Non-profit organization’s Director of Education honored as Community Hero
Tierra Verde, FL – (April 8, 2022) – Tampa Bay Watch is pleased to announce its Director of Education, Katie Mastenbrook, has received the 484th Lightning Community Hero award. This signature philanthropic initiative of the Tampa Bay Lightning Foundation honors local heroes who make positive impacts on their community through good works and volunteerism.
Mastenbrook received a $50,000 grant from the Lightning Foundation and the Lightning Community Heroes program, presented by Jabil, which will solely support Tampa Bay Watch’s Estuary EDventures program at the Auer Marine Education Center in Tierra Verde.
Education is a vital part of Tampa Bay Watch’s overall mission. Estuary EDventures is an educational program for students that introduces estuarine ecology, habitat restoration and conservation. The program offers field trips, spring break and summer camps, and school outreach, where students are exposed to the wonders of the natural world through hands-on, marine science labs and immersive field experiences.
Fifty percent of the field trips facilitated through these programs are to schools that are academically at-risk or designated Title I. Tampa Bay Watch aims to provide free educational field trip opportunities for low socio-economic school groups in the Tampa Bay area.
“I am honored to represent Tampa Bay Watch and be a part of these programs which have helped over 22,000 students of low-income status since 2007 through 1,074 field trips,” says Mastenbrook. “We believe every student should have access to these educational programs and be able to experience the beauty of the bay, regardless of financial situations.”
The Tampa Bay Lightning Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to making an impact in the greater Tampa community. Lightning owners Jeff and Penny Vinik launched the Community Hero program in 2011. In 2021, the organization announced an extension of the program, pledging $10 million over the next five years.
For nearly 30 years, Tampa Bay Watch has remained committed to restoring the bay every day through community awareness, restoration projects, and educational programs with the help of dedicated volunteers designed to exemplify the importance of the Tampa Bay estuary.###
About Tampa Bay WatchTampa Bay Watch is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to fostering a healthy Tampa Bay watershed through community-driven restoration projects, education programs, and outreach initiatives. Incorporated in 1993, Tampa Bay Watch conducts habitat restoration and educational activities throughout the year, relying heavily on the efforts of community volunteers. These programs seek to build citizen awareness, concern and participation in improving the health and sustainability of Tampa Bay. Tampa Bay Watch opened the Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center at the new St. Pete Pier in July 2020. The Discovery Center features a public Exhibit Gallery showcasing the economic and ecological value of the Tampa Bay estuary to residents and visitors, a 45’ eco-vessel which conducts daily on-water educational activities and both an outdoor “wet” classroom and an indoor classroom offering a variety of environmental outreach programs to visitors and Tampa Bay area students. For more information, visit www.tampabaywatch.org, or call 727-867-8166.