Dr. Mary Davis urges volunteers to join UF IFAS LIFE program at Myakka River State Park

Dr. Mary Davis, a volunteer with Sarasota County working through the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences (IFAS), urged community members to consider volunteering for the LIFE program at Myakka River State Park.

Davis said the program brings Sarasota County fourth- and fifth-graders to the park for hands-on lessons in the local ecology. "The ecology of this area is so special," she said, adding that students discover small aquatic invertebrates and use binoculars to see birds across the river.

At the park Davis works at the water quality station, where students learn to identify signs of good and bad water quality. "So if there's good water quality, we hypothesize in the good science, procedure. We hypothesize that biodiversity would be healthy," she said, summarizing the program's learning goals.

Davis, who described herself as a retired ecologist with the Nature Conservancy and other organizations, said she has volunteered with UF IFAS for three years after returning to Venice. She noted local staff support for the program and described volunteering as a chance to share environmental knowledge with young learners.

"If you'd like to volunteer for these programs, we'd love to have you. Contact UF IFAS and ask them for the LIFE program," Davis said, explaining that LIFE stands for Learning in a Florida Environment. She closed by inviting listeners to join the program.

The presentation focused on volunteer recruitment and the program's experiential curriculum; no formal actions, motions, or votes were recorded during the remarks. For more information, contact University of Florida IFAS about volunteer opportunities in Sarasota County.