ABOUT FSA R.E.C.S.

Our core values are respect, responsibility, kindness, positive attitude, fairness, integrity, self-control, benevolence, innovation, equality, transparency, rescue, education, conservation, service, volunteer work, teamwork, compassion, patience, and inclusion.  These character traits will be seen in all we do and promote while promoting diversity.  
 

RECS encompasses a broad spectrum of goals and objectives in building our community and world through Rescue, Education, Conservation providing Service through giving hearts and loving hands. 
 

We are committed to these goals:​

• Be law abiding and uphold the law on all issues.

• Be good stewards of all resources.

• Be in the best interest of human welfare.

• Be in the best interest of animal and plant welfare.

• Be in the best interest of environmental welfare.

• Be actively involved in humanitarian efforts with no tolerance for discrimination

• Be humble and vigilant in maintaining public trust

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These values lead us to our Code of Ethics and guide our actions in policy decision making and practices.   

 

RESCUE:  Our purpose in rescue is to build a community where people value life, life of all animals, people and the environment as we provide resources and educational programs with services to eliminate the suffering and killing of people and animals. We promote the humane treatment of animals and people.  We hope to eliminate the suffering of people and animals who have experienced abandonment and neglect and do it through rescue, education and direct service with volunteers.  We support local businesses and other nonprofits who have interest in taking care of the environment, rescuing invasive species, promoting healthy environments (example waterways for manatees and other living organisms) and promote a community of full inclusion and acceptance without any sort of negative discrimination or prejudice.  We go to those organizations and help with their fund raisers and events helping them meet their goals and objectives.  Our vision is to grow where we can do more in these areas as a nonprofit.  ​

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We rescue aquatic life like tropical fish, salt and fresh water, and more.  We also rescue reptiles and many other noninvasive and invasive species. The vision is to also rescue mammals and birds.  

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We work with our local government and other people in the chain of command like FWC following all policies for receiving, caring for and rehabilitating animals.  We promote the growth of plants, saving of bees and butterflies and so much more. We help the homeless, vulnerable with various services involving a food bank, events, raising awareness and more.  

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We also promote the rescue of people, sometimes our most vulnerable like the homeless, troubled youth, those with disabilities and more.  We help people get food, pay bills, fix roofs.  We provide education in the local school systems, different groups who come to us and do it with the mission of total inclusion in mind reaching every student with varying exceptionalities.  We seek to give all people high quality education to increase their living situation, mental health, eating habits, relationships and more.  We do this through classes, partnering with other educational groups and businesses such as The Jericho School for Children with Autism, Operation Barnabas, Duval County, public and private, Schools and more.  We are initially starting in our immediate community and our vision to is expand beyond our county, state and country. 

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We support local businesses and all artists fostering growth in the spectrum of many art mediums working with all abilities through educational classes, hands on events, exhibitions, contests, free classes and more.  We support local businesses and believe in uplifting our community verses looking at other nonprofits or businesses as competition.  We believe in promoting unity.

 

In fact, we have an amazing art club and offer free art classes to the public every Saturday and more!  

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Our vision is to have a club for each type of art, supporting local artists, while offering more specific free educational classes to inspire others, encouraging education, conservation, and the respect for nature and diversity.   For example, we would like to have a poetry art cub, aquascape art club, kid’s RECS club, musical art club and more.

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We believe there is power in supporting all local artists, inspiring up and coming artists, all the while supporting nature and the environment with passion for the appreciation of art being everywhere and in everything!   

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RECS is and will continue to be fully inclusive with the mission to reach the community of the disadvantaged and/or those with special needs, including the deaf and blind.   RECS is determined to continue to provide a creative inclusive environment whereby each participant can explore and experience the world of art in a supportive environment as they grow in their appreciation for the diversity in one another and the vast diversity within path they choose.  STEAM, (science, math, engineering, art, and technology), will and can be incorporated in these lessons which will enhance their educational experience as they grow in their academics and knowledge/understanding of the world around them as they learn about reptiles, fish keeping, invasive and noninvasive species, and so much more.  RECS will inspire critical thinking, problem solving, designing and creativity through the medium of STEAM.  ‘Art is everywhere & is in everything’ is something we recognize, appreciate and promote.  RECS believes art can be found in our social interactions, service to one another, care and conservation of our environment and beyond.  We support artists of all kinds from photography, decorating, culinary, painting, drawing, sculpting, teaching, music, poetry, jewelry, aqua scaping, teaching, public speaking, media, content creators, building, designing and so much more! We want people that we inspire to gain their proverbial ‘wings’, fly and then help other also grow and one day fly too.  

