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A Message from Director Eric Draper
As the new Director of Florida State Parks, I am very impressed by the passion and commitment I've witnessed while visiting parks throughout the state. Staff, volunteers and partner organizations are truly focused on our mission of protection, restoration, and interpretation of natural and cultural resources along with providing resource-based recreation. We all walk in the footsteps of others, and each day I remember I am just one of many custodians in a long-history of stewardship. In my role, I will follow the tradition of telling the story about how good stewardship of land, water and wildlife, and providing wonderful experiences, will lead to even greater recognition of and support for state and local parks. Our parks make Florida a great place to live and visit. Join me in telling the story of your favorite park and this wonderful system of special places.
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Resource Management at Work: Reshaping Torreya State Park
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Torreya State Park staff in Liberty County are restoring former logging land back to its original longleaf pine/wiregrass ecosystem. This habitat is one of the richest in North America with great species diversity. Imperiled plants and animals like the Torreya tree, Florida Yew and Fire-Back Crayfish can be found within the park. Restoring these lands to their original state will help safeguard these species survival for generations to come.
Park staff and partners from the Nature Conservancy have completed restoring 280 acres of wiregrass, and are planting longleaf pine seedlings on 300 more acres.
Learn More About Resource Management
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Students Assist in Prescribed Fire
A prescribed fire of more than 800 acres was completed at Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park in Clay County. Park staff teamed up with students from the University of Wisconsin - Stephens Point to complete the fire. Florida State Parks partners with organizations to maintain parks, share valuable knowledge on park management, and improve resource conservation. Stephens Point student's were led by Squad Leader Zach Richards. “This was our 6th year coming down here, it’s great, everyone gets some really valuable experiences out of it,” Richards said. “This was a lot of these students first burn, so it was awesome to see them out there.”
Learn More About Prescribed Fire
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Florida Conservation Corps: Making a Difference
AmeriCorps serves as an incubator for future Florida State Park leaders. This year, the Florida State Parks' AmeriCorps program, Florida Conservation Corps (FLCC) will start its 21st year. The grant agreement to partner in parks supports 65 FLCC AmeriCorps members serving in parks. Their time is focused on exotic plant management, trail accessibility, volunteer recruitment, outreach and interpretation. Last year AmeriCorps members served a collective 100,356 hours towards improving state parks.
Learn More About Florida Conservation Corps
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First Day Hikes a Success
January 1, 2018 marked the most First Day Hikes events in Florida State Parks history. Hikes were hosted at 100 different parks, with nearly 1,500 visitors participating. Department of Environmental Protection Secretary, Noah Valenstein and Florida State Parks Director, Eric Draper attended the event at Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park. Hikers showed up to start their year off on the right foot, in spite of record low temperatures and rain across parts of the state. Thank you to the organizers and participants who made First Day Hikes a success!
Find More Hikes Near You!
Prescribed Fire Awareness Week: January 28 - February 3
Florida State Parks kicked off Prescribed Fire Awareness Week at the annual Red Hills Fire Festival in Tallahassee. Hosted by Tall Timbers Research Station, the festival brought together organizations to inform nearly 1000 members of the community about prescribed fires and how they help protect and restore our natural lands through demonstrations and activities. Florida State Parks' Fire Coordinator Sasha Ernst attended this year's event, saying “With over 300,000 acres of fire dependent communities managed by the Florida Park Service, prescribed fire is the most important and effective resource management tool that we have to restore and maintain healthy ecosystems throughout Florida."
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Did you know?
2016/2017
For Florida State Parks:
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32.2 Million
Visitor Experiences
43,622 Jobs Created
99,604 Acres Actively Restored With:
Prescribed fire
Mechanical treatment
Removal of invasive exotic
Benefits include:
More opportunity for outdoor recreation
Reduced habitat loss
Protection of biodiversity
Our People Resources Include
993 Full Time Employees
83 Nonprofit Partner Groups
14,407 Volunteers
94 Concessions Partners
It's Florida Hiking Trails Month
Tram Tour and Swamp Walk - Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park - Learn More
Guided Nature Walk - John D. MacArthur Beach State Park - Learn More
Walk on Wild Side - Lovers Key State Park - Learn More
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