Miss Queen of the Coast Volunteers



Amanda Hatcher

At the end of April, the volunteer office received a volunteer request from Amanda Hatcher.  As she pursues her dream of becoming Miss Florida and Miss America, she decided to experience the Everglades through volunteerism.

"I am so honored to have had the opportunity to be an Everglades volunteer while representing the Miss America Organization as Miss Queen of the Coast 2013,” explains Ms. Hatcher. “I will never forget sailing out on White Water Bay with Hydrologist, Steven Tennis, studying the properties of water and its maintenance. We took samples, flow measurements, and monitored the quality and quantity of both surface and ground water.”



Working with Steve Tennis



Accompanying Mr. Tennis and Ms. Hatcher were park archeologist Paul O’Dell and the April Artist-in-Residence volunteer, Alice Raymond.  Mr. O’Dell provided information on archeological sites and the background of his position.  Ms. Raymond shared the philosophy of the artist-in-residence program, which completed Ms. Hatcher’s well rounded experience about Everglades National Park.



Next to a Brown Pelican

"I have always heard great things about the Everglades but never fully understood its true beauty until I had the chance to experience it for myself,” said Ms. Hatcher. “My involvement at the Park has forever changed my outlook and inspired me to spend more time preserving such beauty for generations to come.”

Since volunteering, Ms. Hatcher had the opportunity to discuss her experiences at the park during the 2013-2014 Miss Florida Orientation. She also wants to  discuss her volunteering experience with the Miss Florida judges and possibly on stage at the Miss Florida Pageant.



Miss Queen of the Coast

 “As a local titleholder and ultimately Miss Florida and Miss America, I will continue to promote and expand my involvement with Everglades National Park as an advocate and spokesperson. If you have not already visited the Everglades I would absolutely recommend it for anyone. It is truly a life changing experience."