I moved to Florida in 2017 and soon joined the Venice Area Audubon Society (VAAS). That’s when my birding took off! Today, I lead birding tours for VAAS, Lemon Bay Conservancy, Peace River Audubon Society and the Venice Area Birding Association. My love for animals also led me to volunteer for Save Our Seabirds in Sarasota. There I spent most of my time in the baby bird room; raising them for release. When I moved from Venice to Englewood, I switched from SOS to the Venice Wildlife Center. First volunteering in their baby bird room and now going on wildlife rescues.
Dawn Rothenhoefer
Community
Outreach
Coordinator
My love for the water began in
childhood during summers spent
on Kent Island, Maryland,
visiting my grandparents in
Grasonville. That early connection
to the Chesapeake Bay sparked a
lifelong passion for aquatic
adventures.
I’ve been a competitive swimmer
since the age of six and continued
that spirit of competition
into adulthood, participating in
numerous Dewey Beach triathlons.
Originally from Baltimore, I
later moved to Middletown, MD,
where my husband and I raised
our two daughters.
For over two decades, I owned
and operated a lapidary business
specializing in antique jewelry
repair. Alongside my business
career, I stayed deeply connected
to team sports, coaching high
school field hockey and lacrosse
for 10 years, and officiating both
sports, a role I continued even
after relocating to Florida.
In 2013, we moved to Englewood,
and I quickly fell in love with the
local wildlife and the
tranquil beauty of stand-up
paddleboarding. Within weeks, I
bought my first SUP and never
looked back. A kayak tour of Don
Pedro Island soon after our arrival
inspired a new path:
sharing this stunning natural
environment with others as a
guide.
I completed the Florida Master
Naturalist Program and earned my
WPA and Level 3 PaddleFit
CERTIFICATIONS
