To support Reef Relief's education and outreach programs
 
March 2016
Coral Campers enjoying their time
snorkeling at the reef last summer.

Sponsor a child to attend Coral Camp for Kids 2016!

As tax season comes to a close, may we suggest a way to use a portion of your refund? We encourage you to donate to Reef Relief to support our efforts to improve and protect our living coral reef ecosystem. We are currently experiencing the third largest coral bleaching event ever recorded. Reef Relief, along with our partners, continues to educate our leaders and communities with sound science in an effort to drive policy, awareness and passion for our environment.
 
Your charitable contributions makes the development of our coral reef ecosystem conservation programs, such as our Discover Coral Reefs School Program, Coral Camp for Kids, Marine Debris Removal Program, Stormwater Education Program and more, possible. We provide educational brochures and posters, such as our multilingual coral reef etiquette poster, to local boaters, fishermen, divers, and snorkelers to promote safe practices that respect the environment.
 
As we prepare for summer in the Florida Keys, Reef Relief focuses a majority of its energy and efforts into preparing for our 8 th summer of our Coral Camp for Kids Program. This camp is an exceptionally popular youth program for locals and visitors alike. Coral Camp is designed for children ages 6-12 who are interested in learning more about the marine environment through interactive lessons, science based activities, and daily field trips to various locations in Key West. We are expecting over 220 campers to register over the 9 weeks of camp. Each year we set a goal for providing scholarships for parents or guardians that may not be able to afford the registration fee of $225 for one week of camp. This year's goal is to provide 30 scholarships. If you are interested in sponsoring a child this summer, please call us at (305) 294-3100 or email us at reefrelief@gmail.com.
 
In order to donate, please write a check made out to Reef Relief and mail it to Reef Relief at P.O. Box 430 Key West, FL 33041.
   

Thank you to the U.S. Navy for working with Reef Relief and cleaning up Old Town!
Reef Relief in the Community  

Food Trucks in Paradise
1/30/16
Reef Relief attended this great community event and set up an informational booth to educate attendees about our work to improve and protect our coral reef ecosystem. Thank you to Clint Steckly, the organizer of the event, for donating a portion of the proceeds to Reef Relief.

GardenFest
2/13/16-2/14/16
The Reef Relief staff and volunteers set up an informational booth during GardenFest at the Key West Tropical Forest and Botanical Garden to educate attendees about the coral reef ecosystem. We enjoyed discussing the Key West Marine Park, snorkeling sites throughout the FL Keys, volunteer opportunities and Coral Camp 2016 with those who stopped by our booth.
 
Cleanup of Old Town
2/20/16
Reef Relief was happy to partner with the U.S. Navy for a cleanup of Old Town Key West. With 26 volunteers, they removed 82 lbs. of litter. A majority of the trash collected were cigarette butts, plastic straws, and cups. After a rain storm, litter in our streets ends up in our nearshore waters through our storm drains. It is crucial to keep our streets clean if we want to continue to enjoy the marine environment safely. If you are interested in participating in Reef Relief's monthly marine debris removal events, please email reefrelief@gmail.com or call (305) 294-3100.


How to Get Involved with Reef Relief

Marine Debris Removal Program

Reef Relief's cleanups take place monthly, on the land or in the water. Since September 2015 we have focused on Little Hamaca Park, Boca Chica Road (twice), Geiger Key Marina and Old Town. We welcome and appreciate feedback and site suggestions.

If you would like to volunteer, please email Lindsey at reefrelief@gmail.com.

Stormwater Education Program  

Our Stormwater Education Program is picking up speed! Since September 2015, we have distributed over 4,000 educational door hangers within the Key West community.
Our goal is to inform citizens of the affects pet waste, fertilizers, yard waste, cigarette butts, and household hazardous waste can have on our environment, specifically our nearshore waters.

Additionally, we are working to stencil or re-stencil the 900+ storm drains surrounding the island. It's vital that we keep our streets litter-free or our trash will end up in our nearshore waters through our storm drains. This can cause our waters to be unsafe for professional and recreational use.  

If you would like to volunteer, please email Shell at reefrelief@gmail.com.

Students from UCF stenciling storm drains
during their alternative spring break.
 
Volunteers from the U.S. Navy cleaning up Old Town.