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

One of my greatest passions is wildlife. The work done to help protect and restore endangered populations is not only incredibly important, but… on a more selfish note… it’s also really fun. So, of course whenever I’m given the opportunity to help the wildlife biologists at Osceola National Forest, I volunteer.

The endangered red cockaded woodpecker is the species the Osceola team focuses on a lot, if not the most. The reason this woodpecker receives so much focus is due to it being a keystone species.

Male Red Cockaded Woodpecker (picture provided by Sarah Lauerman)

A keystone species has a large effect on its natural habitat and serves a critical role in its ecosystem. The red cockaded is the only woodpecker species to create cavity nests in live pine, which provides habitat to many species in the southeast.

Since arriving at Osceola, I’ve been blessed with many opportunities to help both the wildlife contractor in charge of the relocation program, Sarah Lauerman, and the forest’s wildlife biologist technician, Kim Farr. Not only is assisting them an amazing experience, but it also gives me insight into the different goals of contractors and federal employees.

With Kim I assisted her in remarking trees with cavities. We scraped off the bark at the bottom of the tree, and spray-painted white bands around the tree. This is important to signify to our fire department to clear around these trees and protect them.

Me marking a cavity tree.

 We used extendable poles with cameras on the end to peep into the cavities. In some we found feathers, most likely left by our lovely woodpeckers. While in others we found the dreaded mud dauber, an insect that make the cavities uninhabitable for our woodpeckers.

Kim peeping a cavity and the footage from inside the cavity.

 Some of the cavities were over forty feet high. My muscles strained as I tried to stop the swaying of the pole and insert the camera into the cavity.

Me peeping a cavity.

At some clusters we heard the twittering of the woodpeckers. Kim used her phone to play their call and attract them back to the cluster. The entire family would fly to one tree, chirping and defending their territory. This allowed us to see who made up the family.

A pair of woodpeckers defending their cluster.

Red cockaded woodpeckers live in groups of cavities called clusters. The family of woodpeckers consists of at least one breeding pair; however, ideally there will be a male “helper” birds who assist with raising the chicks, and sometimes the grownup chicks will remain to assist with the younger clutches.

We even found a new cavity! I added it to the digital map on her phone and updated the data for many of the cavities.

Kim taught me a lot about the work done to help the red cockaded woodpeckers, and the different focuses of her and Sarah.

Kim focused on collecting data on the woodpeckers already there and protecting their cavities from fires, while Sarah focused on relocating breeding pairs of woodpeckers to other forests to replenish the population. This resulted in them evaluating cavities differently.

To Kim a tree that has potential for woodpeckers to live in it would be marked as active, since her goal is to preserve as much viable habitat for the woodpeckers as possible. While Sarah will only mark cavities as active if woodpeckers are currently using it, since her goal is to relocate woodpeckers to increase the population. These differences have taught me how data categorized differently based on the goal of the researcher.

Helping Kim was a fun and educational experience, and besides the short period of time when I got lost in the woods without her and convinced myself a bear would come and eat me and no one would ever find me, it was a chill time. While helping Sarah was also fun and educational, it was not chill at all. The evening Sarah asked me to assist her was crazy.

Sarah not only runs the red cockaded woodpecker relocation program at Osceola National Forest; she also started it. Osceola has a lot of red cockaded woodpeckers. This has allowed Osceola to donate breeding pairs of woodpeckers to other forests to try to increase the population.

For the relocation program we capture one male who is not part of the breeding pair from his cluster and take one female who is also not part of the breeding pair from a different cluster. These two birds are then taken to a cluster in another forest and are released to hopefully breed together.

The attempted capture was pushed from Thursday to Wednesday due to an incoming storm. The two of up drove out to the cluster in the evening to catch a female bird. Sarah informed me that this cavity was especially high, over thirty feet above the ground, and that she really hoped she wouldn’t have to climb.

We arrived on the site and unpacked the gear. We left the net by the tree we knew our woodpecker lived in and set up the scope on the path between the tree and the truck. Sarah showed me the how to use the net and scope, explaining to me how we would catch the woodpecker.

