Florida State Parks Foundation, Live Wildly to Host “Explore the Corridor” Week to Celebrate Volunteering Opportunities in State Parks

Forty state parks within Florida Wildlife Corridor to host volunteer events between Jan. 27 – Feb. 4, 2024

REGISTER HERE TO VOLUNTEER LOCALLY

Did you know that every state park in Florida relies on volunteers? From gardening to removing invasive plants, conducting trail maintenance to picking up litter, a few hours of your time will help our award-winning state parks and give you a chance to explore the beauty of wild Florida.

“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,” said 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.”

Local volunteer opportunities include Grayton Beach, Topsail, and Deer Lake State Parks. Space is limited at each volunteer event, so register today!

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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 help jump-start a movement for its long-term protection.

Live Wildly, and the Florida State Parks Foundation invites 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.