NEW WEB PORTAL SHOWCASES NOAA VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Site Launches in Support of Earth Day and National Volunteer Month

April 27, 2007 — Volunteers play an integral role in supporting the environmental stewardship conducted every day by NOAA. Anyone wishing to join the variety of volunteer opportunities can now acquire a greater understanding of, and pursue, the available NOAA volunteer opportunities through the Web portal www.volunteer.noaa.gov. (Click NOAA image for larger view of Volunteer@NOAA Web portal. Please credit “NOAA.”)

“Volunteers across the nation provide vital support to NOAA as we strive to understand, protect and educate others about our oceans and atmosphere,” said retired Navy Vice Adm. Conrad C. Lautenbacher, Ph.D., undersecretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and NOAA administrator. “I commend all volunteers for dedicating their time and expertise.”

This new Web portal provides a collective presentation of NOAA volunteer opportunities across the United States that are available within three of NOAA’s primary offices:

• NOAA Fisheries Service: engage in NOAA’s management of living marine resources through conservation and the promotion of healthy ecosystems;
• NOAA Ocean Service: delve into the nation’s sanctuaries and estuaries to support NOAA’s pursuit to observe, understand and manage the nation's coastal and marine resources, and;
• NOAA National Weather Service: trained storm spotters and long-term observers support NOAA’s mission of climate monitoring and protecting life and property through accurate forecasts and warnings.

“Volunteers in these research, observation and educational roles benefit science, our citizens and our planet,” added Lautenbacher.

NOAA, an agency of the U.S. Commerce Department, is celebrating 200 years of science and service to the nation. From the establishment of the Survey of the Coast in 1807 by Thomas Jefferson to the formation of the Weather Bureau and the Commission of Fish and Fisheries in the 1870s, much of America's scientific heritage is rooted in NOAA. NOAA is dedicated to enhancing economic security and national safety through the prediction and research of weather and climate-related events and information service delivery for transportation, and by providing environmental stewardship of the nation's coastal and marine resources. Through the emerging Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS), NOAA is working with its federal partners, more than 60 countries and the European Commission to develop a global monitoring network that is as integrated as the planet it observes, predicts and protects.

Relevant Web Sites
Volunteer@NOAA

Media Contact:
Chris Vaccaro, NOAA, (202) 482-0702