Girl Scouts Love State Parks - More Interviews
Exotic and fire technician and former Girl Scout, Christine Slowiak, works at Hillsborough River State Park in Thonotasassa, Florida.
What inspired you to work in the parks and recreation field?
My parents raised me to be a lover of the outdoors, a steward to my surroundings and a responsible citizen that betters her society. There are so many amazing environmental features and resources in this world to interpret, restore and protect.
Describe your job in the Florida Park Service. What are the favorite parts of your job?
As an Exotic and Fire Technician, my main responsibilities are removing exotic and invasive species, preparing and implementing wildland firefighting regimes and native ecosystem restoration.
My favorite parts of service are being outside and seeing the positive changes I make in the land and for all its inhabitants (and visitors).
How did your participation in Girl Scouts prepare you for your career?
Girl Scouts introduced me to a variety of interests, opportunities and experiences. It opened me up to challenges and worldwide travel that encouraged personal development and professional growth. My mother was a troop leader, so seeing her in this role empowered me.
What advice would you offer to young women who want to pursue a career in parks and recreation?
Find your strengths to pursue goals with purpose. Stay focused, passionate and determined. Enjoy the journey. Seek support and develop a team around you who value you and embrace mistakes as signs of growth. Foster the thought that you can do anything you are determined to do!
Park ranger and former Girl Scout, Allyson Cross, works at Colt Creek State Park in Lakeland, Florida.
What inspired you to work in the parks and recreation field?
My love for the outdoors and wanting to protect it so it can be enjoyed for years to come.
Describe your job in the Florida Park Service. What are the favorite parts of your job?
I'm an exotic technician/park ranger. I identify invasive plant species and make plans to eradicate them. I also do maintenance around the park and run the ranger station. My favorite part of the job is getting to indulge in the wilderness and learn more about what grows in Florida.
How did your participation in Girl Scouts prepare you for your career?
My participation in Girl Scouts helped nourish my love for the outdoors and my desire to protect it. Girl Scouts also taught me how to be kind when working with others and how to connect with nature.
What advice would you offer to young women who want to pursue a career in parks and recreation?
Study landforms and habitats and that will open you up to a lot of additional helpful information.
Senior management analyst supervisor and former Girl Scout, Deb Stone, works in the Bureau of Natural and Cultural Resources.
What inspired you to work in the parks and recreation field?
I enjoy preserving and restoring natural Florida and helping connect people to outdoor experiences.
I especially love getting to explore backwoods and remote areas, and all the variety of amazing habitats we have here in Florida.
Describe your job in the Florida Park Service. What are the favorite parts of your job?
I help on a variety of natural resource projects around the state, from invasive species management to sea turtle working groups to data collection and analysis. But my favorite part is getting to visit the different state parks and meeting our passionate and knowledgeable staff.
How did your participation in Girl Scouts prepare you for your career?
Girl Scouts gave me so many wonderful outdoors experiences and is one of the major parts of my life that sparked my love for conservation. I enjoyed all the camping and hiking trips, sciences badges, etc. I was lucky to find my passion so early in life.
What advice would you offer to young women who want to pursue a career in parks and recreation?
Don't hesitate to ask lots of questions and to try lots of new tasks or workdays. Some of the best parts of my career came from activities I didn't think I'd really enjoy. Make as many connections as possible. It’s just as important in this field as in business.
Park ranger and former Girl Scout, Heatherann Lamberto, works at Hugh Taylor Birch State Park in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
What inspired you to work in the parks and recreation field?
A life-long passion for the great outdoors that started as a child when I participated and later volunteered for New York State Department Environmental Conservation camps.
Describe your job in the Florida Park Service. What are the favorite parts of your job?
My job encompasses a broad spectrum of responsibilities and opportunities including maintenance and interpretation. One of my favorite parts of my job is being given the opportunity to educate and, most importantly, inspire the public about the importance of environmental preservation for future generations.
How did your participation in Girl Scouts prepare you for your career?
Participating in Girl Scouts helped me learn leadership skills at a young age, as well as sparked my interest in the sciences.
What advice would you offer to young women who want to pursue a career in parks and recreation?
Give back to your community as often as possible, volunteer and become involved. Become an active part of preservation and environmental education by seeking out volunteer opportunities at your local parks and resource-based recreation areas.
Information line manager and former Girl Scout, Julie Kurisko, manages the information line for all 175 state parks and trails.
What inspired you to work in the parks and recreation field?
My father worked in both Parks and Recreation, as well as State Lands. My family's love of the outdoors and my experiences as a Girl Scout caused me to value and enjoy experiences in state parks.
Describe your job in the Florida Park Service. What are the favorite parts of your job?
When park visitors call or email the Florida State Parks Information Line, they connect with me or one of my associates. I love helping people find the right park to visit and advising them on the fun things they can do in the parks.
How did your participation in Girl Scouts prepare you for your career?
My personal knowledge/experience of paddling, hiking, camping and other outdoor activities you can do in state parks helps me explain and advise others about these points. I first learned how to do these outdoor activities as a Junior and Cadette Scout.
What advice would you offer to young women who want to pursue a career in parks and recreation?
You can "try out" what it's like to work in Florida state parks by volunteering at a state park near you, or by joining the Florida Conservation Corps/AmeriCorps. This way, you meet people in the field and get hands-on experience to see what the job is like day-to-day.
Park services specialist and former Girl Scouts, Scarlett A. Dunn, works at Eden Gardens State Park in Santa Rosa Beach, Florida.
What inspired you to work in the parks and recreation field?
I've always loved being active and in the outdoors. Growing up, we spent summers in state parks throughout West Virginia and I would see park rangers and think "that's the coolest job. How do I get to do that every day?!"
Describe your job in the Florida Park Service. What are the favorite parts of your job?
I work as a park services specialist, so I get to do a little bit of everything. I enjoy natural resource management, such as taking care of plants and animals, recruiting volunteers to help our park and creating interpretive programming for school groups and clubs. It's just like Girl Scouts!
How did your participation in Girl Scouts prepare you for your career?
Girl Scouts always encouraged us to get outdoors and be active. Scouts gave us an opportunity to learn new skills and put them into action, which is exactly what I've done working for the park service.
What advice would you offer to young women who want to pursue a career in parks and recreation?
I would encourage young ladies to continue to follow their passion and volunteer with the park service to see what working in the parks looks like on a day-to-day basis. Also, you'd be giving back to your community!
Park services specialist and former Girl Scout, Stephanie York, works at Gamble Rogers Memorial State Recreation Area at Flagler Beach.
What inspired you to work in the parks and recreation field?
I spent my career working in administrative roles inside an office. When the opportunity arose to work at my local state park, I saw it as a chance to meld my admin/customer service skills with my love of the outdoors.
Describe your job in the Florida Park Service. What are the favorite parts of your job?
Recently, I was promoted to a park services specialist after working as a toll collector for four years. My favorite parts of the job are interacting with park visitors and sharing with them the amazing natural resources our park offers.
How did your participation in Girl Scouts prepare you for your career?
My mother was my Girl Scout leader and her love of nature and the outdoors was, and continues to be, a major influence in my life and career. My first camping experience was as a Girl Scout at Camp Seikooc (cookies spelled backwards) in Andover, Kansas.
What advice would you offer to young women who want to pursue a career in parks and recreation?
The career opportunities in parks and recreation are endless and support a variety of skill sets. My advice is to believe in yourself and believe that what you do matters to the environment and the experience of all who seek the pleasure of being outdoors.