MacArthur Beach State Park recently honored two people who have made a difference in preserving Florida’s natural environment.
Charlie Jabaly received the 2020 MacArthur Beach State Park Environmental Champion Award at Nature-Scaping: An Outdoor Festival, which took place March 7. Dylan Smith received the 2020 MacArthur Beach State Park Jr. Environmental Champion that day. The Environmental Champion and Jr. Environmental Champion Awards are presented to individuals who have made exceptional contributions toward the preservation or betterment of the Florida natural environment.
Mr. Jabaly recently retired after serving the state of Florida for 35 years in various positions. He started his career as a fishery biologist in Costa Rica under Archie Carr, the leading researcher on marine turtles, an experience he would carry throughout the rest of his career. Most recently, Mr. Jabaly was the district biologist for District 5 for the Florida Parks and Recreation, where he worked closely with the staff and rangers of MacArthur Beach State Park. As district biologist, his primary responsibilities involved working on submerged resources and a variety of coastal issues in Southeast Florida and the Florida Keys.
During his tenure, Mr. Jabaly made many lasting contributions to improve the natural world, including ongoing marine turtle research and seagrass monitoring and research at Macarthur Beach State Park. Each year, Mr. Jabaly oversaw the coordination, training, and supervision of the coastal parks in Florida, including MacArthur Beach. He also helped MacArthur Beach establish a Citizen Science Program during nesting season that collects data on the viability of loggerhead sea turtle nests along MacArthur Beach’s shore. He also is part of a seagrass monitoring program with research scientists and park staff and established a “Motor Exclusion Zone” at MacArthur Beach to protect the seagrass beds and bird rookeries.
“Charlie Jabaly is such a worthy recipient of the Environmental Champion Award, which is reflected through his years of service in the field,” Cheryl Houghtelin, executive director of the Friends of MacArthur Beach State Park, said in a statement. “We are very grateful for his many contributions to our park and the protection of our beautiful resources. His knowledge and dedication to the natural world are unmatched.”
Dylan Reed first joined the MacBeach family as a camper, attending summer camp for five years eventually working his way up to Counselor-in-Training where he worked closely with the director of education to ensure things ran smoothly. During this time, he also was a member of the Jr. Friends, where he participated in countless beach cleanups, mangrove cleanups and Citizen Science Projects all aimed at improving and raising awareness for MacArthur Beach State Park.
“Dylan has consistently been a dependable and hardworking volunteer during summer camps and with the Jr. Friends. He stands out as someone who will continue to contribute to the environmental field and encourage others around him to be environmental stewards,” Ms. Houghtelin said in the statement. “Dylan has an amazing attitude and is always a positive influence on the campers and his peers.”
https://palmbeach.floridaweekly.com/articles/macarthur-beach-awards-two-for-environmental-work/
