Staff Spotlight: Karen Warren

Staff Spotlight: Karen Warren

Even if you go hiking, riding, bird watching or kayaking in our nature preserves all the time, you may not get a chance to talk to our staff too often. Just under 50 staff manage Hillsborough County's over 64,000 acres of nature preserves, so they're pretty spread out. We want to give you this opportunity to meet and learn about the people who work hard to keep the County's nature preserves in good shape. Our staff do everything from mowing and fence construction to prescribed fire, invasive species removal, ecological restoration, guided programs and more!

This month we asked Karen Warren, an Environmental Specialist I at Lower Green Swamp Preserve, to give us a little insight into her position and what conservation means to her. Here's what she had to share with us! 

How did you get into this field?  

I became acquainted with land management when I was in my late 20’s. At the time, I had owned a small grocery store/deli/ meat market. When I sold the business, I had  grand plans of retirement and soon  realized that  I don’t sit still very well! I wanted to try my hand at something completely different.  At the time, my husband was the site security resident for Hillsborough County on  Cone Ranch that had an ongoing active cattle ranch. I approached the ranch manager with a proposition. I’ll work for 30 days for no pay...if I’m worth it by the end of the term, hire me. Never having been on a horse or a tractor or even much time  off the pavement! You can imagine, I was the brunt of many a joke! However, I ended up being hired, and several years later, I actually ended up being the ranch manager. With that came the responsibilities of managing couple thousand head of cattle and managing 10,000 acres of land. Even though the goals were different (private sector / profit driven vs. Conservation) the results primarily
were the same. If you didn’t take care of the land well, your cattle and profits suffered from it. As they say, farmers were the first conservationists!

What's your favorite part of your job? 

Being able to see the effects of good land management. Most all of our department’s endeavors take years to see its true fruition. From the vantage point of someone that has seen the same piece of property for over 25 years, it's fulfilling to see land management practices made decades or more ago, change the land’s trajectory- be it good or be it bad. As land managers, every choice we make now will either help or hinder those that follow in our footsteps down the line. Nice to know that what you do can actually be seen generations from now. 

How do you see the department evolving? What are some changes you've witnessed with ELAPP over the years?

I see a much better balance between our management practices and passive recreation goals set for public use. There has been a great effort to maintain the desired conditions for the preserves while still making them inviting for the public. The public has a vested interest in the management of the preserves and without the public’s support, our program would not have the resources that it currently enjoys. 

What's the biggest challenge you face at work?

As with any large government agency, the pace at which change takes place can sometimes be daunting. With land management there is a specific season that is optimal for your tasks. Windows for burning, spraying, planting...are all dependent on weather. If opportunities are not taken when they present themselves, you could potentially have to wait another year for it to roll back around again. Sometimes those opportunities are lost when there are staffing issues, budget shortfalls or equipment failures. Mother Nature waits for no one!

What are some of your hobbies outside of work?

My husband and I love to fish, hunt, and work on our property in Chiefland. Just about all our hobbies include being outdoors. I have been truly blessed to spend the majority of my life working on large tracts of property. When you love what you do, it’s never work. I also have a fine mule named Maybelline that doesn’t get ridden near enough, she is well fed and sassy!

Do you have a favorite ELAPP property or Preserve?

If you asked me a few years back, I’d have had to say Lower Green Swamp! It will always be near and dear to my heart. It’s home…There is not a square foot I haven’t been on at one time or another. But now I’d have to say Blackwater Creek. Through aggressive burning and herbicide applications, it is a fine example of Florida Flatwoods. To be able to see huge swaths of wiregrass seed and hear all the quail in abundance is not something everyone has had the opportunity to enjoy. 

Any advice for new or future employees?

I was discussing fertilizer with an old farmer once. I asked what is the best thing to put on your land. He said.. your eyes and your feet. No matter what direction you take, whether it's admin, GIS, prescribed fire, herbicide applicators- take the time to go back and look at the management practices you’re doing to make sure they are effective. Once you see what a difference you can make, you’ll never look at your job the same way again. You can really know that you are indeed making a difference for the generations to come.

Thank you, Karen, for all you do for our public lands!