North Palm Beach, FL (February 23, 2023) – MacArthur Beach State Park (MacBeach) attended the Florida State Parks District 5 Volunteer Appreciation Day on Wednesday where three of the Park’s own volunteers were recognized for their achievements and dedication to MacBeach.
The selected MacArthur Beach volunteers were awarded for varying volunteer accomplishments including 20 Years of Service, Youth Volunteer of the Year, and Long Project: Historical.
The award-winners are part of thousands of people from all over the country who give their time and talent to their state parks. Florida State Park volunteers play a vital role in supporting park operations and MacArthur Beach is no exception.
“Our Park is made even better through the energy and commitment provided by our volunteers,” says Veronica Frehm, Executive Director of Friends of MacArthur Beach State Park. “I’m so proud that three of our invaluable volunteers who go above and beyond were recognized and I congratulate this year’s recipients.”
Rafael Noriega, who came to our Park back in 2019 to offer his volunteer services as a filmmaker, was presented with the Long Project: Historical award. Rafael has put over 300 hours of service into filming a brand-new version of our “Island in Time” film, a film that plays in the MacArthur Beach Nature Center.
“I was thrilled to have the opportunity to work on this film because I believe in the importance of conservation and protecting our natural resources,” he said. “John D. MacArthur Beach State Park is a beautiful and unique location that deserves to be highlighted and celebrated, and I was excited to be a part of sharing its story through film.”
This film is seen by 5,000 students each year, grades 1-12, as a pre-visit activity before coming to the park on a field trip. This video is also shown in the park Nature Center Theatre, where thousands of visitors view the film annually. This new enhancement of the film includes high quality 4K filming, advance cameras and ultraviolet light at night capabilities that captured sea turtle nesting footage. The Park received approval through the Florida Park Service (FPS) and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) to use cameras with infrared light to not disturb the turtles. His equipment was so advanced that there was zero light coming off the team’s filming. With thousands of dollars invested with this in-kind donation, this film will be used for the park for many years to come.
The second volunteer recognized was Bruce Kay, an individual who has served at MacBeach for 20 years. Bruce, a Florida local and nature enthusiast, was presented with the 20 Years of Service Award. In his time as a volunteer, he has contributed over 1,780 hours to Park visitor services volunteering with our Turtle Walk programs and serving as Nature Center docent. He currently serves as a Ranger Station volunteer and teaches our Recreational Skills classes. We also benefit from Bruce’s knowledge as a retired Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) employee, and certified DEP kayaking & snorkeling volunteer.
One of MacArthur Beach’s youngest volunteers, Kya Small-Brush, was awarded the Youth Volunteer of the Year Award. Kya is 14-years-old and has been involved with MacBeach since the age of 8 through summer camp programs, beach clean ups and most recently participating in the Junior Friends program for middle school and high school students. At Junior Friends, Kya has participated in our Citizen Science Marine Debris Program cleaning up our beach and mangroves, conducting bird surveys and reporting them to eBird, and painting stakes that are used to mark sea turtle nests at the park. This year alone, she has volunteered over 45 hours and counting, demonstrating to the community that one is never too young to take part in a cause and make a difference
“MacArthur Beach State Park has been such a large part of Kya’s entire life of 14 years,” said her mother Monica Small. “She has spent countless weekends at the beach and winter days hiking the trails and wandering the nature center, kayaking and exploring Munyon Island. Her summer camp experiences have been irreplaceable. Letting her be a camp counselor at an early age proved to her that she can accomplish goals and be recognized for hard work and responsibility.”
MacArthur Beach State Park has a diverse range of volunteer opportunities from gift shop support, maintenance, special event coordination, and working in our nature center. To learn more about volunteer opportunities, visit https://macarthurbeach.org/volunteer/.
John D. MacArthur Beach State Park, Palm Beach County’s only state park, is situated on a barrier island between the Atlantic Ocean and the Lake Worth Lagoon. The Park is made up of 436 acres of pristine coastal land and contains four different communities or habitats including seven species of plants and 22 species of animals on the endangered or threatened list. For more information about MacArthur Beach State Park visit, macarthurbeach.org.
#####