The Trailblazer

STAFF SPOTLIGHT – KURT GREMLEY Even if you go hiking, riding, bird watching or kayaking in our conservation parks, you may not have had the opportunity to speak with our staff. More than 140 staff members staff and manage Hillsborough County's Conservation Parks and Nature Preserves, which are spread out throughout our county. This is an opportunity to meet and learn about the people who work hard to keep the County's conservation parks  and nature preserves thriving and beautiful for all to enjoy. Our staff do everything from mowing and fence construction to prescribed fire, invasive species removal, ecological restoration, guided programs and more! This month's staff spotlight is Kurt Gremley who will be retiring as ELAPP Acquisition Manager on April 15 th . In 2018, after 28 years of service, Kurt had a total of almost 190 transactions approved by the Board of County Commissioners, most on the consent agenda. He has been an integral player in 99% of all ELAPP land acqu...

In March, a volunteer group from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, served our community by removing litter and debris in and along the Alafia River. This group was  led by Hillsborough County's own Earl Brown, Emergency Operations Manager. The group consisting of ten men and two kids spent six hours on the water in an effort to remove litter. And they didn't just stay in their vessels leisurely floating down the river while removing trash from the water. Some members hopped out into the depths and ferreted through the brush to retrieve waste. The team also took care of the riverway by trimming excess branches that extended into the river making it hard for travelers to navigate. This group filled four large trash bags full of discarded items pulled from the river. Every can was dated from around the mid-80s. Some of them had pull tops. There were also glass bottles found dated from the same time period. There may have been a Tab among what was removed. Some of t...

On Sunday March 6, Ethan D. completed his Eagle Scout project at the Upper Tampa Bay Trail Con servation Park with the guidance of Ranger Kevin Anderson. The project went smoothly, and five bat houses were installed successfully. A partnership between the Conservation & Environmental Lands Management (CELM) and Boy Scouts of America (BSA) local troops was established to help build skills and encourage leadership in the youth of our community in effort to beautify and improve conservation parks and preserves. CELM staff determine needs that can be accomplished as Eagle Scout projects. A list is distributed to scouts who complete a volunteer application. Once it is determined which site and project will best fit the scout, then the scout is paired with a site coordinator. This pairing allows the boy scout to learn how to collaborate to achieve a goal. Each scout is responsible for the planning of the project. Once the project is approved, the scout must gather the materials, then...

Conservation & Environmental Lands Management (CELM) partners with Boy Scouts of America (BSA) local troops in effort to beautify and improve conservation parks and preserves. This partnership allows the boy scouts to complete their final projects with mentoring from CELM staff and earn the highest advancement ranking in scouting, Eagle Scout. The partnership is beneficial to CELM because it saves staff the time and resources that are provided by the scout. All resources for the project must be obtained by the scout. Staff from conservation parks and nature preserves provide a list of potential projects based on the needs of the site. Boy Scouts submit a volunteer application online to determine where they would like to volunteer and are provided the list of needs and locations. The scout then selects the site and is connected with site staff for scheduling. Once the project is approved by both CELM staff and BSA leadership the project is in motion. In January and February, multip...

In honor of World Wildlife Day, we thought we'd share some of the wildlife that is home in Hillsborough County. But you won't have to search hard to find signs of life, these spectacular creatures can be viewed throughout Hillsborough County at your nearest Hillsborough County Conservation Park or Nature Preserve . In 1987, Hillsborough County leadership thought it prudent to conserve land, waterways, and  wildlife   thus ensuring that these resources were preserved for future generations to enjoy. Because of the wisdom of our community leadership, wildlife thrives in our backyards. Here is a sampling of 10 mammals, reptiles, birds and fish you may encounter in the untamed, undeveloped lands of our County: 1. Alligator Alligators are large reptiles that can be found in fresh and brackish water throughout Florida. Adult alligators have 80 teeth. Females can grow to reach up to 10 feet in length and on average weigh 200 pounds. Their male counterparts grow larger with an averag...

Even if you go hiking, riding, bird watching or kayaking in our conservation parks, you may not have had the opportunity to speak with our staff. Just under 120 staff members staff and manage Hillsborough County's Conservation parks, which are spread out throughout our county. This is an opportunity to meet and learn about the people who work hard to keep the County's conservation parks thriving and beautiful for all to enjoy. Our staff do everything from mowing and fence construction to prescribed fire, invasive species removal, ecological restoration, guided programs and more! This month's staff spotlight is Park Ranger Terrell "Terry" Brownlee. He began working at Conservation & Environmental Lands Management on 11/22/2002. Before coming to work for Hillsborough County he worked in a window plant. When Terry came to the department, being a Park Ranger was a very sought after job. It seemed to draw talented applicants with pride in their abilities. There was...

Even if you go hiking, riding, bird watching or kayaking in our nature preserves regularly, you may not ever get a chance to talk to our staff. Just under 50 staff members manage Hillsborough County's over 64,000 acres of nature preserves, which are quite 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 healthy. 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 Travis Parker, an Environmental Technician at Bell Creek Nature Preserve, to give us some insight into his position and what conservation means to him. Here's what he had to share with us!    Travis joined Hillsborough County's Conservation and Environmental Lands Management Department on May 11, 2020, as an Environmental Technician. Previously he worked for the City of Greensborough and Gilford Count...