The Real Florida℠ Connection – July

A MESSAGE FROM OUR DIRECTOR The other day I was at Anastasia State Park, a favorite destination for residents and visitors to St. Augustine. Its beaches are a wonderful place to enjoy the Atlantic Ocean and see native wildlife. The rangers there were busy with their end-of-day responsibilities, and as they went through their tasks, they conveyed a special spirit and approach to their work – we call it, “Ranger First!”  Ranger First means always being committed to maintaining the park while providing excellent and safe experiences for visitors. Who could imagine that cleaning up a park at the end of a day could look like such fun? July 31 is World Ranger Day, which encourages us to take a moment and think about  and public lands' rangers that working to protect wildlife and natural landscapes. Additionally with the support of our rangers, we enjoy a special relationship with local park programs. Every year we applaud both the Florida and National Recreation and Park Associations during July, which is Recreation and Parks Month. Floridians are fortunate that so many local park programs provide such a wide range of outdoor experiences. From springs to beaches, ballfields and pools to bike paths, local parks give families that special shared experience of outdoor fun and education.   Florida’s many recreation and park programs work together at the state, federal and local level to provide great park experiences. I hope you and your family takes the time to enjoy the many parks throughout our beautiful state and honor those who dedicate their work to making that possible. Best, Eric Draper

FEATURED STORIES  CELEBRATE WORLD (JUNIOR) RANGER DAY! Florida State Parks' Junior Ranger is a program for young people to learn, serve and share Florida’s natural and cultural resources. 5 GREAT STATE PARKS FOR A PICNIC Sometimes there’s no better way to enjoy the outdoors than to set out a blanket and have a relaxing picnic with friends and family. NATIONAL REC AND PARKS MONTH July is National Park and Recreation Month and National Picnic Month, which encourage you to visit a park for recreation and a picnic.   MAKING AN OVERNIGHT RESERVATION This video shows you step-by-step how to reserve a campsite or cabin on our new reservation website for a perfect getaway in ... the Real Florida.   SPOTLIGHT Explore Upcoming Events At A Florida State Park Near You!  Looking for something different to do this summer? From ranger-led hikes and fishing clinics, to movie nights with s’mores, Florida's state parks offers events for visitors of all interests and ages. Not only are there fun events where you can learn a new skill or participate in a new activity, there are plenty of engaging educational events that can teach you more about historical and cultural resources that make our parks so unique. Events happening all over the state can be found on our website. You can even search for events by date, theme, type and location. Come and check out an event happening in a park near you!

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