About Friends of MacArthur Beach State Park, Inc.

Founded in 1990, Friends of MacArthur Beach State Park is a State of Florida Citizen Support Organization (CSO), and a 501(C)(3) non-profit corporation. Our mission is to generate supplemental resources to preserve, restore, and interpret the natural and cultural assets of the Park for present and future generations.

 

This is accomplished by funding Environmental Education programs, special events and programs, community outreach , guided tours and communications, special exhibits, interpretive displays, and many more activities which are designed to meet the needs of John D. MacArthur Beach State Park.

Check out our 2023 MacBeach Annual Report to see the amazing initiatives accomplished!

Want to learn more?  Our previous Annual Reports are here:

2022 MacBeach Annual Report 

2021 MacBeach Annual Report 

 

Friends of MacArthur Beach State Park
Awards & Accomplishments

Growing from a small group of concerned individuals to a force of over 3,000 members, the Friends have been recognized for their remarkable work:

2024 – Florida Association of Environmental Professionals Public Engagement and Education Award for exemplary work in the environmental professional community

2024 – North Palm Beach Business of the Season 

2024 – Florida State Park Service CSO Award – Long-Term Special Project of the Year presented to John Lidignton 

2024 – Florida State Park Service CSO Award – Turtle Walk Team

2024 – Florida State Park Service CSO Award – Youth Volunteer of the Year presented to Charlotte Lebedker 

2024 – Florida State Park Service CSO Award – Corporate Contributor of the Year 10-Year Partnership with Florida Power & Light 

2023 – Association of Nature Center Administrators National Outstanding New Leader Award – CEO Veronica Frehm

2023- Outstanding Community Partner awarded from Florida Marine Science Educators Association

2023 – Florida State Park Service CSO Award – 20 years Served presented to Bruce Kay

2023 – Florida State Park Service CSO Long Project Award Island in Time Film presented to Rafael Noriega

2023 – Florida State Park Service CSO Youth Volunteer of the Year presented to Kya Small

2022 – Partner of the Year Award from Florida Project Learning Tree  

2022 – Palm Beach North Chamber of Commerce   Leadership Awards – Environmental Stewardship Award

2022 – Florida State Park Service CSO Youth Volunteer of the Year presented to Alicia Bickel

2022 – Florida State Park Service CSO Award – 20 years Served presented to Stephanie Grant

2021 – National Marine Education Award for Outstanding Organization from National Marine Educators Association

2020 – Florida State Park Service CSO Irene DeLaby Award – 10,000 Hours Served presented to Stephanie Grant

2020 – Florida State Park Service CSO Youth Volunteer of the Year presented to Savannah Lebedeker

2019 – Florida State Park Service CSO/Resource-Based Recreation awarded for: Butterfly Programs

2019 – Florida State Park Service CSO/Park Long Term Project of the Year awarded for Citizen Science Nest Excavation Team

2019 – Florida State Park Service CSO/Youth Volunteer of the Year presented to Marquise Hodge

2019 – National Recreation and Parks Association, in partnership with the American Academy for Park and Recreation Administration, announced Florida State Parks as the Gold Medal award winner.

2018 – Director of Education, Veronica Frehm, received the statewide Florida Marine Science Educators Association John Beakly Educator of the Year award

2018 – Director of Education, Veronica Frehm, received the statewide Project WILD Facilitator of the Year award

2018  – Florida State Park Service CSO Organization of the Year Award for funding, development, design and implementation of the Citizen Science Marine Debris Program at MacArthur Beach State Park

2018 – Florida State Park Service CSO/Youth Volunteer of the year presented to Twain Glas

2017 – President’s Call to Service Award presented to volunteer Stephanie Grant

2017 – Director of Education, Veronica Frehm, received the statewide Project Learning Tree Facilitator of the Year award

2016 – Director of Education, Veronica Frehm, received the prestigious Florida State Park Award of Valor for selflessly risking her life to save two drowning visitors caught in a rip current

2016 – President’s Call to Service Award presented to Past Board Member Janet Heaton

2015 – Florida State Park Service CSO/Park Short Term Project of the Year awarded for development of a new curriculum, Student Stewards: A Focus on Water Resources

2015 – Florida State Park Service CSO/Park Long Term Project of the Year awarded for ongoing Natural Science Education Programs

2014 – Florida State Park Service CSO/Team Award: Natural Science Education Team

2014 – Pine Jog Environmental Education Center Award Winner for Environmental Education Program of the Year

2014 – President’s Call to Service Award presented to Past President Ted Thoburn

2013 – President’s Call to Service Award presented to Past President Stephanie Pew

2010 – Florida State Park Service/CSO State of Florida Outstanding CSO of the Year Award

2008 – Florida State Park Service/CSO awarded the Friends the Outstanding CSO Award for Capital Campaign

John D. MacArthur Beach State Park is a model public-private partnership.  Owned by the State of Florida, the staff and daily needs of the Park are funded by the State.  Our Park Manager, along with Park Rangers, are fully responsible for the Park’s management and many of the recreational and instructional programs offered at the Park.  Park staff also has the vital responsibility of preserving and protecting the Park’s wonderful natural resources for the public’s benefit and enjoyment.

Since its founding in 1990, the Friends of MacArthur Beach State Park has enriched and enhanced the Park by soliciting donations, seeking volunteers, raising funds, and holding special events.  In addition the Friends operates the Park’s Beach Outfitters Gift Shop.  All funds raised by the Friends support the Park.

In partnership, the Park and Friends have made some impressive achievements always with the central goal of offering the most enjoyable and beneficial experience to all who visit. 

In 2011, recognizing the need to fund the Education programs at the Park, the Board of the Friends launched a fundraising initiative with the goal to establish an educational endowment which would permanently fund the teaching staff at the Pew Family Natural Science Education Classroom.

Donations to this fund doubled the capacity and enhance the quality of science education for students throughout Palm Beach County.

 A focus on the mission enabled the Friends to conduct a Capital Campaign from 2007 to 2009, raising $1,216,000.00 which was matched by $840,000.00 State of Florida funds. These monies were used to build the Pew Family Natural Science Education Center, a new Beach Outfitters Gift Shop and to completely renovate the Nature Center and provide new interpretive displays.

The Friends organization makes education a priority, providing hands-on environmental education programs to all Palm Beach County students free of charge. The Education Program provides experiential experiences to educate and excite the students in learning.