Join Friends of Saltwater State Park Saturday, July 29, for a REEF survey dive and fish ID class in Des Moines, Washington!
REEF Survey Dive: Meet near the Snack Shack
The Fish ID Class will be held in the Classroom
For more information and to sign up visit, https://www.friendssaltwater.org/event-details/great-annual-fish-count.
Reef Environmental Education Foundation is excited to announce an opportunity to partner with classroom teachers for the 2023-2024 school year. Thanks to the Coastal Partnership Initiative (CPI) grant from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, we can offer your class FREE REEF Virtual Field Trips, Colorful Fish Identification Cards for your students, and marine life curriculum for you to use as a classroom resource.
Be sure to join us for the Florida Keys Lionfish Derby & Festival on Sept. 7-10, 2023! The event includes two days to collect as many invasive lionfish as possible, followed by a family-friendly lionfish festival hosted at the picturesque Postcard Inn Beach Resort & Marina in Islamorada. The festival is open to the public and features lionfish tastings, drink specials, educational demonstrations, games, interactive booths from environmental vendors, live music, and more. Visit www.REEF.org/derby for all the details.
Our annual summer donation match is here! Now through August 8, all gifts are doubled, dollar for dollar, up to $70,000! Will you support our citizen science, education, and research programs by donating today? You can make a donation securely online at www.REEF.org/donate. You can also donate over the phone by calling (305) 852-0030, or mail your donation to P.O. Box 370246, Key Largo, FL 33037. Your gift this summer will ensure that we can continue all of the great work shared in this newsletter.
We are excited to announce the REEF Ocean Ambassador Program, designed to support dedicated REEF members who actively engage and inspire others to become involved with REEF’s citizen science programs. REEF provides Ambassadors with resources to aid in their involvement, and these individuals make a lasting impact by connecting people in their communities to ocean conservation.
Dr. Christy Pattengill-Semmens, REEF Co-Executive Director of Science and Engagement, recently attended the 2023 Citizen Science Association Conference to share information about the Volunteer Fish Survey Project (VFSP). The semi-annual conference brings together a wide variety of practitioners, volunteers, academics, educators, and more, to share ideas and insights, and to forge stronger relationships and practices across the field.
This Great Annual Fish Count, join REEF and Silent World for a free fish ID class, followed by a REEF survey snorkel.
Morning check-in for class at Silent World at 10:15am, presentation start at 10:30am, check-in for the survey snorkel at 11:15am, and return to dock around 2:30pm. A REEF representative will be onboard to answer any fish or surveying questions!
The Conservation Challenge is a fun way to earn collectible stickers while participating in marine conservation and citizen science. During the month of July, you can earn a Conservation Challenge sticker by participating in a Great Annual Fish Count event or by submitting a REEF survey anytime this month. The Great Annual Fish Count is a month-long initiative for divers and snorkelers to learn about marine life and get involved in citizen science. You can learn more and see GAFC events near you at www.fishcount.org.
REEF members are the heart of our grassroots marine conservation programs. A diverse community of divers, snorkelers, and ocean enthusiasts support our mission to conserve marine environments worldwide.
This month we highlight John Smajdek, a REEF member from California. He is an active surveyor in the Pacific Coast of the US and Canada (PAC) region, where he has conducted nearly 400 surveys, including many at local southern California dive sites. Thank you John, for being a dedicated and enthusiastic REEF member!
