Amy Heidrich grew up in Winter Park, Fla., graduated from Winter Park High School and has spent most of her life in Florida, so heat and humidity is nothing new. Neither is getting dirty for a woman who loves to work with plants and now volunteers at Marine Discovery Center on the S.W.A.T. team (Site Work Action Team).
You might see Amy pulling weeds or mowing grass on campus, and chances are good she is covered in dirt and clippings — clothes soaked in sweat. She also likely will flash a giant smile under her big hat as she focuses on the lines of turf she’s mowing at MDC. Whenever she’s MDC’s “Dirty Girl,” Amy is happy. Learn more about Amy in MDC’s Volunteer Spotlight interview with staff writer Lisa D. Mickey:
Did you go to college?
I graduated from Rollins College. Well, before I graduated from Rollins, I went to New Jersey, went to college there for a little bit, and then I went to State University of New York in New Paltz in upstate New York. I followed a guy, but then my sister starting having kids, so I moved back home to Florida and finished my degree in communications. I lost some credit hours for transferring, so it took me about seven years to get a four-year degree in 1987.
What did you do in your career?
My first real job was as a commercial real estate appraiser. I appraised office buildings and warehouses. If you wanted to build a subdivision, I would appraise that land for subdivision. When a road needed to be widened and you have to reimburse people for the land you’re taking, we would go in and do that. So, I was actually a numbers person. I prefer doing spreadsheets.
How long did you do that?
I did that for five years for Pinel & Carpenter in Maitland. And then from there, I was doing a lot of work in commercial net lease realty with CNL Financial Group. At CNL, I was the assistant project manager for building Eckerd drugstores in Florida and in Georgia. I wasn’t a general contractor, an architect or civil engineer, but I coordinated them all. Working for them as a real estate appraiser, I would appraise their Eckerd drug stores — the buildings they would build — in order for them to sell them into their REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust).
You must have traveled a lot for work?
I did have to travel for that job, but mostly overnight. I was in my early 30s and living in Maitland at the time. When I got pregnant, I decided not to go back.
Did you become a full-time mom?
Yes. I dated Michael Heidrich in high school. We didn’t get married until I was around 33, so I was older when I had my daughter, Jordan. There was a definite transition period. At first, it was difficult not getting up and going to work because that made me very motivated. I like to have a purpose. Now, my purpose was to stay at home to take care of a human being. I really got into crafts and cooking everything. She never ate baby food because I made it all from scratch. I took all the energy I had from work and put it into being the best mom that I could be.
Didn’t you also do some work from home while you were rearing your daughter?
While I was a stay-at-home mom, I was able to use my appraisal background to help a company called Small Bay. We would find and buy land and work with a contractor to build. We did that for about 10 years. One of our clients was Publix. We sold a big, air-conditioned warehouse.
When did your love of doing yardwork start?
The yardwork stuff started with me and my dad. This goes back to my childhood when we lived on Lake Osceola. We had this big, huge yard and a riding tractor and by second grade, I was riding that riding tractor, mowing the grass. I’ve always enjoyed being outside and doing yard work is rewarding to me. It’s instant gratification that I can see when I finish.
Were you active in other things as a Florida kid?
I was on the tennis team at Winter Park High School. And when I was in junior high, I was on the volleyball and basketball teams. Our neighbors had a tennis court, so every day — even before school — I was over there playing tennis, as well as after school and during the summer. But I got burned out and by the time high school was done, I was just ready to fly the nest.
How did you end up in New Smyrna Beach?
I’ve been coming to New Smyrna since the 1970s. My best friend’s family had a house in Bethune Beach and we used to go there where it was still a dirt road and there was miniature golf on top of the Wild Side store. Michael and I bought a place at Minorca Condominiums in 2006, and we came over here on the weekends. We did that for seven years until we separated in 2010 and divorced in 2012. He stayed at the beach and I stayed in Maitland until my daughter graduated from high school and left for college.
What happened next?
I bought a couple of acres in Winter Springs in an area called The Ranchlands. I tore down the house that was there and built a house that resembled a farm – just a classic look. That is where I really blossomed with my yard work. I was growing Brussels sprouts, eggplant, butternut squash, any kind of lettuce you can think of and then I got a butterfly garden going. I was also taking care of my dad for the last 20 years of his life. He was two miles down the street and for a while, he would come over and we’d have dinner together. But when my daughter was a senior in high school, his health changed. I just threw all of my emotions into gardening. My daughter went to Florida State, I sold the property in Winter Springs and now she lives in Winter Park and I live here in Minorca, at the same place as her father.
How did you connect with Marine Discovery Center?
My daughter went to camp at Marine Discovery when it was across the street [on the North Causeway]. It was fantastic and that’s when I got to know Chad. I started doing water testing as a volunteer and helped build the oyster mats. I did that until around 2012 and then I took a little time out. I came to the lecture series and then I heard about the SWAT team and got involved in spring 2025. I also started volunteering as a kayak sweep last year.
What does your volunteer schedule look like now?
