|
Help Us Welcome Our Newest Team Member:
Samantha Pitts
Outreach and Education Program Manager
| | |
Sam comes from the Escambia County Natural Resources Management Department, where she spent the last 7 years balancing the needs of human and natural communities, through species monitoring, education and outreach, and development permitting as the Coastal Program Manager.
A life-long Floridian, Sam has a B.S. in Natural Resources Conservation from the University of Florida. After graduating, she spent several years as an environmental educator, including as live aboard deckhand leading students through sailing programs on the Schooner Roseway in Boston, MA and St Croix, USVI and at the Oxbow Eco-Center in St Lucie County as an Environmental Specialist.
At PPBEP, Sam is responsible for overseeing the education and community outreach initiatives of the program. You can find her leading kayak tours, creating content, or talking to residents at community events, working to engage the community in our efforts to restore and protect the Pensacola and Perdido Bay watersheds.
When not at work, you can find her hiking, enjoying our beautiful beaches with her husband, or curled up with a good book and her cat. Sam can be reached at 850-595-1479 or at one of the options below.
| | Over $24,000 Raised at Evening for the Estuaries Gala | | We’re still reminiscing on that stunning Wolf Bay sunset at our 3rd
Annual Evening for the Estuaries Gala! Thanks to the incredible support of our sponsors and volunteers, and the hard work of our amazing staff, we raised over $24,000 to support our programming efforts, such as manatee outreach, habitat and wildlife monitoring, and restoration projects. Your generosity helps us protect and restore our waterways, and we couldn’t be more grateful. We hope to see you next year but in the meantime, relive the fun by looking through the photos from this year's gala below! | | Congratulations to This Year's Recipients | | Our 2025 Annual Awards were announced at our Evening for the Estuaries Gala and we're excited to share the awardees with you! | | Volunteer of the Year
Diane Bolter | | |
The Volunteer of the Year Award recognizes the outstanding service of an Estuary Program volunteer. Estuary Program volunteers help make our education and outreach programs possible and are central to implementing our mission.
The 2025 Volunteer of the Year Award is proudly presented to Diane Bolter for her unwavering commitment, passion, and stewardship.
Diane serves as one of our dedicated Manatee Ambassadors, supporting the Panhandle Manatee program, which educates the public about manatees, encourages sighting reports, and promotes seagrass-safe boating practices.
Since before 2023—back when Panhandle Manatee was still a program of the National Wildlife Federation—Diane has been a consistent and enthusiastic presence. When PPBEP took the reins in 2024, Diane didn’t miss a beat. She continued showing up, weekend after weekend, alongside our Manatee Outreach Intern at boat ramps, festivals, and events across the watershed—all under the blazing Florida sun.
But what makes Diane truly stand out is not just her dedication—it’s her heart. She goes above and beyond to support new interns, connect with community members, and share her love of manatees with anyone willing to listen. Her warmth and authenticity make her a joy to work with, and she inspires those around her to care more deeply for the environment.
Diane embodies what it means to be a steward—not only through her actions but through the genuine connections she fosters within our community.
Because of these efforts, Diane has not only earned our 2025 Volunteer of the Year Award, but also the deep appreciation of our entire team.
Congratulations and thank you, Diane!
| | Project of the Year
Lower Perdido Islands Restoration Project | | |
The PPBEP Project of the Year Award recognizes the successful completion of a transformational project that has improved water quality, habitat, community resilience, local watershed knowledge, and/or equitable access to our natural resources within the last five years. The award is bestowed to an organization that stands out for their excellence in completing a conservation, restoration, and/or outreach project, fostering collaboration and community engagement, and building on or establishing new partnerships.
The 2025 Project of the Year Award is presented to The Nature Conservancy in Alabama, the City of Orange Beach, and Moffatt & Nichol for the Lower Perdido Islands Restoration Project. In September, we were proud to celebrate the ribbon cutting for the Lower Perdido Islands Restoration Project—a milestone more than a decade in the making. This collaborative effort was led by the TNC in Alabama, City of Orange Beach, Moffatt & Nichol, and addresses the long-term degradation of Robinson and Walker Islands, caused by years of storm damage, erosion from boat wakes, and impacts from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill.
Though small in size, these islands contain significant biodiversity. They support nesting and foraging grounds for osprey, herons, pelicans, and migratory shorebirds, while nearby seagrass beds serve as nursery habitat for speckled sea trout, redfish, Atlantic croaker, shrimp, blue crab, and more. This project aimed to restore and protect these habitats while maintaining public recreational access.
Thanks to funding from NOAA and the support of many partners, 30 acres of critical habitat were successfully created and restored on Robinson and Walker Islands.
While the islands remain vulnerable to storms and beach traffic, the restoration has improved their resilience. While protection strategies will support the islands into the future, the completed project means there is more room for wildlife to feel at home, and for people to visit this Gulf Coast jewel long into the future.
| | |
Jessica Bibza Partner of the Year
Rick O'Connor
| | |
Jessica Bibza was akin to the Energizer Bunny, she just kept going and going. Jessica dedicated her life to environmental conservation, ranging from Gulf Coast restoration to manatee research and awareness campaigns to environmental policy.
Jessica was our biggest cheerleader, as she was for many across the Gulf Coast. Everyone had a seat at Jessica’s table to join the conversation and be part of the solution. The Jessica Bibza Partner of the Year Award recognizes the outstanding dedication and passion of one individual who has had an immeasurable impact on our community by bringing people together to ensure a better future for all.
