Florida’s 175 award-winning state parks and trails are now open again and volunteers are being urged to sign up to support them.
“Volunteers add so much to state park operations. Volunteers add their time, skills, knowledge and enthusiasm and allow state parks to provide memorable experiences that visitors expect from America’s best state parks” said Florida State Parks Foundation’s CEO, Julia Gill Woodward.
“Volunteers are welcome now as state parks welcome more visitors,” she said.
All volunteers go through an orientation process and because of COVID-19, they will also receive in-park training on transmission prevention protocols, and proper use of PPE equipment.
Opportunities are diverse, from greeting visitors, conducting tours, and assisting with mowing or equipment maintenance, removing exotic plants, maintaining trails and working safely with staff and visitors, social distancing. There is a special need for volunteers with skills such as carpentry, plumbing and so on, she said.
Many opportunities are available this summer and fall for RVers as Park Residents to aid park maintenance and campground hosts who aid campers, help with campground maintenance and are available for late-night emergencies.
If you are interested, contact your local park and ask for their Volunteer Manager or apply to park opportunities listed online https://volunteers.floridastateparks.org/
The Foundation, founded in 1993 as Friends of Florida State Parks and renamed in 2018, is a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation whose mission is to support and help sustain the Florida Park Service, its 175 award-winning parks and trails, local Friends groups and more than 20,000 park volunteers.
It does this through programs that preserve and protect state parks, educate visitors about the value of state parks, encourage community engagement and active use of state parks, and advocacy.
The volunteer Board of Directors represent private and public sectors as well as local and statewide interests.
About the Author: Foundation Staff
