Get Involved
Do you have a a few hours a month to spare? If you answered YES, We need you! 
Living Shoreline
St. Andrew Bay Watch is a non-profit organization committed to the restoration and enhancement of coastal salt marsh habitats. The group achieves this objective by establishing nature-based living shorelines in areas with eroded shorelines and monitoring previously restored shorelines. Volunteers are trained and participate in the following activities:
- Clearing sites of debris and unstable trees, failing seawalls, and existing bulkheads.
- Planting riparian, marsh, and submerged aquatic vegetation.
- Installing organic materials such as bio-logs and organic fiber mats.
- Constructing oyster reefs or “living breakwaters” that dissipate wave energy before it reaches the shore.
- Providing maintenance activities, including debris removal, replanting vegetation, adding additional sand fill, and ensuring that organic and structural materials remain in place and continue to stabilize the shoreline.
- For an additional summery of the program, click here
Water Quality Sampling
St. Andrew Bay Watch has been actively monitoring St. Andrew Bay’s water quality since 1989 by involving the community volunteers. The data collected by these volunteers helps to determine the sources of pollution and how water quality affects the biological resources of the Bay. This data is also used to understand the impact of water quality on the recovery of seagrasses, as well as scallop and oyster recruitment in the Bay. The volunteers perform the following activities:
- Record temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, salinity, and secchi depth at each station.
- Document environmental conditions such as weather, tide codes, sea conditions, and precipitation.
- Collect water samples for evaluation of turbidity, nutrients, and chlorophyll.
Volunteers with access to boats are crucial to this initiative and are trained by our scientific staff before conducting sampling.
Grasses In Classes
The St. Andrews Bay Watch Grasses in Classes (GIC) program is a compelling initiative that fosters an appreciation of nature and environmental preservation among Bay County’s youth. The program comprises monthly classroom sessions and field experiences, providing students from Deane Bozeman, North Bay Haven Charter Academy, the Maritime Academy and Patronis Elementary in Bay County, Florida, with high-impact watershed learning opportunities. The GIC program, working with around 400 students and four teachers annually, features volunteers who teach crucial lessons on topics such as wetland and coastal conservation and restoration, shellfish bed water quality, environmental education, reduction of nutrient inputs into coastal ecosystems, and coastal community resiliency.
The program culminates in an end-of-year restoration project that aims to “Stem the Tides” along St. Andrew Bay. GIC participants benefit from hands-on, student-centered environmental learning, resulting in increased environmental awareness and behavior changes that promote a sustainable future. Volunteers are actively recruited and trained to assist in implementing the monthly programs.
JOIN THE BOARD
We’re continuously seeking volunteers to aid in various administrative roles such as board of directors, membership, outreach, publicity, and more. Please do not hesitate to contact us to explore opportunities to contribute.