Staff Spotlight, Jesse Schmidt
Park Services Specialist, Jesse Schmidt
Bulow Plantation Ruins Historic State Park
Jesse started his outdoor career working part time for the Wekiwa Springs State Park concessionaire renting canoes and kayaks plus performing maintenance as needed. It was then he realized environmental protection was a calling for him.
Through hard work and dedication, he slowly worked his way up the ranks from weekend ranger to resident park ranger in 2006. Jesse would find his true calling a year later in 2007 when he joined the district burn team. He would eventually go on to lead the team for the 2011 - 2014 fire seasons.
During his service on the burn team, he worked on hundreds of prescribed fires and wildfires leading to endless leadership experience and vast knowledge of resource management practices. Through the years, his experience, knowledge and training have made Jesse a sought-after mentor for his peers.
Jesse loves his role as a park services specialist working in an ever-changing environment and especially enjoys having the opportunity to see the abundant wildlife in their natural surroundings. Above all else, what Jesse truly enjoys is meeting people from all over the world who ask challenging questions. In addition to making every visitor’s experience at our state parks special, he is also proud of helping maintain the grounds of this important site.