Alabama Coastal Foundation 2019 Annual Report Sharing the Beach!
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Alabama Coastal Foundation 2019 Annual Report Sharing the Beach! From the ACF Board President and Executive Director On behalf of the Alabama Coastal Foundation (ACF) Board of Directors, Advisory Council members, and staff, we thank everyone who has, for the past twenty-six years, shared their time and financial resources with ACF. 2019 was a banner year for the organization as we continued improving and protecting Alabama’s precious coastal environment through cooperation, education, and participation. As noted below, ACF volunteers donated 23,785 hours in 2019! When you read this report, we ask that you consider volunteering your time and making a financial contribution in 2020 to support ACF’s vital work for our coastal environment. In 2019, the Alabama Coastal Foundation: Offered more volunteer opportunities than in 2018; Expanded our Advisory Council and staff (see next page); Provided quality programs for elementary, middle, high school and undergraduate students in addition to working with partners on the Utilities United campaign; Conducted the fourth annual Green Coast Council Sustainability Summit; Sustained and grew the Alabama Oyster Shell Recycling Program; Expanded Share the Beach, Alabama’s sea turtle conservation program; Relaunched the Inter-Agency Coastal Regulations program; and, Continued to expand partnerships through our inclusive environmental stewardship approach. The improvements we were able to offer our Share the Beach program in 2019 would not 2019 Hours Volunteer Category be possible without Deepwater Horizon Natural Resource Damage Assessment 19,022 Habitat Restoration (NRDA) settlement funds provided by the 2,927 Education Programs Alabama Trustee Implementation Group. In 981 Coastal Relations the pages that follow, we highlight other 855 Administrative leaders and partners who are working to 23,785 Total # of Hours achieve common ground solutions to our *$604,839.84 Total Value of Hours local environmental problems. Our economy *Dollar amounts calculated by using the $25.43 volunteer rate as. is based on a healthy environment and vice . reported by the Independent Sector: www.independentsector.org versa. We ask that you give this report to others to engage them in this shared effort. Thank you again for your involvement in Alabama Coastal Foundation’s important work. We look forward to collaborating with you and others this year and in the future as we protect and celebrate Alabama’s unique coastal environment. Rebecca Dunn Bryant Mark Berte 2019 Board President Executive Director 2 2019 ACF Board Officers Rebecca Bryant Katherine Kuhn/Toni David Clark Martha Peek President Thomason in December Coastal Relations Lawrence Crompton Doug Phillips Susan Pruet Coordinator Vice President Joe McEnerney George Crozier Rod Platt Lee Walters Special Projects Coordinator Secretary Paulette Doggett Casey Rains Mark Eiland Mike Reynolds Treasurer Share the Beach Cullan Duke Ben Raines Program Director Board Members Walter Earnest Ken Robinson Susan West Pam Ramos Brown Public Engagement Coordinator Leslie Gahagan Mike Rogers Charles Chester Meg Goecker Tom Schlinkert ACF Advisory Council John Dindo Johnny Adams John Goodloe Mike Shelton Gary Ellis Bill Agerton Bob Higgins Judy Stout Brett Gaar Greg Alexander Tracy Holiday Roberta Swann Bart Greer Neil Johnston Beverly Allen Hugh Hunter Beth Thomas Brenda Litchfield Wendy Allen Tom Hutchings Gena Todia Amber Ramsay Cathy Barnette Catherine Hall Kiser Elizabeth Tonsmiere Sam St. John Ann Bedsole Bethany Kraft John Valentine ACF Staff Dan Bond Frank Leatherbury Bill Walton Mark Berte Executive Director Jo Bonner Mike Manning P. J. Waters Elizabeth Bevan Clay Bryant Herb Malone Phillip West Lead Biologist Joe Busta Mike Marshall Joe Womack Pamela Brewer Administrator Terry Burkle Jimbo Meador Chandra Wright Judy Duke Education Coordinator Ashley Campbell Tedson Meyers Lee Yokel 3 National Fish and Wildlife Participation Foundation as a part of their Gulf Coast Conservation BP Oil Spill Funding Grants Program in 2016. The Alabama Coastal Restaurants and ACF Foundation continues to work supporters provide enough Our Share the Beach Program with partners to help the Gulf funds to keep it going! If you As our cover photo suggests, of Mexico heal from our would like to contribute, please 2019 was the year of the sea country’s largest offshore oil visit: www.joinACF.org turtle for ACF, as we helped to spill, which happened nine strengthen and grow Share the years ago. We work As of December 31, 2019, over Beach (STB), Alabama's sea collaboratively to focus the 9.8 million shells were collected turtle conservation program! associated fines and penalties through the Program. That NRDA funding allowed us to on efforts that help improve enables 25 acres of oyster hire Dr. Elizabeth Bevan, and protect our natural habitat to be restored! improve our data resources, the foundation of The AOSR Program is one of the management, and increase our economy. activities that ACF does as a our volunteer/public part of