The Current | Vol. 31 Issue 29

April 6, 2021 | nsucurrent.nova.edu 5 Features Finding the time to volunteer Volunteering is a great way to expand your resume and become a more well-rounded person. Doing volunteer work is very rewarding and even in the time of COVID-19, there are many opportunities to do so safely. The Office of Student Leadership and Civic Engagement has opportunities for students to get involved in volunteering and to help their communities. Concetta D’Alessio, the assistant director at the Office of Student Leadership and Civic Engagement (SLCE), said, “Volunteering, in general, has a bit of a dip this year. I think we usually see more students, either on their own or are more involved with our office. I mean, this year, in regards to [COVID-19, it] has really affected students’ willingness to help the community.” Due to COVID-19 and the regulations surrounding the pandemic, SLCE has been unable to do off- campus civic engagement to the extent they have done in the past. However, like other offices, they have found ways of being able to modify their work to encourage safety for their students while still being involved with community service. “There have been a lot of other ways that we’ve had to be creative in ways that we can still support the community and help to make an impact,” D’Alessio said. With COVID-19, the Office of Student Leadership and Civic Engagement has been introducing hybrid experiences for volunteering, such as them working with remote students to help their local animal shelters by making DIY dog toys from recycled clothes. Other service projects have included making hygiene packages and feeding the homeless. There are many opportunities for students to get involved and help their communities in a variety of ways. With the semester coming to a close, SLCE has wrapped up their volunteering projects for this year. If you are interested in doing volunteer work next semester, reach out to their office for more information on upcoming service projects. You can contact the Office of Student Leadership and Civic Engagement at (954) 262-7195 or email them at slce@nova.edu. Alexander Martinie Opinions Editor National Wildlife Week: what you can do to help Since 1938, National Wildlife Week has been a week devoted to raising awareness and appreciation for wildlife conservation through discussions, donations, campaigns and more. In response to National Wildlife Week, there are many things you can do to help the earth and the endangered species that are struggling. The Florida Wildlife Federation, also known as FWD, has been a leader on behalf of clean water, healthy fish and wildlife populations and sustainable outdoor recreation. FWD is involved in many conservation efforts to protect Florida’s natural resources and has saved more than 2.5 million acres of land from development, helping save Florida’s biodiversity. Along with FWD, there are other organizations that help keep Florida’s natural life flourishing. For example, the South Florida Wildlife Center’s main goal is to protect wildlife through rescue, rehabilitation and education. According to the official South Florida Wildlife Center website, the founder of South Florida Wildlife Center, Beatrice Humphrey, had been rescuing animals before the center was founded in 1969. Humphrey used her garage as a rehabilitation center for 19 years, and now, over 20 staff members and hundreds of volunteers carry out her legacy through the South Florida Wildlife Center, which partnered with the Humane Society of the United States in 2009. This partnership allowed them to extend programs, increase intake and further professionalize wildlife medicine and rehabilitation. Because of this, in July 2020, the South Florida Wildlife Center was able to become an independent community-supported organization responsible for rescuing and rehabilitating over 12,000 animals every year. There are many threatened and endangered species found in Florida, such as manatees, the Florida panther, American crocodile, gopher tortoise, sea turtles and more. The rarest and most endangered species in Florida is the Florida panther, which has been endangered since 1967. It is estimated that between 120 and 130 of Florida panthers still exist today due to lack of land. The easiest thing we can all do to protect and save endangered species is to learn about the ones in the areas in which we live and adjust our lifestyle. Recycling and buying sustainable products are also small steps you can take to cut back on your waste and help preserve wildlife’s habitat and environment along the way. Using less water in your home may give animals who live near or in water a better chance of survival. Securing your trash bins outside makes them less prone to ingesting plastic and harmful toxins. Millions of birds die every year from window collisions, so placing decals on your windows deters birds from flying into them. Many businesses and organizations like the South Florida Wildlife Center and 4Ocean are looking for ambassadors or volunteers to help preserve the land and wildlife. 4Ocean is a business that has been working very hard to end plastic pollution, which has become a major issue, impacting the lives of thousands of species and the planet as a whole. They have removed over 13 million pounds of trash all over the world, with one mission to save the ocean and make Earth a much cleaner place. 4Ocean has partnered with Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, in Boca Raton, Fla, to help with the rehabilitation of sea turtles. It is estimated that over half of all sea turtles have ingested plastic in their lifetime, which can cause internal blockages that often lead to death. Recycling and using sustainable products goes a long way in helping to persevere the species we have left. Kiley Moore Contributing Writer With permission to print from Unsplash.com With permission to print from Unsplash.com