Staff Spotlight, Becky Collins
Biological Scientist II, Becky Collins
San Pedro Underwater Archaeological Preserve
A Florida native, Becky grew up exploring her backyard of Central Florida. Being immersed in nature from an early age led her to follow her passion and pursue a degree in wildlife ecology and conservation from the University of Florida. After college, Becky worked as a program specialist and environmental educator in Central Georgia. Her passion for Florida ecosystems brought her back home to pursue a career with the Florida Park Service.
Today, Becky works as a park biologist in the Islamorada Area State Parks, which includes, Lignumvitae Key Botanical State Park, Windley Key Fossil Reef State Park, Indian Key Historic State Park and San Pedro Underwater Archaeological Preserve State Park.
Becky’s background in environmental education makes her a fantastic interpreter. Outreach and educational programs are one of the things she enjoys the most about her job. She enjoys sharing the beauty of the parks with guests and hopes to instill an appreciation for the natural and cultural resources in the parks. Becky is also very passionate about restoring ecosystems. In this position, she gets to work in the hardwood hammocks treating exotics and in the marine seagrass beds restoring boat propeller scars. Coordinating marine debris volunteer cleanups is also a top priority for her to help remove harmful marine debris from the environment.
Becky’s favorite place in the parks is on or in the water viewing fish and other marine creatures. In her spare time, Becky enjoys scuba diving, kayaking and hiking. When kayaking over the seagrass flats, she loves seeing stingrays and juvenile sharks. In the deeper mangrove creeks, she frequently is lucky to see manatees and crocodiles.