Longtime Aquarium volunteer likes being 'janitor to the fish'
Don Stark has spent more than 4,100 hours swimming with the fishes. But in his case, the mob isn't covering it up. Instead, the New England Aquarium honored Stark's efforts last Wednesday at its annual Volunteer Appreciation Night.
The event recognizes the aquarium's more than 500 volunteers at a dinner, said Mona Chang, manager of the Volunteer Programs and Internships Office. All who donated at least 500 hours were given a pin, and 67 who like Stark have more than 1,000 hours were invited to a reception. The 54-year-old began his work with the aquarium in 1997 and is now one of the longest-serving volunteers there, said Chang.
Stark describes himself as a "janitor to the fish," with responsibilities that include cleaning windows on the giant tank, scrubbing coral, and wiping down turtles' shells. He also interacts with the public, which the South End resident says he enjoys, especially when children peer into the tank.
Although he sometimes shares water with shark, eels, and rays, Stark says he is never scared. "There is nothing in there I would consider intimidating," he said.
Stark, a marketing consultant for biotech firms, considered becoming a full-time employee, but says he enjoys the flexibility of volunteering. He spends vacations scuba diving off Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos Islands, where he has a second home. When his sons were teens, they and his wife got certified to give the family something unusual to do on vacations. "I mean, you can only do the Freedom Trail so many times," he said.
KIMBERLEY SANFELIZ 