Spotlight on Heather Goston

The FLCC anniversary logo and Heather Goston.
San Felasco Hammock Preserve State ParkDevil's Millhopper Geological State ParkPaynes Prairie Preserve State ParkPumpkin Hill Creek Preserve State ParkKissimmee Prairie Preserve State ParkPrice's Scrub State ParkGainesville-Hawthorne State Trail

In 2022, we celebrate 25 successful years of a partnership with the Florida Conservation Corps. Part of that celebration includes highlighting members who continued their careers by joining the Florida State Parks team.

For Heather, three terms with AmeriCorps prepared her for a career managing public lands and fostering a love of natural places. Today, she is park manager at San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park and Devil’s Millhopper Geological State Park.

Heather served her first term with AmeriCorps in 2010. She was part of a traveling trail crew working on various projects in Alaska’s state and national parks and working on safety and accessibility concerns with the state’s Department of Transportation

In 2011, she traveled cross country to begin a term with Florida State Parks and Osceola National Forest as a volunteer and outreach coordinator. For seven months in 2012, she served at Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park working to remove non-native plants.

Overall, she served 3,779 hours over three terms. Her experiences in the program helped her garner skills and knowledge to join the Florida State Parks team as an administrator in the AmeriCorps program. From there, she became an assistant park manager at Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park.

“Having started my career with the Florida Park Service as an AmeriCorps member, and then being hired into the administrative support team for the program, I was fortunate to see many members come through the program and flourish over the years,” said Heather.

Heather Goston (wearing blue) poses with a team using chainsaws to remove non-native trees at Pumpkin Hill Creek Preserve State Park near Jacksonville.

Heather Goston (wearing blue on the left) poses with a team using chainsaws to remove non-native trees at Pumpkin Hill Creek Preserve State Park near Jacksonville.

“Of all those projects, however, one of my favorite memories is of the first official strike team project, hosted by Alex Creager at Kissimmee Prairie Preserve State Park, back in 2012. The project was hardwood removal for habitat restoration for the endangered Florida grasshopper sparrow. It was a great event, and it is only enhanced by knowing that a good friend and fellow member was promoted to managing that very park.”

As the assistant park manager at Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, she ran the field operations of three units - Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, Price's Scrub State Park, and Gainesville-to-Hawthorne State Trail – plus fostering a productive relationship with the park’s citizen support organization, Friends of Paynes Prairie.

As the new manager at San Felasco Hammock State Park and Devil’s Millhopper Geological State Parks in Gainesville, we’ll be watching as she applies her leadership skills and passions to these two parks.

Heather Goston standing behind a podium, speaking to a group of assistant park managers and park managers.
Heather Goston speaking to a group of assistant park managers and park managers.

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