SJRWMD & Orange Audubon celebrate two years of Lake Apopka Ambassador program 

The St. Johns River Water Management District is celebrating a two-year partnership with the Orange Audubon Society for the group’s volunteer work at the Lake Apopka North Shore and Wildlife Drive. Since July 2020, Orange Audubon members have served as volunteer Ambassadors at the District’s central Florida restoration and conservation area, sharing information with visitors about the District’s work to restore Lake Apopka and the diversity of animals living in the conservation area.

More than 60 Orange Audubon members have volunteered in the first two years of the program at the drive, which opened in May 2015. These volunteers are at the Lake Apopka Wildlife Drive each Saturday and Sunday. They also manage a social media fan page about the Wildlife Drive and organize the North Shore Birding Festival, which in 2019 brought in visitors from 18 states, two Canadian provinces and the United Kingdom. They also assisted the District in educational enhancements at the public property through kiosks and species surveys. In November 2021, the District named Orange Audubon the recipient of the Bob Owens Award for Citizen Volunteer Service. Interested in helping out as an Ambassador? Contact Orange Audubon at volunteer@orangeaudubonfl.org.