Volunteers “SERV” Seminole County
The Seminole Education, Restoration, and Volunteer (SERV) Program engages the community in restoration
activities that help to protect our precious aquatic resources, and in educational outreach to
promote watershed awareness. The SERV Program is part of Seminole County Public Works, in the
Watershed Management Division, and works closely with the county’s Lake Management Program
(LMP). SERV volunteers make a significant contribution to the preservation of Seminole County waterways,
and all volunteer activities are quantified and included as part of Seminole County’s compliance
with the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System/Total Maximum Daily Loads
(NPDES/TMDL) regulatory requirements. Since the program was initiated in 2010, over 10,000 wonderful
volunteers have contributed over 32,000 hours of their time to SERV activities!
Volunteers with the SERV Program have the opportunity to participate in a variety of restoration activities.
The largest SERV events are waterway restoration projects, in which volunteers can help
plant native vegetation along the shores of lakes and ponds. SERV and LMP staff teach participants
about the benefits of aquatic plants, and guide volunteers in the planting. These events are open to the
public, and are concentrated in the spring and fall.
The SERV Program also offers invasive species removal activities, litter clean-ups, and stormdrain
marking throughout the year, which can be scheduled as group-tailored events. Invasive removal
events focus on aquatic weeds or island apple snails, and volunteers are educated about the importance
of biodiversity. Litter clean-up events involve the removal of litter/trash from roadways,
shorelines of waterways, or directly from rivers and creeks. These events involve a discussion with
volunteers about pointless personal pollution. Stormdrain marking offers volunteers a chance to both
educate the public and do an active outdoor project; volunteers glue educational plaques (“no dumping,
drains to lake” or “no dumping, drains to river”) above the stormdrain inlets and distribute informative
doorhanger brochures.
This program is open to all individuals and groups interested in helping to preserve and protect their
watershed and local environment. Many local groups have helped to achieve SERV restoration goals,
including universities and colleges (University of Central Florida, Seminole State College, Valencia
College), Seminole County Public Schools and private schools, community groups such as Rotary
Club, Optimist Club, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, church groups, groups from environmentally focused
organizations such as Keep Seminole Beautiful and the Central Florida Association of Environmental
Professionals, as well as individuals and families.
Anyone interested in participating in the SERV Program can contact the SERV Coordinator by email
(serv@seminolecountyfl.gov), phone (407-665-2457), or post (200 W. County Home Rd., Sanford,
FL 32773). No membership is required, and SERV activities are always free to the public. To read
about upcoming SERV events and see activity photos, individuals can visit the web
(www.seminolecountyfl.gov/serv), Facebook (www.facebook.com/SERVProgram), Twitter
(www.twitter.com/SERVProgram), and LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com under SERV Program), or request
to be added to the SERV e-list for quarterly newsletters. SERV further utilizes these outlets to
connect volunteers to the Seminole County Adopt-A-Road and Adopt-A-River Programs, as well as
the LAKEWATCH Program (for lakeshore residents interested in monitoring water quality).