AmeriCorps Florida State Parks is an

AmeriCorps AmeriCorps (officially the Corporation for National and Community Service or CNCS) is an independent agency of the United States government that engages more than five million Americans in service through a variety of stipended volunteer work prog ...

program hosted by

Florida State Parks There are 175 state parks and 9 state trails in the U.S. state of Florida which encompass more than , providing recreational opportunities for both residents and tourists. Almost half of the state parks have an associated local 501(c)(3) non-pr ...

that began operating in 1997. Members earn an allowance and an educational award by performing a minimal of 1700 service hours within the program."AmeriCorps Seeks Stewardship Candidates", ''Fort Myers News-Press'' (August 28, 2004), p. C4. The program has 50 members that is divided into 30 Individual Placement members and two teams of 10 members that serve out of O’Leno (near Gainesville) or Wekiwa Springs (near Orlando) State Park. These members primarily focus on resource management and travel to other parks to provide service. The 30 Individual Placement members serve a specific park and may periodically join up with one or both of the teams for projects. The Individual Placement members are placed in parks throughout the state. The work done by each member differs in accordance with the particular needs of the region or park. However, all of the members engage in some amount of the following activities: *

habitat In ecology, the term habitat summarises the array of resources, physical and biotic factors that are present in an area, such as to support the survival and reproduction of a particular species. A species habitat can be seen as the physical ...

restoration, usually through planting of native vegetation combined with invasive exotic species removal directed at imported trees and vines which displace the local

ecosystem An ecosystem (or ecological system) consists of all the organisms and the physical environment with which they interact. These biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. Energy enters the syste ...

; substantial invasive populations include

Australian pine ''Casuarina'' is a genus of 17 tree species in the family Casuarinaceae, native to Australia, the Indian subcontinent, southeast Asia, islands of the western Pacific Ocean, and eastern Africa. It was once treated as the sole genus in the fam ...

melaleuca ''Melaleuca'' () is a genus of nearly 300 species of plants in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, commonly known as paperbarks, honey-myrtles or tea-trees (although the last name is also applied to species of '' Leptospermum''). They range in size ...

, and

Brazilian pepper ''Schinus terebinthifolia'' is a species of flowering plant in the cashew family, Anacardiaceae, that is native to subtropical and tropical South America. Common names include Brazilian peppertree, aroeira, rose pepper, broadleaved pepper tree, ...

*Building park access facilities such as nature trails, bridges, boardwalks, and fences *Bringing park facilities into ADA compliance by building wheelchair ramps and widening building entranceways *

Prescribed burn A controlled or prescribed burn, also known as hazard reduction burning, backfire, swailing, or a burn-off, is a fire set intentionally for purposes of forest management, farming, prairie restoration or greenhouse gas abatement. A control ...

s designed to simulate small

forest fire A wildfire, forest fire, bushfire, wildland fire or rural fire is an unplanned, uncontrolled and unpredictable fire in an area of Combustibility and flammability, combustible vegetation. Depending on the type of vegetation present, a wildfire ...

s that would occur naturally *Cultural and historical restoration of state historic sites *Environmental education of the local community, through programs conducted within the parks, and through visits to local schools *Cultural and historical education through programs conducted at state historic sites In the charter year of 1997, 50 charter members were recruited and interviewed by the three-member review panels. In the charter year of 1997, the Florida Park Service/AmeriCorps partnership recruited 50 members—10 each to serve in the five existing Florida Park Service districts (I-V). Each district unit was assigned responsibilities and tasks prioritized within their home District, with work assignments varying from combating exotic invasive species to construction of roadside park facilities. In January, 1997, the first 50 joint AmeriCorps/Florida Park Service members trained in residence at O'Leno State Park. Recruits were trained in a number of subjects, from proper tree-felling techniques to wildfire behavior and controlled burning of forests. Other recruits later earned a Florida Department of Agriculture "Restricted Pesticide Applicators--Forest" licenses in order to conduct both invasive plant species and Southern Pine Beetle infestations. In 1998, members were deployed to Bunnell, Florida to help with support activities in response to massive wildfires. Members were also deployed in 1998 to help with disaster recovery after a massive cluster of tornados struck near Orlando, Florida. In conjunction with FEMA, members helped remove debris, rebuild pasture fences, and assist with food distribution to displaced residents.

References

External links

AmeriCorps Florida State Parks website
{{authority control AmeriCorps organizations State parks of Florida 1997 establishments in Florida