Panhandle Equine Rescue

3099 E Chipper Rd., Cantonment

Since 1994, Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge (ECWR) has been rehabilitating Florida native wildlife such as raccoons, opossums, tortoises, turtles, pelicans and more. ECWR offers a variety of opportunities for children and families to visit and learn about these animals. ECWR offers spring and summer camps for children, as well as an educational facility for everyone. The ECWR education center is open to the public Wednesday through Saturday from 9 am to 3 pm and 11 am to 3 pm on Sunday. At the educational center, guests will encounter “ambassador animals,” which are animals that have been rehabilitated but are unable to be released back into the wild. Some of these animals include snakes, geckos, a fox, an owl and more. Through these animals, guests will learn about biology, wildlife rehabilitation and ecosystems. Most visits are self-guided, but ECWR staff is available to answer questions for visitors. Visiting the ECWR educational center costs $7 for adults, $6 for military and seniors and $5 for kids.

Education is one of the most important things that ECWR does. According to ECWR Executive Director Pascal Robin, the refuge hopes to expand their education center in the near future. “We take pride in the educational portion of the refuge so much that we will be completing a major revamp of our Education Center. We are hoping by the end of the year to have this fully functional so we can have different displays throughout the year,” Robin explained. ECWR offers volunteer opportunities in their medical center for those looking to get involved in the rehabilitation aspect of

Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge

3051

Panhandle Equine Rescue (PER) is home to a number of rescue equines. PER was formed in 2005 by a group of concerned citizens who noticed that cases of equine neglect were not being noticed or taken care of. Since then, PER has been working to bring awareness to equine neglect and care for equines that have been rescued from neglectful situations. Volunteers are crucial to helping PER continue to care for their horses. With the minimum volunteer age being only 8 years old, volunteering with PER could be an excellent way to get the whole family up and out of the house this summer. “We encourage families to come out and work together so that parents and children can be a team and the kids can learn to be responsible,” PER President Diane Lowery said.

Volunteer hours begin at 8:30 am, seven days a week. Typical volunteer duties include cleaning stalls, paddocks, pastures, watering and grooming the horses, if desired. “On the first day of their arrival to volunteer, I take them [the volunteers] on a tour and explain to them all of the stories of our rescues, and show them before and after pictures,” Lowery explained. “After that, they are trained on how to do barn chores and then afterwards, they are allowed to groom the horses if they want to.” Throughout the volunteering experience, volunteers will learn about equines and their neglect, experience aspects of caring for equines and help PER continue to care for neglected equines. “Volunteering for our organization is the most important part of this rescue. Without our volunteers, we would not exist. Daily care for the horses is critical to our success. As president [of PER], I simply could not do this all on my own. It takes an army to make this work. Some people may think that shoveling manure is the least important job, but actually, it is the most important,” Lowery said. To learn more about visiting the facility or volunteering with PER, visit panhandleequinerescue.org or @PanhandleEquineRescue on Facebook.

Seacrest Wolf Preserve

3449 Bonnett Pond Rd., Chipley conservation of native wildlife since 1999. The preserve is now home to 22 wolves of several different species, as well as a variety of other native animals including foxes, skunks and more. At SWP, guests are able to encounter the animals first-hand to learn more about them.

“We believe in ‘Preservation through education,’ and offer unique hands-on encounters and learning opportunities with several types of animals,” SWP Director and Licensee, Lindsey Banks said.

Navarre Beach Sea Turtle Conservation Center

8740 Gulf Blvd., Navarre

Since 2013, the Navarre Beach Sea Turtle Conservation Center (NBSTCC) has been helping sea turtles and educating the public on one of our beach’s most prevalent creatures. NBSTCC offers a variety of ways for the public to get involved in the conservation of marine life. A recurring event that NBSTCC hosts is the Trash Bash. “The Trash Bash is a popular event that we typically plan for the last Saturday of the month at 8 am. Volunteers gather in the Navarre Beach parking lot where they sign in and get their materials. Our volunteers are the key to making our outreach program successful,” NBSTCC Outreach Manager Christen Weaver explained. NBSTCC also offers a wide variety of volunteer opportunities including caring for animals, helping with special events, working in the gift shop and more. All volunteers must be 18 years of age or older.

NBSTCC hosts many family-friendly and kid-friendly experiences. These experiences allow children to learn about marine life in fun and unique ways. The “Painting Tortoise Tracks” experience includes a private guided tour of the center and a fun painting experience with one of NBSTCC’s resident tortoises, Safari. Guests will use food to get Safari to walk across a canvas and spread paint around, creating a totally unique painting with a great backstory. If you want to learn more about the center’s rescued animals, the “Honorary Animal Care Team Member” experience is a good choice. During this experience, guests will join the care team and learn about the care that rescued animals require and the challenges they face in the wild. The “Shark School'' experience teaches students all about sharks – from shark conservation and the importance of sharks in the ocean, to shark biology and local species. The “Shark Tooth Treasure Hunt” is perhaps the most suitable experience for younger kids. In this experience, hunters will search for fossilized shark teeth and learn about million year old sharks. In addition to all of these experiences, private tours are also offered for larger groups. For more information on volunteering or visiting NBSTCC, visit navarrebeachseaturtles.org or @NavarreBeachSeaTurtles on Facebook

SWP offers unique educational experiences with their wolves and wildlife. SWP typically offers Saturday group tours, however these tours are temporarily unavailable, but they hope to resume soon. Participants in the group tours will also have the opportunity to get up close and personal with SWP’s resident wolves, as they enter the wolf’s habitats. In addition to the time with the wolves, group tour guests will also get to interact with several small animals such as skunks, foxes and raccoons. The Saturday group tours are a great opportunity to interact with many of SWP’s wonderful animals. These tours last between two to three hours and are $35 per guest. All of SWP’s tours include opportunities for photos with the animals. Updates on the availability of the group tours will be posted on SWP’s Facebook.

Guests can also visit the preserve by booking a VIP tour. Private VIP tours take place Monday through Friday and last approximately 2 hours long. These educational tours allow guests to enter into the enclosures with a tour guide and interact with the wolves. Guests will learn first-hand about the wolves, their habitats, and personal responsibilities of conservation. "Seacrest Wolf Preserve is a unique and incredible place that allows people to become part of the ‘pack’ to gain a clearer understanding and respect for the animals we share the land with. It is amazing for me to watch people from many walks of life grow a passion for the animals we introduce them to," said Banks. Private VIP tours require at least two people and cost $250 each and each additional person after the first two costs $150. VIP tours can book up a month in advance, so plan accordingly.

Volunteer opportunities at SWP are also available based on need. Visitors must be 10 years of age or older and volunteers are required to be at least 18 years of age or older. For more information on visiting or volunteering with SWP, visit seacrestwolfpreserve.org or @SeacrestWolfPreserve on Facebook.