Giving Back: Leadership in conservation can start with you

There’s a world much larger than you and me waiting in Manatee County. It’s called nature.

When you get there, it feels a bit like freedom wrapped in a series of quiet discoveries. Everything has an order to it, but there are surprises around every corner — wading birds, tracks in the sand, fiddler crabs running through mangroves, wildflowers that bloom with our subtle seasons.

The fact that nature is still here for us to experience is not an accident. There are local leaders who have dedicated their lives to preserving natural places, restoring land that once was less than pristine, and creating opportunities for all citizens to enjoy these places and the wildlife that live there.

You only have to spend an hour on the trails of Emerson Point Preserve to get a deep sense of the mindfulness that comes naturally when people are immersed in the unspoiled outdoors. People with dogs, people on bikes, people in meditation, professional photographers, smart phone photographers, fishermen, birders, runners, paddlers. You will see all stages of life.

And in each of them, you can see that nature is their refuge.

Manatee County Parks and Natural Resources Department Director Charlie Hunsicker has been a force of nature himself in making this special place and many others what they are today. And the county’s Melissa Nell has popularized them with fun and educational onsite programs for adults and children.

Nonprofits also have been leaders in this space for many years. The Manatee Fish & Game Association, an organization led by local hunters and fishers who have been active in our community since 1935, is one of them. The association recently established two new charitable funds at Manatee Community Foundation that will support and benefit nonprofits working in conservation.

Grants will be awarded to programs leading, advising, funding, educating, promoting, practicing and modeling sound practices to conserve fish and wildlife and its habitat, which may include enhancement, acquisition and legal protection.

Though I experience nature with photographs, kayaking and hiking, I come from a family that has long enjoyed responsible hunting and fishing. Like other outdoor recreationalists, they believe in and honor the concept that leaving the natural world better than they found it is our duty. This sense of purpose has fueled the Manatee Fish and Game Association for decades.

Its strong roots in the community and its new funds at Manatee Community Foundation no doubt will inspire others to come forward and create their own charitable legacies reflecting the values of stewardship and preservation.

Former president Theodore Roosevelt said, “The nation behaves well if it treats the natural resources as assets which it must turn over to the next generation increased and not impaired in value. Conservation means development as much as it does protection.”

Many years later, the tourism dollars connected to birding and nature alone have been well documented in Florida. The necessity of well-functioning natural systems to a healthy economy also is widely known.

If you find yourself wondering how to get more involved in conservation efforts, start by spending time regularly in natural places. You don’t have to spend money or travel far. If you are looking for guided events for yourself or your children, check mymanatee.org for a schedule of upcoming outdoor educational programs led by Manatee County Government.

Volunteer, donate or get involved in other ways with a local organization working in the space of conservation, environmental education or natural history. Manatee County Audubon Society, the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast, Keep Manatee Beautiful, Nature’s Academy, Mote Marine and the South Florida Museum are just a handful of choices.

The Giving Partner (thegivingpartner.org) is an online resource that can help you understand the achievements of these nonprofits, how they are different from each other and their needs.

Finally, if you would like to support the conservation grants that will be awarded through the Manatee Fish and Game Fund at Manatee Community Foundation, tax-deductible contributions are gratefully accepted. Local conservationist and philanthropist Elizabeth Moore (well known for purchasing Triangle Ranch) was the first to step up. To join her or to learn more about how local nonprofits can apply for funds, call (941) 747-7765.

This story was originally published November 7, 2017 at 10:54 AM with the headline "Giving Back: Leadership in conservation can start with you."