Staff Spotlight, Peter Jensen
Park Ranger, Peter Jensen
Hontoon Island State Park
Park Ranger Peter Jensen joined the Hontoon Island State Park team in the summer of 2020 after previously working as a park ranger at Blue Spring State Park. He is a DeLand, Florida, native who grew up paddling, fishing and hiking this area.
Peter majored in environmental science during college and wanted to put his degree to use in managing and protecting land while also improving visitor experiences in a natural setting. Peter grew up with a family who enjoyed the outdoors and camped regularly, which provided many opportunities to spend time in nature.
As a park ranger, Peter enjoys working outdoors and providing visitors with the opportunity to enoy nature. Some of his favorite aspects of working as a ranger include working in the woods, prescribed fire, trail maintenance and chainsaw duties. He describes Hontoon Island as a great park with a secluded atmosphere, offering unique opportunities for visitors and campers to get away from urban areas and enjoy hiking, fishing and picnicking.
Peter’s must-see or must-do activities for guests at Hontoon Island include touring the visitor center with its exhibits and information about the history of the island and its original inhabitants. He also recommends walking the Hammock Hiking Trail to an ancient shell midden and enjoying a picnic under a massive live oak tree at Bear Tree Landing.
When asked what he enjoys most about the outdoors, Peter says it’s the tranquility and peace he finds in nature as well as experiencing Florida the way it was many years ago.