Staff Spotlight Lee Wood

Lee Wood

Celebrating 20 years at Florida State Parks.

When Lee Wood started working as a park ranger at Tomoka State Park in 2003, he never imagined he would still be a part of the team 20 years later. Transplanted from Pittsburgh to Florida at a young age, he spent his childhood camping at state parks such as Blue Spring and Ichetucknee Springs. These fun-filled trips helped him develop a love of nature. 

Applying for his first ranger job, his goal was to find a role allowing him to work outdoors. According to Lee, one of the best advantages to working at Florida State Parks is the opportunity to experience something different every day. Acting as a ranger, assistant manager and maintenance mechanic over the course of his tenure allows him to mentor new employees, especially when training during Ranger Academy held at Wekiwa Springs State Park. 

When not leading as a trainer, Lee can be found performing any number of tasks related to fleet repairs, painting and improving park buildings, plumbing fixes and park protection work such as gate operations. He appreciates working at a park that houses the district headquarters and finds the wintertime slow season especially enjoyable thanks to cooler temperatures. In his free time, he can be found introducing his young son to the joys of the natural world while kayaking on the Wekiva River. 

Lee hopes to continue being an adviser for younger team members by teaching them skills gained during his employment. He dreams of encouraging today’s youth to spend more time outdoors by offering on-the-job training for local students. If we can foster continued appreciation for Florida’s flora and fauna found at state parks, we can continue to grow the wildland conservators of tomorrow.