Staff Spotlight, Andrea Nelson
Park Ranger, Andrea Nelson
Highlands Hammock State Park, Lake June-in-Winter Scrub Preserve State Park
Ranger Andrea Nelson may be found checking in campers, pressure washing picnic tables, writing volunteer schedules and tracking down the lost jogger who ran deep into the hammock! She is known for going above and beyond, and many campers have found her assistance invaluable.
Prior to becoming a ranger in 2013, Andrea worked at a local vineyard and winery. This park rookie stepped up and took on challenges such as chairing the Haunted Hammock event and replacing all the faded photos marking the loop-road exercise stations.
Andrea also assists with Florida Audubon’s annual Jay Watch surveys at both Highlands Hammock and Lake June-in-Winter state parks. When she is not working, she often can be found camping with her family at other Florida State Parks.
Andrea values park history and created her own program, “Stories From My Grandfather,” in which she interprets the experiences of a CCC boy in the Depression and the role of the CCC in building parks. She also has been involved with the historic orange grove restoration project since its inception and worked many hours spreading soil on the seedling trees.
She is quite adept at wildlife photography, catching shots and video of wildlife on the trails and throughout the park. Although visitors may not have met her personally, they know her well from her postings on the Friends of Highlands Hammock Facebook page - Trail Tuesdays, Wildlife Wednesdays, Fun Fact Fridays, and Shout-Out Sundays!