Samantha Spooner, Environmental Specialist
Before making her home in Florida, Samantha Spooner fell in love with the park system in North Carolina where she worked a summer internship as an assistant park ranger. Sam made her way to Cayo Costa State Park after graduating from Methodist University with a degree in environmental science.
In her free time, Sam enjoys paddleboarding, surfing and spending time outdoors. She is a self-proclaimed “water bug” who loves the sun and everything under it, so she jumped at the opportunity to work on an island park accessible only by boat.
Initially hired as a park ranger, Sam took on a variety of natural resource management tasks to help preserve the natural communities of the park. When an environmental specialist position became available on the island, she leaped at the chance to better serve Cayo Costa and its neighboring string of beach parks. She proudly handles all natural resource management aspects of the park while also teaching visitors of the gem that is Cayo Costa.
You can often find Sam out in the field treating nonnative and invasive plants or on the beach monitoring sea turtles and shorebirds. Samantha loves having the opportunity to share her passion for the environment with visitors and staff. She encourages others to ask questions and to explore the natural world around them.
