Make 2022 Meaningful
Are you visiting the Florida Keys and want an exciting and impactful experience? Coral Restoration Foundation™ Recreational Dive Programs are the perfect option for you! People from around the world can experience coral restoration first-hand through a day full of education and coral fun. Ocean lovers of all ages and experience levels can sign up for Dive Programs as either a SCUBA diver or a snorkeler.
We work with many organizations and school groups interested in our mission! Private Dive Programs are available for anyone or any group wanting a tailored experience. If you have further questions about our Dive Programs or would like to set up a private program, please email us at info@coralrestoration.org or call us at (305) 453-7030!
SIGN UP HERE! Upcoming Dive Programs are booked through local dive shops.
Volunteer Programs: What You Need to Know
With the start of 2022, Workboat and Land Volunteers are integral to supporting our mission! Our Workboat Volunteers play an active role by working alongside Coral Restoration Foundation™ divers in our coral nursery and on the reef! Volunteers are an integral part of our work, and we appreciate all the time they donate to us!
Workboat Volunteers are trained on charters before completing their qualifying checkout dives!
Charter boats will be scheduled throughout January to train volunteers in nursery maintenance and coral restoration. Once those skills are taught and perfected, volunteers are invited to complete a qualifying checkout with a CRF™ employee to become a certified Workboat Volunteer. This ensures each CRF™ volunteer is working safely and effectively and, in a capacity, they feel confident about. We are very enthusiastic to bring back our Workboat Volunteers to help with our coral restoration efforts!
Land Volunteers help support our mission in many ways from building Coral Trees™ to touring guests through our Exploration Center!
CRF™ is also bringing back Land Volunteers this month! Land volunteers will be trained to help in the warehouse, with educational outreach, and working at the Exploration Center. After training and experience, Land Volunteers will be able to give presentations, attend workshops, and do other activities alongside CRF™ interns.
Please visit our Volunteer Program webpage to learn more and apply!
Intern Dive Training
The new year has brought Coral Restoration Foundation™ nine new interns! They have spent the first two weeks of the new year training with CRF™ staff in their coral restoration skills. Dive skills are essential for coral restoration and interns refine their diving skills throughout their time with CRF™. The first few weeks can be daunting for new interns, but our staff works hard to set them up for success.
One of our new interns, Jennifer, shares her thoughts on her introduction to the CRF™ internship.
“The first two weeks have been an information overload. There’s so much to learn but I’ve been having such a great experience training and using these new skills both on land and while diving!”
While our new interns have been busy learning the ropes, our returning lead interns have been using the skills they gained in their first few months with CRF™ to assist in training, restoration, and education. As a lead, interns can focus on special areas of interest like Dive Programs! About half of our lead interns will be leading our Dive Programs over the next few months, working to educate the public and giving them hands-on experience in the field of coral restoration.
Our lead interns are ready to take charge and assist incoming interns with education programs and restoration dive skills!
After completing both our entry-level internship and lead internship, interns can apply for a third semester as a Program Intern. Program internships place interns within a particular department at CRF™ that they have expressed interest in and applied for. This semester we have 3 program interns. They are specializing in our science, development, and restoration departments. Each department intern assists staff members with in-depth tasks and duties within their assigned department.
Program interns are mentored by CRF™ Program Managers and other staff members in a particular field of interest. ©Coral Restoration Foundation™
If you are interested in becoming a Coral Conservation and Reef Restoration Intern, you can find more information and an application here!
"Diving In" Editorial Intern
Madeline (she/her) was born in Tucson, Arizona but found her passion for the ocean in the
Chesapeake Bay, Virginia when she discovered an abandoned crab pot inhabited with seahorses. She continued to follow her passion and received her open water certification at age 15. She did not stop there! She is now a recent graduate of Coastal Carolina University with a bachelors in Marine Science and has her Rescue Diver Certification. Madeline is very excited to be a part of the CRF team to help with the coral restoration process and make a difference for the coral reefs everyone knows and loves.
Coral Chronicles Editor
Madalen Howard (she/her) is CRF's Marketing Associate. Madalen comes to CRF™ via a winding road from the Tennessee hills, to the South Carolina low country, ending here in Florida’s Coral Reef. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Marine Biology and a Minor in Environmental Studies from the College of Charleston in 2016. Her experience ranges from field research to education, and communications.
Madalen spent the last 4 years as a Field Instructor and Social Media Strategist for MarineLab Environmental Education Center. Here she was able to study and teach marine ecology, while snorkeling through mangroves, seagrasses, and coral reefs every day. While at MarineLab she combined her education and research background, entered the world of communications, and developed MarineLab’s social media department from the ground up.
Throughout her life Madalen has had a skill connecting people with nature. With CRF™, she is excited to bring people into the world of coral restoration, creating inclusive pathways to scientific discovery.