranciswildlife.org

www.StFrancisWildlife.org

www.WildClassroom.net

Click here to see our SFWA calendar

***** ALERT ***** note October 9, 2010 on your calendar - 3rd Annual Woodstork Music Festival

**** UPDATE latest news****Saturday, July 17th: This workday has been canceled due to lack of funds. We need to fill the coffers to help on the basics AND building materials. Even with everyone's help this baby season has been overwhelming and rebuilding habitats has been costly.

So this e-mail is about information to pass on and what we can organize to get working again! We don’t want be a fundraising site—we want to work! If we can focus here, we’ll be back at our workdays for FWMA!

1. Art for Animals! Please pass on to all you know! Saturday, July 10 at Chez Pierre-6-9 p.m. This is a benefit created by Pattie Maney where all sales will go towards FWMA, Gulf Marine Specimen Lab and Florida Wildlife Rehab. There'll be lots of food, refreshments and a cash bar. I’ll see ya’ there!

2. Please pass the “Extreme Habitat Letter” to everyone you know! This is a letter that Chris sends out every year for fundraising. Click here for letter.

3. Would your workplace be willing to: Adopt-A-Rehab-Center? Just like adopting a family at the holidays—we need to find some sponsors for our “family” at FWMA. If someone is willing to participate please contact me directly to set up (294-3372)!

4. More donations can be made for wildlife food at the following sources: Networking: Whom do you know? Animal food, Bait shops, building materials, wildlife associations you belong to? Wal-Mart: If you know anyone in their administration, we could use getting in touch with them. In the past, we have gotten some grant money from Wal-Mart but things have changed. Will swipe for food? Ashley Feed & Hardware, 8056 Wakulla Springs Road, 421-7703! If anyone would like to donate to the FWMA account, please go by and swipe a card!

5. Keep Friday, August 6th open! LeMoyne Art Gallery is partnering with us for a show they have planned. Details to come.

If anyone has any other ideas please let me know and we’ll get ‘em going! As you know, as time goes by we see more and more people who want to help in some way! Thanks for all YOU’VE done to get us this far!! It’s been fantastic!!

**** UPDATE **** The work date on June 12 was a rousing success! There is another work date scheduled on June 26, 2010. The time and location are the same - Contact Lisa to confirm attendance. Thanks to everyone for all their help.

The Florida Wild Mammal Association needs help!
Date:Saturday, June 12, 2010
Time:9 a.m.-4 p.m.
Location:FWMA-198 Edgar Poole Road Crawfordville, FL

Contact Lisa theparrotlodge@yahoo.com

Description-Extreme habitat makeover!!!

Provide hands-on help to prepare for helping wildlife during the oil disaster!! Florida Wild Mammal Association supports and maintains MANY needy animals --a lot of birds. In the event of what our coast is facing, here is an organization we can help NOW!

Sponsor a habitat - Go to www.wakullawildlife.org and make a donation through pay pal. Donations of 250.00 or more will have a habitat dedicated in their name. All donations are tax deductable and greatly appreciated!!!!

They are in need of seabird enclosures and volunteers to build them! These habitats will insure that FWMA will be able to provide housing for pelicans, gannets and a number of other seabirds if they are needed to help with oil spill victims.

Chris Beatty and family created this non-profit 15 years ago. They are a certified wildlife rehabilitation center and one of the best spots for sick and injured animals to be rescued and rehabilitated so they can be released back to the wild.

A map ( to Crawfordville) is below. Please let Lisa at theparrotlodge@yahoo.com know if you can come so they can know how many people to expect and she can set up jobs to have everything ready when we get there. We are also in need of extra hammers, rakes, shovels and other equipment so please feel free to bring yours along!

FWMA map