Volunteer Spotlight: Debra McPherson by Lisa Sitek

Editor’s Note: This article also appears in the STPS 2026 Fall Edition Turtle Times Newsletter (see page 20).

When you step into Debra’s lovely home, it’s quickly apparent that she’s enchanted with Florida wildlife and scenery as shown by her impressive artwork adorning the walls. Her passion for sea turtles and the other creatures here on the Space Coast is inspiring. Since moving to Brevard County with her husband Stephen from Kent Island, Maryland in 1984, Debra has been enthralled with the area’s abundant wildlife. She recalls that back then, sea turtles were not even protected.

Debra became interested in STPS around 2013. In 2016, her then 13-year-old granddaughter Natalie wanted to donate a collage to STPS as part of a community service project to raise awareness about the impact that pollution can have on wildlife and ecology. STPS required that such donations must come from a member, so the whole family attended Turtle Talk 101 and formally became volunteers. Natalie created a beautiful collage of a sea turtle with pieces of trash she’d collected from the beach and skillfully hid them in the picture. She challenged anyone looking at her artwork by saying, “Find seven pieces of trash. If you’re having a hard time finding the trash, imagine how hard it must be for the sea turtles to spot!” The piece was a smashing success. In addition, the story of Natalie and her artwork was featured in the 2017 STPS blog article “Check It Out… Plastics Artwork” by volunteer Jill Lankford.

Thus began a multi-generational tradition of McPherson family-wide participation in STPS activities. Several of Debra’s grandchildren regularly help out at beach cleanups. Other family members have also contributed through the years, donating their time and talent to the Turtle Krawl 5K and other events. Debra has seen the positive impact that volunteering for STPS has made on her grandchildren by helping them gain valuable experience and confidence.

What a win-win situation! Not only does Debra inspire everyone she meets to love and preserve all things wild and wonderful in our area, but she gets to watch her grandchildren grow into responsible, caring young adults who appreciate and understand the need to protect the wildlife and their habitats. The time she’s spent volunteering with her grandchildren has deepened their relationships and given them valuable opportunities to share and bond with each other.

In addition to recruiting her entire family to STPS, Debra has been involved in many STPS programs including Night Walks, Nesting Surveys, Community Events, Educational Outreach, the Sea Turtle Emergency Response Program (STERP), and Turtle Krawl 5K. She’s also supported many STPS volunteer fairs and taken shifts at the Turtle Nest at Port Canaveral. In her role as a Speech Pathologist, Debra uses the STPS education materials for students from kindergarten to 6th grade, and regularly incorporates the subject of sea turtles into her treatment programs to educate her patients.

As a STERP volunteer for the past four years, Debra has spent hours on the beach for multiple days during STERP events looking for baby sea turtles that have washed ashore. While searching for these post-hatchlings, Debra also looks for opportunities to educate anyone on the beach who shows an interest. Last fall during the October STERP event, she met one curious beachgoer. After Debra explained that she was looking for wash-backs, the woman started searching too. Then, just minutes later, the lady came running up saying “I found one! I found one!” Debra was utterly thrilled to share that exciting moment of rescuing the little post-hatchling. Plus, she may have found a potential STPS volunteer in the making!

In her curiosity to know what happens to rescued post-hatchlings after they are transported to Brevard Zoo’s rehab center for treatment, Debra became a volunteer there too! Her enthusiasm for volunteering is boundless. She now tries to spend several hours per week either volunteering with STPS or at the zoo doing “whatever needs to be done,” which might involve picking up trash, walking the beach, cleaning tanks, feeding the animals, or doing dishes at the commissary. She volunteers because she loves it, and to her, this means she cheerfully does whatever is needed.

Debra donates a portion of the proceeds from the sale of her amazing artwork to STPS. Her art is uniquely colorful, textured, and three-dimensional, usually depicting underwater scenes and local birds, fish, and of course, sea turtles. She creates a variety of items from framed pictures to magnets, earrings, and coasters, and sells them at the STPS Turtle House. She ensures that her pieces are affordable and accessible to anyone who might want to contribute to a worthy cause while taking home a beautiful keepsake. See more of Debra’s fabulous art using this link: Debra McPherson’s Art.

At nearly 72 years old, Debra is a working speech therapist and accomplished artist, and still finds time to volunteer for both the STPS and Brevard Zoo. She’s articulate and enthusiastic about the need to appreciate and preserve our ecosystem and the animals who live here and the importance of inspiring the next generation to carry on the work. Debra’s an inspiring example of the immense difference one person can make when she puts her mind to it!