Volunteer Voices - Terry Bledsoe
- hpastor2025
- 3 days ago
- 2 min read
It all started one day when I was overworked and stressed out: I discovered Canaveral National Seashore at sunrise. The sun blossomed living color over the silver quiet morning ocean while the dunes supplied proof of life…mice, raccoons, shorebirds and crabs left their mark of who was the hunted and who the hunter. Fresh breezes, warming sunshine, the form-fitting feel of wet sand on my feet – I was refreshed and grounded in nature, recreated. As I walked, I became one with this place, a visitor seeking refuge and given so much more. I was not alone; I was one with the sea, sand, living creatures and ancient spirits of those who lived here throughout the centuries.
During my career, Canaveral National Seashore became my sanctuary, my happy place, and a secret that I shared with family and friends. When I retired, I signed up to be a Volunteer-in-Park, to give back to the special place that is the national seashore.
I fully believe that when you love something, you will protect it; and that the time I spend sharing my love in the form of environmental education with guests of the park will create a new awareness of nature and conservation in others. Visitors from around the world come to this park just to experience its wildness – miles of undeveloped beach. It is such a great opportunity to share the lifecycle of nesting marine turtles and how important it is to protect their environment (no single-use plastic please!).
What a delight to watch school children step cautiously into Mosquito Lagoon, for most, their first time ever visiting a coastal ecosystem. They begin with squeals of “yucky” dismay that turn to joy as they seine for tiny shrimp, fish and jellies. Oh the wonder on their faces makes me believe that connecting those children to my happy place will guarantee some of them will protect it in the decades to come. Likewise, sharing the lagoon on our pontoon boat trips and watching guests clamor to see manatees and dolphins; to wonder at the watery squirts of oysters, only to learn how those same shellfish they happily gobble at local restaurants are responsible for the health of the lagoon and all that live upon it.
Volunteering is a two-way street; the volunteer contributes their precious time and talents for the benefit of their cause, and then reaps the reward of time well spent, making new friends and knowing that they are making a contribution to something much bigger than themselves. As for me, I am forever happy to find myself connected to my little bit of the Pale Blue Dot, Canaveral National Seashore.
“Preserve and cherish the Pale Blue Dot. The only home we’ve ever known.”
- Carl Sagan
