The Florida National Scenic Trail (aka Florida Trail) starts at the western end of the Florida panhandle, and travels 1,500 miles to the southern tip of Florida in the Big Cypress National Preserve. This trail is 1 of 11 National Scenic Trails in the United States, and 1 of 3 contained within a single state. The trail travels through a variety of ecosystems including everglade, sand pine scrub, palmetto prairies, oak hammocks, hardwood hammocks, pine flatwoods, salt marshes, and more. Early on into my internship Florida Trail Association (FTA) volunteered at Osceola National Forest to maintain the Florida National Scenic Trail.
Back of supply trailer with map of Florida trail
Having studied environmental science has given me an interest in the flora and fauna in my surroundings, so of course I wanted to participate as soon as I had the opportunity. I left early for work that day, excited to meet the volunteers and to assist with the trail work. We met at their campsite, grabbing tools and safety equipment as I got to know the others. Most of the volunteers maintaining the trails were retirees, and I was the youngest one there.
They were from many different backgrounds: a NASA rocket scientist, college professor, fireman, doctor, and more. However, one thing we all shared was the love of the environment.
I was quickly informed the three water bottles I had packed were not enough and was gifted a fourth bottle by a volunteer. Once our supplies were collected, we split into two separate groups, and gathered into several trucks before driving to the trail.
Margaret, a volunteer, painting trail blazes.
The day was hot, the mosquitos were ruthless, and the work was hard. The trail had become overgrown since the past year when the FTA had come. Still, we persevered. Pushing large mowers to clear the grass, using hedge trimmers, weed eaters, and loppers to remove the brush and widen the path, and marking trees along the trail with bright orange paint. Much of the ground was wet, and I had to maneuver the massive mower around pools of water.
Volunteers working on the trail.
It didn’t take long for me to get dehydrated. In trying to conserve the limited water I had, I wasn’t drinking enough. My head ached, but still I worked with everyone else for the mile and a half of trail we covered
Weed Eating.(me)
At the end of the day, we were tired, but there was a sense of accomplishment for the work we had done. Many of the volunteers went swimming in Ocean Pond, and I stayed and chatted with them for an hour before heading home.
That night I froze four water bottles, determined not to make the same mistake as the day before. Most importantly, in preparation for day two I packed a bathing suit, since on my list of priorities not suffering hydration is important, but attending pool parties is more important… okay not really.
The next day I had packed four frozen and two thawed water bottles in my pack, creating an unintentional (but not unwanted) cooler on my back. This preparation made a huge difference, since despite the physical labor of day two being more intense and the distance being farther, I felt a lot better by the end of the day.
Chainsaw time!
As an A-sawyer, I wanted to get more practice chain sawing… and boy did I get a lot of practice. I was at the front of the group pushing the large mower, and it felt like every several yards there was a fallen tree. I would push the mower around a turn and there was always another tree blocking my path. Sometimes I just picked up one end and turn the tree, so it lay along the side of the trail instead of across it; however, there were many times where that was unfeasible. I would stop the mower, remove the chainsaw from the top of the other mover that a volunteer was pushing, and wait for a B-sawyer to catch up before I could buck the tree. Sometimes the fallen trees were so close, I just sawed three in a row before ever returning to my mower. It was exhausting, but also great practice and a great workout.
Me bucking a log.
By the end of the day, we all changed into our swimsuits and waded out into the pond. I made sure others were always nearby, because as much as I love alligators, I don’t want to be one’s lunch.
Assisting the Florida Trail Association in maintaining the Florida Trail was such a fun experience that when I heard there were more opportunities to volunteer, I couldn’t resist.
Ocala National Forest is south of Osceola National Forest, resting in central Florida. I had spent the previous summer before this internship, working at Apalachicola National Forest in Florida. Ocala was the only Florida National Forest I had not worked on or even visited, and I could not pass up the opportunity to explore it.
So, I signed up for two days in December to assist the FTA at the Juniper Wilderness Preserve in Ocala.
Sunday evening, with a sleeping bag borrowed from the fire department at Osceola, I set out for Ocala. After two hours of driving across Florida’s beautiful landscape, I reached the Florida Trail work party at the Forest Service OHV Campground. Jeff, who led this work party, cooked lo mein with other volunteers and served it to everyone. It was delicious!
Me in the tent (in front of a cool truck that is unfortunately not mine)
Afterward I slept in a tent that had been left by a couple so I could use it. I appreciated their generosity and this gesture really exemplifies the sense of community the volunteers at these work parties have towards each other.
Juvenile Gopher tortoise
The next morning, we ate pancakes, packed our lunches, and discovered a juvenile gopher tortoise before setting out for the Juniper Prairie Wilderness. Ocala National Forest is home to the worlds world’s largest contiguous sand pine scrub forest, and I was excited to explore it. We trekked out across the sandy terrain, starting our maintenance deep into the wilderness and working our way out.
The entrance of the trail.
Juniper Prairie Wilderness is a designated wilderness area of the Forest, meaning we were not allowed to use any motorized tools. So, while at the Osceola Forest we had used mowers and chainsaws, here everything had to be done with hand tools. We mainly used loppers to remove branches and brush reaching across the path, and the Suwanee swing to widen the path. I had never used the Suwanee swing before, so getting to practice a using a new tool was a great way to broaden my skills. But I couldn’t go too crazy with it, because I was the same age as one of the volunteer’s daughter. This made him very concerned about my safety due to me reminding him of her. Which was kind of sweet and funny.
Me making the dad volunteer anxious!
Working with tools that lacked engines allowed us to talk and get to know each other the whole time we worked. One man had traveled all over the world while living on a boat! The sense of community grew with each step, and by the time we reached the end I had made many more friends in Florida.
A view over the water from the trail.
Afterward, we all left for the Juniper Springs Recreation Area. It was the fanciest recreation area I had seen in Florida. There was a natural spring for people to swim in that had stairs descending into the spring, there were bathrooms that looked like they came out of a nice resort, and an old watermill with a museum!
The Water Mill
I took the opportunity to explore the entire Area, before settling by the side of the spring and dangling my feet in the water. Almost all the volunteers were doing this and getting pedicures by the tiny minnows in the spring. We relaxed and talked, except one volunteer brought his own snorkels and went swimming!
The Juniper Springs
Afterwards we returned to the campsite. We took turns using the showers, and then made a delicious spaghetti dinner. Which if you know me, you know I love spaghetti. However, unlike most spaghetti I’ve had this one was overflowing with a variety of vegetables, and despite my tastebuds having never evolved past the child who won’t eat their vegetables stage I loved this meal and tried so many delicious foods like eggplant for the first time!
We then cleaned the dishes before splitting off into separate activities. I settled by the campfire with some others, and we watched meteors flash across the sky until I finally went back to my tent to rest.
The trail entrance and a volunteer down the trail.
The next day was more of the same work; however, it still felt like a new experience. The terrain was completely different, denser and greener. I was in a different group which enabled me to meet new people. We discussed backpacking, the environment, and some completely unrelated topics like books! We saw the claw marks of bears, and one very unhappy rattlesnake as we hiked across the land.
Bear claw marks!
A rattlesnake in a bad mood!
This was a great experience, and I would recommend it for anyone. Moving to a new state can be difficult. I didn’t know almost anyone when I first came here. However, volunteering is not only crucial to helping maintain our National Forests, but they also build a sense of community among attendees and are a great way to make friends. I definitely recommend everyone to try volunteering for their local National Forest or trail groups!
Just some of the many volunteers and me!
Agency: U.S Forest Service
Program: Resource Assistant Program (RAP)
Location: Osceola National Forest