Volunteer Spotlight, Rafael Noriega
Rafael Noriega is the recipient of the 2022 Long-Term Project of the Year for Historic Resources.
Filmmaker Rafael Noriega started volunteering at John D. MacArthur Beach State Park in 2019. His film “Island in Time” was first produced in the 1990s and showcases the plants, animals and landscapes within the park and tells the story of the area’s natural history.
This film is seen by 5,000 students each year, grades 1-12, as a pre-visit activity before coming to the park on a field trip. Each class views this film online to introduce students to the habitats that they will be visiting and learning about. This video is also shown in our park Nature Center Theatre, where thousands of visitors view the film annually. The film is one of the most comprehensive overviews of the park and is easily accessible so anyone can learn about the park.
In 2019, Rafael started work to update the video. He has devoted more than 300 hours of volunteer service into filming a new version. This new enhancement of the film is immeasurable – the quality of the 4K filming, ultraviolet light at night capabilities, advance cameras and beautiful cinematography make this film so much more enjoyable to watch and captures the beauty of the park.
Rafael’s care and dedication to make the film as good as it can be is astonishing. With thousands of dollars invested with this in-kind donation, this film will be used for the park for many years to come.
Rafael has been a joy to work with – kind, generous, professional, with a true passion for nature.
Learn How You Can Get Involved
