Press Release courtesy of Fire Island National Seashore

Patchogue, NY – On Sunday, April 30, Fire Island National Seashore honored volunteer Mike Trotta, recipient of the prestigious 2016 George and Helen Hartzog for Outstanding Enduring Volunteer Service. Since 2003, Mr. Trotta has contributed thousands of hours of his time to help enhance Seashore operations and programs.

 

“No matter what he is working on, Mike is always working to make a difference,” said Seashore Superintendent Chris Soller. Mr. Trotta has built desks and lifeguard stands, repaired phone lines and appliances, and guided youth groups in the replacement of fencing and restoration of an historic boathouse. Mr. Trotta also volunteers at the Seashore’s Wilderness Visitor Center with his wife Mary, where they share their passion for the Seashore with visitors from across Long Island and around the globe.

 

Mr. Trotta will join Hartzog Award recipients from around the country on August 1 for a joint National Park Service/National Park Foundation ceremony in Washington, DC. The George and Helen Hartzog Awards for Outstanding Volunteer Service are named for former National Park Service Director George B. Hartzog, Jr. and his wife Helen. Hartzog served as the head of the National Park Service from 1964 to 1972. In 1970, he established the Volunteers-In-Parks Program with 300 volunteers.

 

Since then, more than four and a half million people have donated more than one and a half billion hours of service in national parks. Last year alone, there were 339,662 Volunteers-in-Parks, greeting visitors, building trails, leading programs, conducting research and doing just about any task imaginable.

 

For more information on becoming a National Park Service volunteer, visit www.volunteer.gov or to contact Fire Island National Seashore’s volunteer coordinator at 631-687-4780. Those who contribute 101 hours of service in this, the 101st year of the National Park Service, will earn a special certificate of appreciation.
###

 

About National Park Service

 

More than 20,000 National Park Service employees care for America’s 417 national parks and work with communities across the nation to help preserve local history and create close-to-home recreational opportunities. Visit us at www.nps.gov, on Facebook www.facebook.com/nationalparkservice, Twitter www.twitter.com/natlparkservice, and YouTube www.youtube.com/nationalparkservice.

 

About Fire Island National Seashore 

 

About Fire Island National Seashore. Fire Island National Seashore encompasses 26 miles of ocean and bay shoreline, maritime forests, and residential communities. Fire Island’s dynamic coastal landscape is home to a diversity of plants and wildlife and offers a retreat from nearby metropolitan New York. Please visit us online at www.nps.gov/fiis, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/fireislandnps, on Twitter at www.twitter.com/fireislandnps, and on Instagram at www.instagram.com/fireislandnps.