I mow the MDC campus once a week and I’m going to start doing the campus golf-cart tours. I just love being outside, and it’s volunteer work helping others. It’s not like I love the heat, but I do love the feeling I get when I’m done. Growing up in Florida and playing tennis in Florida in the summertime, I guess maybe I’m just used to it. I’d rather be in the heat than in the snow.
Why do you want to volunteer?
I like volunteering at a place that I know is helping the greater good and it’s rewarding. I started volunteering here in 2006 and have learned so much. I took the Florida Master Naturalist Program Coastal class this past spring, mainly because I’m a very curious person. When I walk on the beach, my head is down the entire time wondering, what is that? What is this? The class helped me so much. And another thing that attracts me to MDC is I’ll never be the smartest person at this place. There’s always going to be something to learn or someone’s always going to have something to teach me. So, I get to keep learning.
You mentioned there is camaraderie among your fellow volunteers.
I’m just meeting the best people volunteering. These are top-shelf people here. I think more people would volunteer if they could just get over that little initial hump of getting their foot in the door. I’ve seen some people gravitate from one area to the next and until they find what they really enjoy doing. Maybe it’s cleaning the plant nursery, weeding the garden, working with the microscope and the oyster program or recording the daily weather [for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration]. I still come to MDC and record the weather every Sunday. Another thing with the volunteers who are here, we’re like-minded people and the conversations can get very interesting. You don’t mind blabbing about the silly facts and statistics that you learn because that person’s probably going to enjoy hearing about it, too.
What do you enjoy most about volunteering with your various duties?
It just makes me happy. I feel really good inside when I’m here and helping the community. I’ve learned the value of the things in the Indian River Lagoon. I didn’t realize that a basketball-size sponge filters some 12,000 gallons of water a day or how much the oysters clean the water or how important all these little tiny organisms are to the seagrass. I was a boater at one time and I didn’t realize how important the seagrass is for animals, for filtration or to provide a habitat. There are so many things the class helped me learn and now I see that I can contribute to make our environment better. That’s a pretty good feeling.
What has been your highlight at MDC?
Mowing the lawn. I’m learning to make those lines in that front yard as straight as I can. I’m really concentrating out there.
You have been around long enough to watch Marine Discovery Center grow. What are your thoughts on that?
I am so impressed with the organization and the flow of the education program – everything from how they take kids out to the lagoon and teach them the different things about the fish and how they’re supposed to treat the fish, to coming to the center and letting them look through the microscope to see plankton. I never had those opportunities when I was young. These kids are being exposed to things and maybe they’ll go home and repeat something they learned so their parents can learn, too. These experiences also teach children how to interact with nature and not be afraid of it.
What do you think would make MDC even better in the future?
To not get too big. Keep it warm and personal. I like that people can come to MDC and learn, find the things they want to do and get involved.
Volunteers like you allow MDC to do what we do here. Do you feel that?
That’s why I do the mowing — just to help out while staff does other things. If I can contribute three hours a week, that allows them to do three hours of something else that I’m not able to do.
What hobbies do you have in your free time?
I walk the beach every day. And I do other volunteer stuff. This year, I helped with the Turtle Watch program at Canaveral National Seashore each Friday in June and July. I walked Apollo Beach at Canaveral National Seashore looking for sea turtles on the nights they ran the programs. This was the first year they did it this way because in previous years, they used ATVs. This year, two volunteers walked out from each of the five parking lots a quarter mile either way. We just walked back and forth with a walkie-talkie and when we found a loggerhead, we would call the rangers and tell them and they would bring people out to the beach to see them.
Do you volunteer anywhere else?
My girlfriend is a director at the German Club in Central Florida, so I go over to Casselberry to help. I can’t speak German, but I can serve beer! They have a Beer Garden Friday each month. I also have volunteered with Oceans of Hope. I help with kayak and surfing events. These are fantastic opportunities for people with disabilities to enjoy an outdoor experience on the water. Because of volunteering with the surfing events, it helped me overcome my fear of water, so I started taking surfing lessons! I also am a true-crime volunteer moderator for YouTube video. They have live trials and I monitor the chat. I do the research on who the lawyers are, who the judge is, who the witnesses are, what crime occurred, if the person’s out on bail, and how much was the bail?
How in the world did you get into true-crime videos?
When I was watching the Johnny Depp trial on YouTube, it was so interesting. People made comments and I got involved in some of those chat groups. That was four years ago and I’ve stayed involved with this whole big community. I monitor the online chats and make sure there’s no bad language, that they stay on topic, and that we don’t discuss politics or religion. It’s all volunteer with seven moderators.
In addition to volunteering, why did you join MDC’s Dolphin society?
I just think that’s where you’re supposed to put your money. It makes me feel really good. I always wanted a big family, so I get to choose this family and these people are pretty cool. I see little kids here and they’re learning, and I see where the benefits are and how everybody’s contributing. The staff at MDC could make more money somewhere else with their education level and intelligence, but they choose to be here for the greater good and I completely believe in that.
You have invested in many ways — with sweat equity and with resources through the Dolphin Society, which trickles down to all the programs. That has to be rewarding.
Yes, it is. I can’t say it’s just me giving. It’s coming back to me. Volunteering makes me feel just as good as the part of giving and somebody receiving it. So, it goes both ways.
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