The 2025 Jessica Bibza Partner of the Year Award is presented to Rick O’Connor. Rick O’Connor is someone who embodies the same Energizer Bunny spirit as Jessica. Whether it’s bringing together community partners, leading citizen science initiatives, giving a presentation, getting people out in the field, or supporting a partner’s work—Rick is there. His presence in the community is felt deeply because of his unwavering dedication and passion for environmental stewardship. He’s also the kind of person who brings others into the conversation and has, time and again, advocated for the Estuary Program and helped connect us with opportunities to make a difference.
Rick has been involved with the Estuary Program since the very beginning, and we’ve had the privilege of working alongside him for many years. He leads a wide range of initiatives and is always lending his expertise—and his time—to others. Rick and our Executive Director, Matt Posner, have often joked about learning to say no. It’s gotten to the point our team has preempted him from saying yes, because yes he’s already doing more than enough but also because we’d like to see his sailboat finally get out of the slip.
One thing we’ve always appreciated about Rick is how intently he listens and how direct his responses are. Even when the answer is “I don’t know,” it’s almost always followed by, “...but I’m going to find out and get back to you.” That kind of humility and follow-through is rare—and invaluable.
On a personal note from Matt Posner, one of the primary reasons Matt got into this field was because of Rick, and his mentorship when Matt was a student at Washington High School. While it took Matt a while to not call him Mr. O’Connor, his passion for hands-on, immersive education has never wavered, reaching thousands of students both with his time at Washington.
Despite his tireless work and dependability, Rick never seeks recognition. And that’s exactly why we’re proud to recognize him. For his dedication, generosity, and impact on this community, Rick O’Connor has earned the 2025 Jessica Bibza Partner of the Year Award.
| | Seagrass, Juvenile Fish, Oh My! | | Emerald Parrotfish (Nicholsina usta) in Santa Rosa Sound. | | |
Last month, PPBEP staff alongside our partners from USM's Gulf Coast Research Lab completed our 4th annual seagrass and juvenile fish trawling surveys across the Perdido and Pensacola Bay Systems.
During the seagrass survey, researchers collected information on percent cover of seagrass by species, macroalgal cover, epiphyte growth, light availability (PAR), Total Suspended Solids (TSS), and other standard water quality parameters at over 100 stations. This is the second year that the team has observed urchins in Santa Rosa Sound!
The juvenile fish survey provides us with information on fish abundance, size, and diversity for species that use seagrass beds as nursery grounds during their early life stages.
Once reports are finalized for these projects, they will be available on our website.
| | |
New Oyster Shell Recycling Program Partner:
Pearl & Horn
| | |
Big welcome to Pearl & Horn, the newest member of The Oyster Alliance! With awesome partners like them, our Oyster Shell Recycling Program just keeps growing. As of October 2025, we’ve collected over 155 tons (310,000 lbs) of oyster shells–that’s about the weight of 18 T. Rex!
All of the shells collected are recycled and used for local restoration efforts, such as our Pensacola Bay Oyster Restoration Initiative. Explore the links below to learn more about our Oyster Shell Recycling Program and Pensacola Bay Oyster Restoration Initiative.
| | |
December 3, 2025
Finance Sub-Committee Meeting
1:00 PM - 1:30 PM CT
Board of Directors Meeting
1:30 PM - 3:30 PM CT
City of Orange Beach Council Chambers
4099 Orange Beach Blvd, Orange Beach, AL 36561
| | Pouring Fats, Oils, and Grease Down Your Drain Can Lead to Costly Repairs and Sewer Backups | | |
Example of a FOG Disposal Station.
Credit: ECUA
| | |
With holiday cooking right around the corner, it’s a good time to remember how important proper FOG (fat, oil, and grease) disposal is. A little care now can help you avoid costly plumbing repairs and prevent sewer backups in your home and neighborhood. When poured down the drain, hot grease cools and hardens, creating blockages—much like cholesterol building up in our arteries. Over time, this buildup restricts wastewater flow and can lead to sudden sewer overflows.
The fix is simple:
Pour FOGs into an empty container and store it for reuse in future cooking, throw it away, or recycle it at an ECUA FOG Disposal Station. ECUA provides free FOG collection containers at Disposal Stations throughout the county. Pick one up, return it when full, and the collected FOGs will be recycled into biodiesel fuel.
| | Thank You to Our Estuary Advocate Donors | | |
It’s no secret that the business of the Gulf Coast is — the coast!
Whether it’s protecting our community from hurricanes, drawing tourists to our pristine waterfronts, or creating the quality of life that makes this a great place to live, a healthy coast and watershed is the bedrock of our community.
You can help by supporting our efforts financially, and your gift can be matched by state and federal grant programs that restore and protect our waterways.
We are thankful to our Estuary Advocates for helping to fulfill our mission of restoration, education, and monitoring.
| | |
$10,000 Guardian of the Gulf
Estuary Advocates
| | |
$2,500 River Giver
Estuary Advocates
| | |
$1,000 Creek Keeper
Estuary Advocates
| | |
Please add us to your "safe sender" list to ensure these emails reach your inbox.
Newsletter submissions must be sent to info@ppbep.org by the 1st of the month.
| | | | |
