Each year, we sponsor the SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment Outstanding Environmental Educator of the Year award. This award recognizes and rewards an exceptional educator who is working at the grassroots level to protect and preserve the environment.

Currently, I help supervise the Animal Ambassador Team (AAT) at SeaWorld Orlando. This is an area of the training department that many of you may not realize exists, but you’ve probably seen in action. You may have interacted with the animals at the SeaGarden, attend a school where we’ve made an educational visit, or seen animals on one of our many appearances on TV.

The pilot whale is a high-flying member of the dolphin family and can be seen making audiences smile during the spectacular “Blue Horizons” show at SeaWorld San Diego, alongside Atlantic bottlenose dolphins.

In the last 100 years, the African Painted Dog population has dropped a whopping 99% - down to just 3000 remaining dogs – making them one of the rarest species in all of Africa. These precious pups are often the victims of poaching, killings by farmers and run-ins with automobile traffic. But one organization has vowed to come to the aid of these defenseless dogs. The Painted Dog Conservation Program (PDCP) is focusing on research, education and community development in order to save them.

With the last month of summer upon us, many people take to the waterways for boating and fishing. And in Florida, no matter what time of year it is boaters are out as long as the weather is nice. Always remember to obey "no wake" zones and always discard your fishing line properly. There are bins that are located on boat ramps, fishing piers, bridges and beach access areas throughout Florida.

SeaWorld Orlando team members spent a hot July day with The Nature Conservancy at Mosquito River Lagoon in Merritt Island, Florida. They worked hard to create a quilt of oyster mats in knee deep water designed to re-establish damaged oyster beds.

Did you know that even our feathered family members contribute to conservation? The feathers some of our birds naturally shed, or molt, are donated each month to the Feather Distribution Project. This worthwhile organization redistributes donated plumes to Native American tribes in an effort to prevent the illegal smuggling and plucking of endangered birds.