My grandma said, “The Holiday Season is what you make of it”. I always took that to mean, barring a recent family tragedy or some other event that SHOULD make most people depressed, this is the time of the year when we can focus on the parts of our life that uplift our spirits, give us feelings of gratitude, and foster a stronger sense of community.
Ole’ Marge was right, of course, and her simple wisdom makes more and more sense to me every passing year.
From the perspective of the Angler Action Foundation, we have a lot to be thankful for. We now have a few fundraising partners who have consistently come through for us. Working with them helps us to raise funds for our projects and daily grind. Most recently, the Treasure Coast Brewfest delivered by donating $9,500 from funds raised from their Brew Fest and the Brew Mile. Just as importantly, they always give us an opportunity to speak to the public about our work and mission. Through them, we met WeDoGood, another local 501c3 who has become an ally in fundraising, including partnering with us to host the inaugural Heroes for Habitats fishing tournament, which promised to become an annual ‘can’t miss’ event.
Our relationship with the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership (TRCP) remains strong. AAF has had a seat on the TRCP Policy Council for 15 years. The Council meets every 6 months in DC to hash out upcoming federal goals for fishery management, funding and conservation. This partnership has allowed AAF to have a say at high-level federal happenings, as well as stay in touch with several like-minded organizations around the country. It is an invaluable relationship.
We’re extremely grateful to be able to work on large-scale restoration projects here in Florida, namely seagrass restoration projects in the Caloosahatchee River and Indian River Lagoon. We’ve now funded almost 150 acres of restoration work between those two projects, which are shaping up to be very successful. These projects would never get done without the support of local legislators, and the partners we’ve met along the way who get the dirty work done. Sea & Shoreline carries the bulk of the workload, growing out the sea grasses for us then planting them, and then maintaining the plants and protective cages in the water. CASE Environmental has done a fantastic job with independent monitoring, and we are thankful for Fresh & Salty, LLC for their help with grant management and audit prep.
Of course, without our volunteers not much would get done. We’re now several hundred strong in our volunteer group, and they help with everything from fundraising (the upcoming Tortuga Music Fest is a great example, we’ve had as many as 200 AAF volunteers at the weekend event) to more hands-on restoration work. Recently we removed invasive plants at one of our adopted county natural areas, Jupiter Ridge.
I have continued gratitude and respect for our in-house volunteers, the AAF Board of Directors. As long as I have been Executive Director, the board has been there for me offering technical expertise, advice, guidance on the day-to-day business, and sometimes just rolling up their sleeves and getting dirty with the rest of the volunteers.
Finally, I am personally grateful for our newest staff member, Christian Valdez. Christian is our Projects Director and he has provided a spark throughout the foundation. I’m really looking forward to watching him grow in the organization and the greater conservation universe.
If your personal situation allows you to contribute on this Giving Tuesday, I’d like to ask you to consider AAF as a worthy 501c3 to support. Anyone wanting to learn more about the Foundation can attend our annual meeting this coming weekend (Dec 7) located at Babcock Ranch.
Here’s hoping everyone has a safe, enjoyable holiday season that includes as much time outdoors as possible.
With gratitude,
Brett Fitzgerald, Executive Director, AAF