“We make a living by what we do, but we make a life by what we give.”

~Winston Churchill

Starting something brand new is exciting and invigorating. The Friends of South Walton Sea Turtles is a new group that has been formed to educate the public and raise awareness about sea turtles and sea life in our area.

The group’s first task was finding some manpower to get things rolling, so a call went out on social media for people who might be interested in volunteering for this worthwhile cause.

We hit the jackpot with some of the people who have come forward so far. If you look on our website on the About tab, you can see we have former educators, nonprofit marketing specialists, writers, and more who have come forward to give their time and talents to getting FSWST off the ground.

But we still need people with skills and talents in order to complete our circle of turtle friends.

And we know that Walton County is home to some talented and smart people.

“If you want to lift yourself up, lift someone else up.”

~Booker T. Washington

So we’re reaching out to you, our neighbors, to see who has a giving spirit. We need talents in several areas.

First, we need someone with a good head for numbers. Which is ironic, because as of now our funds are, ahem, extremely limited. But, we hope to design and purchase educational materials such as pamphlets, flyers, magnets, coloring books and more, which will be used to educate locals and tourists about sea turtle conservation. If you’re good with budgets and helping to stretch a dollar, you might be what we’re looking for.

We also could use an artist or three. And, I know we have plenty of those at the beach. If graphic design is your passion, we need help designing the aforementioned educational materials and more. Your designs will be seen in local businesses, restaurants, and rental properties along Highway 30A and throughout Walton County.

And we always need hands on deck. Folks who can man booths at local festivals and chat with people about sea turtles. Folks who can distribute educational materials. Folks who are willing to pick up and tote. Folks who can help plan and make phone calls. If you’re a people person and you’re looking for a worthy cause, let us know.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

~Margaret Mead

Volunteering your time and talents can be one of the most rewarding things you’ll ever do. Please give it some thought. You can give as much or as little time as you can afford. Go to our website and click on the Get Involved tab to fill out the Volunteer form. Send us your contact information and we’ll let you know the next step. We’ll appreciate it. And so will the sea turtles.

“How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world!”

~Anne Frank

By Elaine Parrett