A Valentine for our Volunteers

We love many things in the Hillsborough County Conservation and Environmental Lands Management Department (CELM); our parks and preserves, the smell of a longleaf pine, the sound of hiking boots hitting the dirt, salt air in our hair as we kayak, catching a glimpse of a “lifer” bird; but one thing we love the most are or Valentines Volunteers!

Volunteers with CELM wear many hats, and some may only do a few hours a month while others spend months as Camp Hosts. There’s a perfect niche for every volunteer in our department. We’d like to take some time to celebrate some of the work done by our various volunteers in 2024.

Trail CATS

Years ago, CELM started hosting volunteer workdays on Saturdays in the Nature Preserves. Every second Saturday of the month, CELM scheduled a trail workday on a site that needed a little extra attention. It was a great way for hikers and their families to come out and do some work on the trails they love to use.

Then, several of our regular attendees asked if, during their regular hiking excursions, they would be allowed to do some work independently. We said: no problem! While CELM does have dedicated staff for each area of the county, that staff also takes care of the 64,000+ acres of preserves we are so lucky to have, including the sections that are not open to the public to protect sensitive habitat. With hundreds of miles of trails throughout Hillsborough County, it’s an immense help to have volunteers “scout” while already hiking as they normally would. And so, the Trail CATS were born.

The Trail CATS (County Associated Trail Stewards) are an amazing group of volunteers who decided that hiking just wasn’t enough – they wanted to do more. They’re now the core group of volunteers for second Saturday workdays, but they also scout trails, help prepare sites for the Hiking Spree, lead guided hikes, and help work events that CELM puts on, like the Prescribed Fire Fest.

When Trail Scouts hike our trails, they submit reports to us that include a 1-5 star rating of the site’s kiosk, trail markers, parking lot, and overall trail maintenance. Also included is a georeferenced map where they place points of interest or concern that we can then easily locate and remedy. We’ve been able to successfully track sites that may need a little extra love and attention, communicate this to the site coordinator, and either assign the task to a volunteer or a staff member depending on level of difficulty. Since the reports are dated and mapped, we can quickly address these issues as they arise. Another great benefit is working with volunteers who note the web pages for parks and preserves that might have a slightly out-of-date map or information that has changed regarding amenities. Having extra sets of eyes on our beautiful trails is a benefit for all who use them in terms of both aesthetics and safety. 

In 2024, Trail CATS volunteered a total of 923.5 hours and worked on 456.36 miles of trail; that’s around 77 hours and 38 miles per month!  

The Trail CATS were formed in February of 2020, in the five years since then the numbers are even more impressive: 3867.48 Hours of volunteer work, and 2282.54 miles of trails scouted, blazed, and maintained!  

Volunteer trail work, whether with CELM or another organization, is a great way to get work experience for those looking to enter the field of land management. We highly recommend volunteering to anyone looking to help in their community, aide in conservation, who may want to gain experience in land management for a career change, or who simply love hiking and being outdoors.  

To sign up for our Trail CATS program, follow this link to learn more and get started on registration.

 

Park Volunteers

At our Conservation Parks we have a variety of volunteers. From gardeners to docents, ranger assistants to Camp Hosts – the parks love their volunteers.

Some of the Conservation Parks biggest volunteers are groups who return frequently at their favorite places; parks like Edward Medard, E.G. Simmons, and Lithia Springs see regular volunteer groups on a monthly or quarterly basis.  

Groups like the Native Plant Society, Tampa Audubon Society, and SWAMP Mountain Biking Club are also a great help in our parks on a frequent basis.

Other volunteers like camp and park hosts trade their volunteer hours for a highly coveted RV spot in our parks. Many camp hosts travel throughout the United States, returning each year, and are beloved by their parks. This group of volunteers likely puts in the most hours, and our campgrounds are made more beautiful and safer through their efforts.

Docents at Lettuce Lake’s Joel Jackson Visitor’s Center are highly prized for helping in one of the most-visited parks in the state. These friendly and informative volunteers welcome guests to the park, direct guests on trails and amenities, and answer the most pressing questions about the park’s flora and fauna.

Many projects throughout our parks are completed by Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. These Scouts are working towards their big goals – perhaps a Silver or Gold Award, Eagle Scout, or just wanting to give back to the parks they love. These projects are some of our favorites because of the creativity and passion of these young volunteers.

In 2024, between Boy and Girl Scouts, camp hosts, weekly volunteers, group workdays, and more – the Conservation Parks saw a total of 11,532 hours of volunteer work completed! Can you believe that?

If you’re interested in volunteering in the Conservation Parks, visit our volunteer page and we can try and match you with the right role and location.