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FWC employees have some of the most interesting jobs ever! Here are some of our employees doing what they do best. Send your photos of FWC employees in the office and in the field to Kelly.Broderick@MyFWC.com.
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 AHRES Biologist Rodney Hudson, IPM Biologists Brittany Lay and Kristen Peterson, and Myakka River State Park staff survey Lower Lake and floodplain areas of Myakka River after vegetation management.
 Lt. Ben Hankinson (not pictured), Officers Ashley Peters, George Spirito and Jarred Stiltner, Staff Assistant Tracy Peluso, Public Information Coordinator Arielle Callender, and “Ally-Gator” attended the City of Palm Beach Gardens Public Safety Day with other local police and fire personnel.
 Biologist Miguel Silva and Public Information Officer Tyson Matthews assist two young hunters at the check station during a youth waterfowl hunt at STA-1W.
 FYCCN Regional Coordinator Beau Yeiser met with staff at the Environmental Learning Center in Vero Beach, an FYCCN partner, to drop off red-cockaded woodpecker kits for use in educational programming.
 Lt. Lindsay McDonald and Officer Shelby Sellers participated in an outreach event with the very first all-female Nautical Troop of the Boy Scouts of America. These impressive young women of Nautical Troop 33 are on the path to becoming Eagle Scouts. Lt. McDonald and Officer Sellers took an airboat out to the camp and spent a few hours with the troop of girls ranging in ages around 15 to 17.
 Group of preschool children: Public Information Officer Tyson Matthews brought a ball python and young alligator to visit with an enthusiastic group of preschoolers about FWC officers and what they do in the community.
 Last month, the Florida Conservation and Technology Center hosted their second annual Run for the Manatees. A total of 350 runners came out to support FYCCN partner Tampa Bay Watch’s seagrass conservation efforts including another 16 runners from around the world who participated virtually. FYCCN’s director of the Suncoast Youth Conservation Center, Candice Wade, joined staff and volunteers to cheer on the runners, including one of our own - FWC biologist, James Lingle. Great run James!
 In December, Longleaf Alliance and HSC’s Wildlife Habitat Management staff mechanically removed overgrown titi from wetlands on Escribano Point WMA. FWC volunteers gathered the freshly cut logs and branches into designated piles. FWC staff appreciated the hard work of our volunteers from Eglin Air Force Base and Escambia County.
 The FWC's dive members with specialized training in Surface Supply Diving were conducting searches in areas affected by hurricanes to locate and assess any vessels that might have been dislodged or damaged so that they could be identified for removal. Regional Commander Maj. Rowe tasked the mission to Lt. Stuart Spoede, FWC's South Region surface supply team leader, to work with local authorities to identify and assist in documenting any derelict vessels that are identified.
 FWC Southwest Region is pleased to announce another successful Gasparilla celebration by implementing safe boating and boating under the influence measures. FWC officers conducted extensive patrols and inspections on the waterways surrounding the Gasparilla celebration. The efforts aimed to ensure the safety of all boaters and the general public. FWC and its partner agencies conducted more than 275 boat stops throughout the celebration and made 12 BUI arrests. These efforts helped prevent tragic boating accidents and ensured the celebration was enjoyed safely by all in attendance.
 The SW region held a media ride-along to observe the Southwest dive team's search for derelict vessels in Charlotte County. The event was well attended by local media representatives, who had the opportunity to witness the dive team in action.
The FWC dive team conducted underwater surveys to locate, identify and mark derelict vessels. The media was able to observe the process and learn about the efforts of the FWC to remove these vessels from Florida waters. The ride-along provided a unique insight into the work of the FWC and the challenges faced in removing derelict vessels from the state's waterways.
Hailee Seely, the Southwest Regional Public Information Director, recently presented at the University of Florida on communications in a conservation agency.
Seely shared her experiences and insights on what it is like to be in charge of communications for an organization dedicated to conserving Florida's wildlife and habitats. She spoke to students and faculty about the challenges and rewards of working in conservation communications, highlighting the vital role that effective communications play in achieving the agency's mission.
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 Southwest Division of Law Enforcement, led by regional Commander Maj. Rob Rowe, participated in the ceremonial "flip the switch" at the opening of the 2023 Florida State Fair. This exciting event will kick off the annual event and mark the start of a new era of Florida's State Fair.
During the ceremony, FWC leadership was joined by other state leaders in an inspiring moment of unity and celebration.
The 2023 Florida State Fair is Feb. 9-20 in the greater Tampa Bay area. This year's event features rides, attractions, musical entertainment and plenty of delightful food. All attendees can look forward to an exciting yet safe experience.
