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Students have fun helping animals, the environment

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By MEGAN HUSSEY

Tribune correspondent

Published: October 25, 2009

Next time you're thinking there's nothing you can do for the environment, think about the eight students in Friends For Florida.

The group has raised $2,050 for Save Our Seabirds, Tampa Bay Watch and Big Cat Rescue. It has taken part in Pasco's Coastal Cleanup events and cleanup efforts along the Hillsborough River and at Fort Desoto; pitched in on recycling efforts and the Friends of the Park fundraiser at Honeymoon Island State Park. The group has adopted an arctic fox, a tiger and a marine iguana through the World Wildlife Federation, and a tiger through Big Cat Rescue.

Spearheaded by the Mark family of Lutz in 2007, Friends For Florida consists of eight Pasco and Hillsborough students who aim to raise funds and awareness for environmental issues.

"This is not a school activity," said Jodi Mark, co-coordinator of Friends For Florida and chorus director at Rushe Middle School in Land O'Lakes. "This is something the students are choosing to do."

Mark's husband, Todd, credits their son, Jordan, with getting the group going.

"He reached out to his friends from school about environmental issues, and Friends For Florida was born," Mark said.

The group, which is open to students of any age, takes environmental field trips, such as nature hikes, tours of the organizations it supports and scavenger hunts, where they identify different types of birds and animals. The group doesn't charge anything for students to participate.

The group teaches something important about environmental stewardship, 13-year-old Jordan said.

"People don't think much about it, but without the environment, we'd be in trouble," the seventh-grader at Rushe Middle said.

Member Emily Cohen, an eighth-grader at Rushe Middle, traces her interest in the group to a concern for animal welfare.

"I really like animals, and one time I saw a photo of a hunted bird being defeathered," said Emily, 13. "It made me want to help."

The group held a garage sale Saturday to raise money for the sea turtle rehabilitation program at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium.

By helping the sea turtles under the care of Clearwater Aquarium, club members say that they are helping an endangered Florida species - and an organization that shows genuine concern for animals.

"I've learned what should be in Tampa Bay and in Florida and what we need to clean up," said group member Alexander Duarte, a seventh-grader at Pine View Middle School. "And I have fun at the cleanups."

Nick Mitchell, a Pine View Middle student, says he has learned a lot from his Friends For Florida experience.

"I've learned lots about animals, sealife, birds," he said. "I've learned about pollution and waste, and the trash that goes into our oceans."

Jodi Mark hopes that all Friends for Florida members will learn and have a lot of fun.

"I hope they'll develop an affinity for community service, and a respect for nature," she said. "They'll enjoy the outdoors instead of being in front of the TV, and they'll learn about their home in Tampa Bay."

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