The Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries (LDWF) showed their appreciation for the state’s aquatic volunteers at the Aquatic Volunteer Instructor Program (VIP) Continued Education Workshop on Thursday, November 15th. Aquatic volunteers from across the state came out to the Oak Lodge in Baton Rouge to expand their knowledge on Louisiana’s fisheries.
The volunteers were offered the choice of attending two different seminars to enhance their knowledge of current environmental issues in Louisiana. LDWF Biologist, Angela Capello, led a seminar discussing “Coastal Erosion in Louisiana” and how Louisiana’s coastline is vanishing at an alarming rate. The other seminar offered was on “Invasive Species in Barataria-Terrebonne Estuary” which was taught by the Invasive Species Coordinator, Michael Massimi, for the Barataria-Terrebonne National Estuary Program. Both seminars provided the Aquatic Volunteers with new perspectives and plenty of teaching material. After the workshops, the outstanding Aquatic Volunteers were recognized over dinner.
In the past year, the Aquatic Volunteer Instructors assisted at 67 different events with over 2500 hours of service. These events range from fishing tournaments to classroom visits to church festivals and more. LDWF Aquatic Volunteers are required to volunteer at least once after becoming certified. However, many volunteers go above and beyond their minimum requirement. Volunteer recognition was broken down into three different categories:
2018 Most Outstanding Volunteer: Bob Bateman (152 hours of service)
In addition to the awards and workshops, volunteers were also made aware of LDWF updates, program statistics and the future of Aquatic VIP.
A special thank you to the sponsors who helped to make the event so special: KYSEK, Guy Harvey, Bass Pro Shops, Egret Baits, John Preble Art, Falcon Lures, Louisiana Lottery, and Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation.
Aquatic VIP is a statewide program that anyone with a passion for instructing the public about Louisiana’s great fisheries can join. Does that sound like you? Lesson plans are even attached to the activities for teachers to incorporate fishing into their classroom. If you are interested in becoming an Aquatic Volunteer Instructor for the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, please visit our website at: http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/ldwf-volunteer-programs. For questions, contact Alayna McGarry at amcgarry@wlf.la.gov or (504) 286-4050.
This event is hosted in conjunction with the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Foundation (LWFF). The LWFF was formed to provide a means for individuals and corporations to become partners with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries and the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission in the challenge of conserving Louisiana’s wildlife and fish resources.