Mote thanks longest-serving volunteer after 35 years of support
Dave Bowman has spent the last 35 years volunteering at Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium. During that time, he logged a total of 16,289 hours sharing his passion for the ocean and educating Mote guests from all over the world about Mote’s marine research and conservation efforts.
Now, at age 80, as he relocates his home 60 miles east to Wachula, Fla., he is saying goodbye to his volunteering days at Mote, but not forever.
In December 2015, Bowman was named Volunteer Emeritus, a title given to retired volunteers who still very much believe in Mote’s mission. He plans to be involved as much as he can from his new home. He wants to stay connected to the current volunteers, volunteer for special events and continue sharing Mote’s story with people he meets along the way.
“Mote is an extraordinary place, and although I won’t be able to volunteer regularly anymore, being Volunteer Emeritus is a way for me to stay connected to this organization that holds a very special place in my heart,” said Bowman.
Bowman began volunteering at Mote in October 1980, when the Aquarium first opened to the public. He had recently moved to Sarasota to take care of his parents and needed to find a hobby to fill his free time. He became enthralled with Mote and continued to volunteer through November 2015, making him the longest-serving Mote volunteer in history.
“They are giving me a special 35-year pin at the Volunteer awards banquet in April, and you bet I will wear that thing with pride,” said Bowman who served in several volunteer capacities including Admissions, Setup and Support for the Aquarium Tanks, Day Chair, Speaker’s Bureau, Lab Tour Guide, President of the Volunteer Board, Education Program Development Team, Teacher of the New Volunteer Classes, and many others.
In his 35 years of volunteering at the Aquarium, Bowman has seen Mote grow from a handful of volunteers to a volunteer corps of 1,600. He has also seen the Aquarium become nationally recognized as it was named TripAdvisor’s fifth best Aquarium in the U.S. last year, making it the top Aquarium in the state of Florida.
“Throughout my time at Mote, one thing has stayed the same,” said Bowman. “Something that has impressed me to my very last day is the amount of people who come through those Aquarium doors who come up to me and say that Mote may not be the biggest Aquarium they’ve even been to, but it is the most informative, most educational and most impressive, and that is something you can’t get anywhere else.”
Along with conducting groundbreaking marine research, Mote aims to educate the public about the ocean, the animals that call it home and how everyone can become better stewards of the ocean.
“Conservation begins with education, and people like Dave Bowman bring to life Mote’s mission to inspire ocean literacy in the broader public,” said Dr. Michael P. Crosby, President and CEO of Mote. “As a nonprofit, world-class marine research and education institution, the success of Mote depends on the support of the community and its volunteers. Dave will surely be missed, but we expect to have him remain as engaged as possible for many years to come and we want to thank him for 35 years of incredible support.”
