“Stephen Patten: A Lifetime of Service and Sanctuary Stewardship”

Stephen Patten: A Lifetime of Service and Sanctuary Stewardship

Stephen Patten is two-timing us—in a good way.  The 68-year-old retiree, whose first name is pronounced Stef-an, has been named Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary Volunteer of the Year for a second time, reprising the honor he first earned in 2019. “I guess I’m on a roll every five years,” Patten quipped, “so I have 2029 to look forward to.”  By that time, Patten will have multiplied the 1,000 volunteer hours he’s logged as a docent at the Florida Keys Eco-Discovery Center, not to mention his time serving as a member of the Sanctuary Advisory Council.

“Stephen is an authority on the environmental history and communities of the Keys,” said Eco-Discovery Center manager Kristina Agard, “and does a wonderful job introducing visitors to not only the Eco-Discovery Center, but to the environment around it as well. Stephen ensures everyone walks away with a deeper understanding of our delicate ecosystems and how we can all help to preserve them.”

You could say that Patten labored for half a century to get here. In the early 1970s, he enrolled at Oregon State University to pursue a career as a park ranger, but a dearth of jobs at the time forced him into the military. He became an Army medic on the way to a nursing career that made him a leader in the liver transplant movement as president of the National Association of Clinical Nurse Specialists. “All of us are born with responsibility before we get privileges,” Patten said, “and it’s a responsibility of every individual to find where they can make a difference in society and do it.  It’s one of the reasons I was a nurse for 40 years, and the reason I’m volunteering and trying to give back to the environment I love so much.”

Patten is in his third term on the Sanctuary Advisory Council, serving as the primary Lower Keys Citizen at Large.  A scuba diver since 1972, you can also find him in the water on occasion, enjoying the coral reefs and generating first-hand knowledge for his tours at the Eco-Discovery Center. “As volunteer coordinator, I love when I can match a volunteer with the right opportunity for them to feel like they are making a difference—giving back to their community, and having fun at the same time,” said the sanctuary’s Liz Trueblood. “Our volunteers allow us to reach more people with the important message of protecting the unique ecosystems in the Keys.”

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