March Volunteer Bulletin

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eVIP Volunteer at Greeneyes Wildlife Preserve

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Lend a hand to make a difference in your Orange County environment and community.

Weed Wrangle at Greeneyes Wildlife Preserve

Thank You Volunteers!

The Orange County Environmental Protection Division (EPD) sends out a big thank you to all 41 volunteers who assisted with invasive plant and trash removal from Greeneyes Wildlife Preserve last month! More than 45 bags were collected and volunteers donated a total of 120 hours to the effort. EPD staff enjoyed working alongside volunteers from University of Central Florida's Knights for Wildlife Conservation, Disney VoluntEARS, Troop 424-4424, Drummond Carpenter and the many individuals who came out to help. A special thank you to the American Society of Civil Engineers' Environmental & Water Resources Institute for supplying volunteer refreshments and extra hands to help. EPD is grateful to all the volunteers and staff that made this project a wonderful success!

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Earth Month in Orange County

Volunteer with EPD

Please make plans to join the Orange County Environmental Protection Division (EPD) to celebrate Earth Day. Send an email to request more information. EPD has opportunities for self-directed projects, group storm drain labeling, cleanups and more, We look forward to honoring Earth Month with all our volunteers!

Storm Drain Labeling Volunteers

Lake Killarney Watershed

Over the past two months, Winter Park High School students from the Nature Conservation Club have volunteered time to inventory and label storm drain inlets in the Lake Killarney Watershed. The students have removed old, faded labels and installed 38 new labels to storm drain inlets. The group also distributed around 100 door hangers to help educate residents about stormwater runoff. Thank you for your work to protect Orange County's watershed.

Spring Intern Meet & Greet

March 27, 2025

The Orange County Environmental Protection Division (EPD) will host a virtual Meet & Greet on Thursday, March 27, at 9 a.m. This networking event is for those interested in volunteering as interns for the summer and fall semesters. At the Meet & Greet, EPD staff will conduct brief interviews with candidates and describe various internship opportunities. Current internship application and enrollment in school are both required. Candidates must RSVP to participate.

Mend & Swap Repair Café

March 22, 2025

Orange County Environmental Protection Division’s Pollution Prevention (P2) program is thrilled to announce its first ever clothing Mend & Swap Repair Café!

Textiles are one of the fastest growing forms of waste in the world. The goal is to reduce landfill waste by connecting residents to trade gently used clothing and other goods. Clever and crafty volunteers will teach basic repair techniques for mending clothing and addressing common sewing repairs.

By participating in this event, you can make a positive impact on our environment. Bring clean, gently used clothing items to swap for new additions to your wardrobe. Learn how to repurpose, sew, and mend instead of throwing items away. Don't forget to bring your own bag!

Mend & Swap Repair Café

March 22, 2025

12 - 4 p.m.

Marks Street Senior Recreation Complex

99 Marks St.

Orlando, FL 32803

Receive More News From EPD

Would you like to learn more about the Orange County Environmental Protection Division (EPD)? EPD is excited to share information about events, sustainability, the Back to Nature Wildlife Refuge, regulatory updates, lake management, water quality and more! If you would like to be included on the email list, please fill out this brief sign-up form.

ONGOING ACTIVITIES

Storm Drain Labeling

Spearhead a storm drain labeling project in your community. Orange County eVIP provides all the supplies, a one-hour training session and the support to create an enjoyable and meaningful service project for your group. Please help us keep our surface water clean and storm drains functioning properly. This is a great project for scout groups!

Girls identifying natural specimen with phone app

The Explore Nature Project

The Explore Nature Project provides an opportunity to help clean up natural lands in Orange County and learn about the countless species in these diverse ecosystems. To view recent observations captured by Explore Nature volunteers, visit eVIP's iNaturalist Project page. Then click "join" to upload and share your finds! Volunteer hours will be verified upon request.

Internship Program

To learn more about the program, send an email stating your interest. Internships are competitive and applications are accepted year-round. Students can earn service hours, college credit and meaningful work experience. Interns who complete a three-month unpaid internship are eligible to apply for paid internships as available.

Orange County Water Quality Monitoring

Orange County partners with the UF/IFAS LAKEWATCH program to provide volunteers with training and equipment for water-quality testing on local lakes. Volunteers need lake access, a few hours each month to collect samples, transportation to deliver samples, a canoe or watercraft and a two year plus commitment to sampling.

EnviroScape Training and Presentations

Learn how to use the EnviroScape Model to provide fun, hands-on watershed education presentations. Are you an educator? Once trained, classroom teachers and youth group leaders can also "check out" our education materials. Alternately, request EnviroScape presentations for your students. Presentations are scheduled year-round as schedule permits.

Group Community

Cleanup Kit

Is your group looking for an environmental project? eVIP has a new kit that helps individuals lead a cleanup and assist in keeping Orange County free of pollution. eVIP provides the supplies, training and support. The project is a good fit for volunteers of all ages and groups of all sizes. Educational materials will be provided as requested.

Thank you for your interest!

If you would like more information on any of the opportunities listed above,

please contact the Orange County Environmental Protection Division Volunteer Coordinator

Carrie Mohanna at Carrie.Mohanna@ocfl.net or 321-689-8232.

Visit our website

Orange County Environmental Protection Division, a part of the Planning, Environmental and Development Services Department

www.ocfl.net/eVIP

407-836-1430 | 321-689-8232 (C) | 407-836-1499 (F)

3165 McCrory Place, Suite 200, Orlando, FL 32803

Serving our community by conserving, protecting and enhancing the environment for current and future generations.