 Southwest officers working with NOAA were advised a vessel had launched from a local marina to go offshore fishing. The vessel had allegedly been fishing offshore and keeping large quantities of fish in a hidden compartment. Lt. Bibeau, K-9 Officers Wilkins and Wolff, Officer Lamoureux and NOAA Officer Bibler met near the marina the next day to wait for the vessel's return. The officers conducted a fisheries inspection as the vessel returned to the marina. With help from K-9s Havoc and Duke, the officers located a hidden compartment in the vessel's bow. After the inspection, the officers found the crew to have 36 out-of-season red snapper, 20 of which were undersized, two out-of-season and undersized greater amberjack, over-the-bag-limit of red grouper, undersized red grouper and three undersized yellowtail snapper. The vessel's operator was issued six misdemeanor citations and physically arrested for the fisheries violations.
 Recently, the Suncoast Youth Conservation Center had an awesome demonstration of why it is so important to have Yatska Valentin as part of our team. A family that visited the center was able to have a snake encounter fully in Spanish and the kids had a great educational moment that we normally would be unable to provide. Yatska facilitated this interaction as a Spanish-speaking educator and is part of a growing and dynamic team at the Suncoast Youth Conservation Center working to deliver more programming at the center and in the communities. Yatska came to us with years of experience as a state park ranger and through the generous support of the Turner Foundation and the Jane Smith Turner Foundation.
  FWC’s K-9 teams conducted their annual K-9 detection and tracking certifications recently in Ocala at the Youth Camp on Lake Eaton. There, the K-9s and their law enforcement handlers conducted several exercises in resource/wildlife detection, evidence recovery, article searches and man tracking to further sharpen their skillset when patrolling our state. These K-9s are highly skilled, have high energy and drive, and best of all, are all very user friendly. They are a great asset to our LE team and partners. A special congratulations goes to Officer Ryan Livingston and his K-9, Molly, for winning the 2023 K-9 Challenge!
 
 Southwest Region’s Fort Myers Area Senior Capt. Guy Carpenter isn’t afraid of getting dirty. With an estimated 900+ displaced vessels in the area from Hurricane Ian, Capt. Carpenter leads by example by getting in the water to tag vessels. So far, through the monumental efforts of our local officers and teams of deployments from around the state, nearly 600 of those vessels have been removed. Officers and our partners continue to work diligently each day to remove the remaining boats and restore the Southwest Region to the beautiful condition it was in just months before.
 Southwest’s Officer Blyar and Senior Officer Ridgway were on water patrol near the Venice Inlet in Sarasota County when they stopped a vessel for a resource inspection. During the inspection, the officers found five out-of-season greater amberjack. Of the five, four were under the legal size limit. The operator was also found to be in possession of one out-of-season red snapper. The operator of the vessel was charged appropriately.
 Southwest Region’s Lt. Jason Dalton was working extra-duty employment at a church in Manatee County when he noticed a disturbance outside. As he began to investigate, he found that a vehicle had just driven into a retention pond in the church’s parking lot and the 80-year-old driver was still inside. Lt. Dalton quickly notified dispatch and entered the water. He swam approximately 20 yards to the vehicle and checked on the driver. The driver said she was unable to get out of the vehicle and that she couldn’t swim. Due to the amount of water coming into the vehicle and the depth of the pond, Lt. Dalton decided the driver had to be removed from the vehicle. After unsuccessful attempts at opening any of the driver side doors, he was able to open a passenger side door and extract the driver. After a brief rescue swim, both Lt. Dalton and the driver were able to walk ashore. The vehicle sank shortly after the driver was rescued. The driver was evaluated by EMS and released without injury.
 HSC staff participate in the Physical Abilities Test conducted at Crooked Lake WEA on Jan. 17.
 
Wildlife Technician Kyle Hoskins prepares to brief HSC-WHM and Florida Forest Service staff before beginning his certification burn on Crooked Lake WEA. The certification burn is one of the requirements for becoming a certified prescribed burn manager.
 Chassahowitzka WMA staff share information with visitors of the Manatee Festival at Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge. Above, Melisa Thompson and Teri Waugh. Below, Stephen Towery.
 Southwest Officer Specialist Robert Rivard was recognized by a community member for his exceptional customer service. The individual had encountered Officer Rivard while dealing with his vessel registration and was thoroughly impressed by his professionalism, knowledge and willingness to go above and beyond to assist him. He was having trouble with the vessel identification number. He needed clarification about the correct steps to take to resolve the issue. Officer Rivard took the time to listen to his concerns, explain the process in detail and guide him through the necessary steps to resolve the issue. His thorough explanation and patient demeanor put the individual at ease, and he felt confident that the problem was solved.
Not only did Officer Rivard resolve the issue, but he also provided additional information and resources on vessel safety and boating regulations. He went the extra mile to ensure he had all the information needed to operate their vessel safely and legally.
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