Staff Spotlight, Janice Wichterman
Jan says that working for Florida State Parks is the best job she's ever had.
Jan started her career with Florida State Parks 2005 as a park ranger at Hontoon Island State Park and Blue Spring State Park. She soon moved to DeLeon Springs State Park, where she was a ranger for 10 years. Jan loved being the roving ranger at DeLeon Springs – this role let her interact with the public using artifacts. She enjoyed talking with visitors about local wildlife. In 2016, she was promoted to park services specialist at Lake Griffin State Park. There she took lead as the park’s volunteer coordinator, interpretive program specialist and community outreach coordinator.
At Lake Griffin, Jan enjoys giving programs on the pontoon boat tour, leading guided hikes and providing a variety of programs in the cooler months. In the spring, she organizes the Kid’s Fishing Clinic, which provides local children an introduction to fishing, fishing ethics, knot-tying and more. The program uses free fishing poles and tackle boxes donated by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Even after retirement, Jan says, she plans on volunteering for the park system. As she says, “Once the park ranger is a part of you, it will never go away!”
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