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EDUCATION:  We believe many things suffer because of a lack of education. There are so many services and information out here to help people, but we believe there is a lack of facilitating the access of these services.  We believe there is true power in education to help humans make better, more informed choices to help themselves, the environment, animals and one another.  

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We already work with many stake holders such as local, educators, parents/guardians, policy makers and civic business leaders plus other nonprofits in our community to transform our community into one that supports, appreciates, and helps one another from the smallest of fish to the veteran who served twenty years ago.  We believe that a good education improves the lives of people as it is vital to sustaining democracy and strengthening our community and nation.  We also believe a good education also improves our environment, the lives of animals and the conservation of our planet strengthening our country and world.   

 

CONSERVATION:  We improve the health of our community by educating people about and preserving and restoring all land and water where life is fully dependent upon.  We seek to protect natural areas and open space, protecting rivers and watersheds, and promoting stewardship of our environment and native plants and animals.  We believe there is power in knowledge, understanding and acting on that wisdom for all members in our community to make conservation issues their own interest to act and preserve our environment in our community, nation and world.   Too many sick or invasive fish have and are being thrown into our waterways polluting and destroying our natural ecosystem.  The same can go for reptiles, birds, mammals and more.  We believe in rescue, healing and finding a good home for animals is at the heart of our mission! We also believe the use of some animals provides excellent educational opportunities and even therapy to those in need.  For example, a touch tank or reptile show going to a school, hospital, nursing home etc… can be a valuable service in our community.  Conservation of our nature native species, clean waterways, reducing pollution and so much more are at the heart of our mission and vision.  

 

In a rapidly changing world, our mission is to protect threatened people, animals and our environment through conservation efforts while also educating and building a community of talented, wise and ambitious conservationist.  

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SERVICE:  We provide so many services such as, but not limited to: 

 

• Traveling to the house of a loved one who was recently been deceased to assist with the care of their tanks, reptiles and more.  

• We assist others in educating the community such as when students and professors from the local college, Jacksonville University,  come for training.  

• We provide meals and free art class events to various veteran groups or those with special needs.  We provide free art classes to the community once a week.  

• Our vision is to start a Very Special Arts class specifically geared for those with varying exceptionalities. 

• We take in rescued fish and reptiles who are unwanted, just found, or are sick.  We assist local business in their care and rescue.  We also seek to find them good homes.  

• We provide Art Expos to help promote local artists and small businesses.  

• We rescue invasive species under FWC guidance and use them for educational purposes.  

• We go into local schools and teach students the importance of positive character towards one another, appreciation of education, about the environment and more.  

• We have had numerous groups go to FSA and we offer tours, educational events and experiences.  

• We have a food bank, and have fed over 50 people in one night, Thanksgiving, giving them an environment full of decorated love in which they could enjoy their meal and entertainment for a few hours and more.  We have fed veterans and their families on special occasions as well.  We offer free classes and more fo those in need.

• We are starting to gear up for Project Pangea creating a wall over 30ft long 10ft high full of tactile art with audio descriptions, braille and warning detecting plates underneath for those who are blind and visually impaired to enjoy.  We seek to change it every few months with new and exciting learning opportunities and art.  Example Themes:  5 levels/zones of the oceans, reptiles, invasive verse noninvasive etc….  

• We are also working on tactile bookbags where parents/guardians and schools can came in and experience the aquarium in a hands on manner that may be more suitable for their hands on sensory learning needs.

• We have had events to raise awareness, money or goods to help those in need (example survivors in Hawaii we sent a plethora of beautiful created art, many many pieces, collected toys and spent money on toys for a toy drive and more)

• We work with various organizations to help their students learn job skills, social skills and more.   

• We have worked with organization to help those with special needs with on the job training, employment, internship and more.

• We have worked with Camp Blanding troubled youth ad allow those students to come to work and we promote encouragement, productive positive thinking, positive role models and more to help them see themselves in positive light and future.  ​

• Our vision is one day to have our own huge facilities where we can do all of this and more. We hope to rescue mammals and use some of them to provide therapy to those in need. Example: equine therapy and/or canine therapy.