Spotlight on Karen Strawn

FLCC logo and Karen Strawn
Werner-Boyce Salt Springs State Park

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.

After 1.5 terms at Werner-Boyce Salt Springs State Park, Karen joined the team full time to help manage the park's volunteer efforts.

 

Karen works to remove non-native plants at the park.
Karen works to remove non-native plants at the park.

Karen Strawn served with the Florida Conservation Corps for 1.5 terms at Werner-Boyce Salt Springs State Park from 2017 to 2019. She served a total of 2,600 hours before moving on to become a park ranger and later becoming the park services specialist for the park. While serving as a Project A.N.T. member, she treated many different species of non-native plants either with the use of herbicides or she manually pulled the plants by hand. She created and presented interpretive programs to help park visitors learn about native and non-native plants. She also participated in park workdays and hurricane cleanup activities.

As the park services specialist for Werner-Boyce Salt Springs, she does a little bit of everything. Karen manages the park’s volunteer program, supervises the Florida Conservation Corps Project A.N.T. AmeriCorps members, performs safety inspections, writes monthly and quarterly reports in all areas, monitors wildlife and plants (including imperiled/threatened species), updates/writes prescribed burn prescriptions, as well as participating in all areas of ranger duties. 

One of Karen’s favorite projects she worked on while serving in the FLCC involved removing non-native Peruvian primrose willow (Ludwigia peruviana) from a park canal. The willow had grown so dense that it had covered the entire area of water from one side of the bank to the other. There were no signs of any life due to the deoxygenation of the water from the dense cover.

“Once removed, the waterway was clear, and within a week we spotted fish, alligators, turtles and even the otters in this section of water. On the bank, native plants began to grow back as well,” said Karen.

Learn More

A ranger removed coral ardisia from the garden at Alfred B. Maclay Gardens State Park. The red berries are tell-tale signs of the invasive plant. The pink flowers are azaleas.
Learn

Managing Habitats so Native Plants Thrive

Invasive plants threaten the natural environment. Park rangers, biologists and volunteers work hard to ensure that the natural habitats at our state parks represent the best of Florida. There are four things you can do to help native plants.
Tyler Byrd teaching park visitors about springs protections.
Learn

Celebrating 25 Years with Florida Conservation Corps

2022 marks the 25th anniversary of the partnership between Florida State Parks and the AmeriCorps/Florida Conservation Corps program.
Collage of park rangers.
Learn

Becoming a Park Ranger

Do you enjoy working outside? Do you want your work to make a difference? Are you looking for a professional adventure? Working for Florida’s state parks might just be the right opportunity for you.