Staff Spotlight, Ashley Orlando
Park Ranger, Ashley Orlando
Dunns Creek State Park
Ashley has been with the Florida Park Service since 2011, working at several different state parks including Anastasia, Fort Mose, Faver-Dykes and Washington Oaks. Currently Ashley is the park services specialist at Dunns Creek State Park, and she serves as the District 3 fire team leader, a position that she is passionate about.
Ashley was introduced to prescribed fire early in her career. She is currently a certified burn manager and leads a district burn team of seven staff members, who are responsible for assisting with prescribed fire and resource management district wide.
“Applying fire is a beautifully skilled art, although inherently dangerous, the patience and care of our lands through this mimicking of nature continues to give back in the seasons as we restore these ecosystems,” says Ashley.
Her commitment to land management doesn’t stop at prescribed fire. Ashley assists with long-term restoration projects at the park. She works closely with the district biologist to oversee projects, such as mowing, exotic plant treatment or mass native plantings, that will restore and enhance park ecosystems. To round out her duties, she assists with volunteer and citizen support organization projects and provides interpretive programs.
In addition to her time spent on restoration and land management, Ashley is highly involved in emergency response and assistance. She has worked on strike teams to assist with wildfires throughout the state. She has also led strike teams to assist with hurricane recovery. She took time this year to spend her vacation out West to assist with the wildfires, a sign of her dedication to natural ecosystems and public safety.
Her commitment to the Florida State Park's mission and leadership in resource management earned her the Florida Park Service District 3’s Employee of the Year award in 2017.