FWC honors Julie Carta as inaugural Sonya Rood Volunteer of the Year

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) announced Julie Carta as the inaugural recipient of the Sonya Rood Volunteer of the Year award at this week’s Commission meeting in Miami. The award recognizes one volunteer who demonstrates superior performance resulting in exemplary achievement for the FWC.

Carta volunteers with the FWC’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute Marine Mammal Pathobiology Laboratory in St. Petersburg. She began her career as a marine mammal trainer at SeaWorld and ingrained herself as a major part of the Marine Mammal Stranding Response Team with over 3,500 volunteer hours recorded since 2018. Her experience and dedication led to a leadership role within the lab’s volunteer group, often training and assisting new volunteers. She volunteers at the lab 4-5 days a week, often for the entire day, and at times well into the evening for manatee rescues and transports. She currently averages more than 35 volunteer hours per week.

“I don’t know how staff were able to narrow it down to just one volunteer. Watching people like Julie is what brought us here today,” said Commissioner Sonya Rood. “We couldn’t do it without our volunteers.”

“Commissioner Rood’s generous endowment to the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida makes this award possible,” said Sharon Tatem, FWC Volunteer Program Manager. “We’d like to express our sincere thanks to Commissioner Rood for giving FWC staff the opportunity to recognize exceptional volunteers like Julie.”

The Sonya Rood Volunteer of the Year award requires nominees to meet three or more of the following criteria: demonstrates exceptional commitment; shows exceptional leadership; exhibits innovation; growth in volunteer work; and acts as an ambassador and is a positive force to further the mission of the FWC. The award includes $500 in cash and a commemorative plaque. Thirteen volunteers were nominated by FWC staff and a committee of six members of the Volunteer Standing Team, an internal cross-divisional team that guides the structure, direction and best practices of volunteering, citizen science and stewardship for the FWC, reviewed nominations to select the recipient of this award for 2023.

The FWC benefits from the skills and dedication of its volunteers and, in turn, the agency strives to offer a fulfilling, meaningful and satisfying volunteer experience. To learn about the many opportunities for volunteering to conserve Florida’s fish and wildlife, visit MyFWC.com/Volunteer.