Volunteer Spotlight, Donald and Patricia Garner
Donald and Patricia Garner
Volunteer Team of Two of the Year Award for Resource Management
Donald and Patricia Garner joined the Talbot Islands State Parks as Team Sea Turtle patrol volunteers in 2017 after learning of the opportunity through a Master Naturalist course. Their love for the shorelines of the barrier islands prompted them to add nature photography, biweekly shorebird surveys, and bald eagle nest monitoring to their arsenal of assistance.
Don and Patti – with more than 1,460 hours of combined service – have improved the quality of park monitoring programs with their dependability and data management skills.
The Garners are skilled at noticing and describing species occurrences and behaviors they encounter during their patrols. In conjunction with the Duval Audubon, they cover bald eagle nest monitoring at the parks. Last year, they helped discover a previously unknown nest at Fort George Island Cultural State Park and watched two fledglings succeed.
Congratulations to Donald and Patricia Garner on this award. Their willingness to pitch in and go above and beyond at their “happy place” as they call it is truly appreciated.