Committee seeks wider public engagement: education, volunteer programs and partnerships to protect dunes and wildlife

The committee discussed outreach and education as a core tool for protecting dunes, wildlife and beach quality. Members proposed a coordinated program of seasonal public education (e.g., ‘‘turtle awareness’’ during nesting season), expanded volunteer beach cleanups, dune-planting events and partnerships with organizations such as the Sea Turtle Conservancy, Keep Pinellas Beautiful, local colleges and the public library.

Ideas included providing hotels with short informational cards at check-in about beach rules (lights, dogs, chairs), expanding the city’s beach-stewardship web page with resources and links (permitting contacts, plant lists and how-to guidance), and scheduling visible, visitor-oriented events during busy times such as spring break to reach tourists. Members suggested the city or county maintain a calendar of outreach events and that the stewardship committee identify a staff owner (or shared staffing) to coordinate speakers, volunteers and grant applications.

Committee members noted existing programs—hotel-led turtle talks, hotel cleanups and prior grant-funded retrofit programs—and asked staff to explore whether the city can scale those activities and identify funding or staff hours to manage a year-round outreach program. The committee suggested that volunteers and dune-saver-type programs would both raise awareness and reduce the workload on code and maintenance staff.