the Create a Clean engagement! In addition, Water Future Campaign. For Susan West, who is our Public more information about the Engagement Coordinator, Campaign, please visit: spearheaded a Sea Turtle www.cleanwaterfuture.com Lighting Retrofit pilot project. Amazing Team Leaders, under Alabama Oyster Shell STB Director Mike Reynolds’ Recycling Program direction, organize volunteers The Alabama Oyster Shell each year to patrol the beach, Recycling (AOSR) Program educate the public about marked its third anniversary in these endangered creatures, October 2019. That program conduct late-night/early collects oyster shells from local morning nest observations and restaurants that had previously Youth Leadership Mobile assist with supply and thrown them away and paid to For the eighth year in a row, equipment preparations. Go to take them to a landfill. Instead, ACF led the environmental www.alabamaseaturtles.com those restaurants allow ACF to portion of the Youth Leadership to learn how you can help in recycle that precious resource Mobile program. The session Alabama’s sea turtle season, back into the water so they included discussions about which is May through October. can help new oysters grow! The what it means to be an shells also provide habitat for environmental steward and other shellfish and finfish, limit help maintain the resources erosion and improve water that we all share. As we did last quality. year, ACF arranged a tour of Auburn University’s Shellfish The funding to start the AOSR Laboratory which is located at Program was provided by the the Dauphin Island Sea Lab. 4 The Alabama Coastal Foundation approaches our work through “inclusive environmental stewardship.” Eco-Team Alabama Coastal Cleanup effort was an amazing success In 2019, the Eco-Team staff and Thanks to the leadership of and you can learn about our volunteers recycled again at Alabama PALS and the water and wastewater, see a Mardi Gras. In addition, we Alabama Department of “fatberg” and even take a quiz helped at The Hangout Music Conservation and Natural to test your knowledge about Festival for a second year in a Resources, volunteers across this vital aspect of our local row by special invitation from coastal Alabama were able to quality of life! ZeroHero! participate in the 32nd Annual Coastal Cleanup on September Wolf Bay Osprey Video Camera 21. As in the past, ACF staff ACF worked with The Nature encouraged people to Conservancy and the City of volunteer and also helped Orange Beach to offer live to coordinate two zones: 1) on video again of an osprey family the beach at the Flora-Bama this past spring. This nest in Wolf and 2) on the shores of Perdido Bay has been seen all around Bay. the world and also has lesson In the seventh year of recycling plans for third grade teachers. at Mardi Gras, dedicated Leave Only Footprints We will let you know the next volunteers collected a total of ACF continues to educate time the camera goes live! 650 lbs. of aluminum, plastics, vacationers in Gulf Shores and and glass. Orange Beach about the Leave The Hangout Oyster Cook-Off Only Footprints campaign so Since we started this Green Events Planning Guide visitors can help protect the Participation section with ACF also highlighted our environment. oysters, we will finish it by saying Coastal Alabama Green Events that The Hangout contracted Planning Guide which we have with ACF to recycle their oyster published on our website. This shells at their Oyster Cook-off free guide shows individuals, this past fall! We were honored groups, and businesses how to participate and enjoyed easy it is to host a sustainable educating attendees as well! event. Go to: www.joinACF.org MLK Day of Service Cleanup Utilities United As part of Mobile United’s Also in 2019, the Alabama Natural Resources Taskforce, Coastal Foundation invited ACF again helped to clean up every utility in coastal Alabama One Mile Creek, Three Mile to participate in the Utilities Creek, and Eslava Creek over United campaign. The purpose the Martin Luther King, Jr. of that effort is to discuss ways Holiday weekend in 2019. Over to help increase public 250 volunteers came out to education regarding what clean up those areas to honor people and businesses can do Dr. King’s legacy. to help our environment. The 5 resources while gaining a Place were the students from deeper appreciation for why Christ the King Catholic School! Education they are important to protect. Fifth graders study detailed K-12 Education: Inspiring and The festivals provide 4th grade material about our Gulf Coast Informing Future students experiences and environment to compete for Generations of Leaders instruction about our water, scholarships and the pride of Education is the key to ensuring conservation, and the winning Coastal Kids Quiz! that citizens, community environment. Congratulations to all of the leaders and elected officials teams who competed in 2019, make responsible decisions. and thank you to the ACF is committed to providing volunteers who come each accurate, high quality, science year to support this important -based information to citizens educational initiative.