Forty state parks within Florida Wildlife Corridor to host volunteer events between Jan. 27 – Feb. 4, 2024
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA, UNITED STATES, January 4, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ — The Florida State Parks Foundation and Live Wildly today announced “Explore the Corridor Week,” a statewide public volunteering drive to be held at 40 of Florida’s award-winning state parks between Jan. 27 and Feb. 4, 2024.
Each park falls within the footprint of the Florida Wildlife Corridor.
“There may be no better way to celebrate the beginning of the year than to volunteer at your favorite state park,” said Julia Gill Woodward, CEO of the Florida State Parks Foundation. “‘Explore the Corridor Week’ offers great opportunities to spend more time in nature, meet new people and fellow parks enthusiasts, and make positive contributions to your local community.”
The 40 state parks included in “Explore the Corridor Week” span from the Florida Panhandle to Martin County in South Florida, and each event will feature one or more elements of park maintenance, beautification or resource management.
Example volunteer projects may include invasive plant removal, structure repair and restoration, litter removal, trail upkeep and wildlife data observation.
“We want everyone to experience the Florida Wildlife Corridor for themselves, and a visit to one of the beautiful state parks within the corridor is the best way to do that,” Live Wildly CEO Lisa Shipley said. “Beyond visiting, we hope people choose to volunteer at one of the many events organized by the parks. These opportunities provide us all a chance to give back to nature.”
The award-winning Florida State Parks system consists of 175 state parks, trails and historic sites supported by more than 10,000 volunteers who contribute more than 1 million hours of service each year.
Individuals, families, students, companies and community groups are all invited to volunteer.
“Volunteers are critical to our mission, and we appreciate every last one of them,” Florida State Parks director Chuck Hatcher. “‘Explore the Corridor Week’ is a great introduction for new volunteers, and we look forward to welcoming both new and returning volunteers throughout the week.”
###
The Florida State Parks 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 represents private and public sectors as well as local and statewide interests. This project is being completed through the Florida State Parks Foundation Services LLC, which is a limited liability company affiliate of the Foundation.
Live Wildly is a public visibility campaign to raise awareness of the Florida Wildlife Corridor; educate citizens on its value and importance to the state’s economy, ecology and overall way of life; and, to help jump-start a movement for its long-term protection.
Live Wildly and the Florida State Parks Foundation invite individuals, artists, corporations, and organizations who share their vision to join this transformative partnership and support the critical work being done to safeguard and protect wild Florida.
Tim Linafelt
Florida State Parks Foundation
+1 850-559-8914
email us here