Me holding the un-extended net. (picture provided by Sarah)

All there was left to do was wait.

The sun was low in the sky when we began to hear the woodpecker’s calls. Eventually, a woodpecker landed in a tree beside us. She sang and climbed up and down the pine, unaware of Sarah aiming the scope at her. I too watched the bird with my binoculars, admiring how beautiful she was. Sarah informed me that she had identified the bird as our female based on the bands on the bird’s legs.

Sarah followed the path towards the tree where we had left the net, careful not to startle the birds. I watched our female through the scope, waiting for her to enter the cavity. The sun continued to sink lower, and the fear that we’d have to catch the female in the dark creeped into the back of my mind.

Finally, she flew into the cavity.

I signaled to Sarah that the woodpecker was in. She stood at the base of the tree and began to extend the net into the air as quietly as she could. I watched into the dark cavity, hoping the bird wouldn’t realize the incoming trap and escape. The net inched higher and higher, and finally Sarah clamped the net over the cavity.

She called me over. I crashed through the underbrush; stealth no longer mattered. As I reached the tree, I grabbed the large wooden handle we had left there, probably torn off an axe, and I beat it against the back of the tree.

Hard swings, taps, and scrapes ricocheted up the length of the pine tree to the cavity, but the bird did not budge. Realizing the female would not fly out into our trap, Sarah told me to hold the net.

The moment I gripped it; I realized the full weight of what I was holding. It was top-heavy, long, and one small shift could send it uncontrollably swinging. Sarah played the woodpecker’s song trying to lure the bird out, but still she did not come. As small raindrops began to fall from the sky, Sarah trudged towards the truck.

I squinted up at the net, trying to focus on the cavity through the rain. The light faded as I waited. My arms and knuckles ached, as I strained to keep the net in place. The pole was not resting against the tree, but instead looped over the side, forcing me to hold the whole weight of the pole. Glancing over my shoulder, I watched as she approached the truck.

That was a mistake.

In that moment the pole swayed from one side of the tree to the other, and I jerked back forcing the net in place. However, despite my efforts the net at the end shifted slightly. It was only an inch or two to the right, but in the dim light I couldn’t tell if that was enough to uncover the cavity. I held my breath, praying I did not startle the bird and cause her to escape when I was unsure if she was covered.

I watched what I thought was the cavity, making sure the bird didn’t come out. Moments stretched on as I waited for Sarah to lug the three ladders back. Though I didn’t see the bird emerge I had the nagging fear that she had flown out when I was looking away.

Sarah’s footsteps soon landed beside me, but I did not turn to her. I told her what happened, and she took the net and rested the pole against the tree so that I didn’t have to strain to hold it in place. When I asked if the cavity was uncovered, she told me it wasn’t, and that I had done fine. I nodded in relief.

Taking the first ladder, slammed it against the tree in an attempt to scare the bird out. The bird did not budge. She buckled the ladder to the tree, strapped on her harness, and climbed. Two ladders were strapped to her back as the rains sprinkled down. When she reached the top of the ladder, she grabbed another, and slammed it on the tree.

Still no bird.

She strapped that ladder down and climbed, finally adding the third ladder and reaching the cavity. She beat the opposite side of the tree trying to scare the bird out.

Nothing.

She played the red cockaded woodpecker’s song trying to lure the bird out.

Nothing.

Sarah stuck a cord under the net and into the cavity to scare the bird out.

Nothing.

Had the net come uncovered when Sarah was gone? Did I let the bird escape? These fears raced through my mind as I watched in horror.

Sarah played the song one last time.

The bird bolted out into the net; frantically flapping Sarah pulled the trigger to clamp the net shut. She then used marking taped to tie the net shut, an extra security as she climbed down the ladder.

Sarah at on the top of the ladders.

Overwhelmed with relief, I slowly began to lower the poles. When Sarah reached the ground, she took the pole. It swung dramatically through the air as she lowered it.

Together we took the bird from the net and recorded the information about her capture onto a form before putting her into a bird box and attaching the form to it.

Woodpecker Notes

The catch had been a success. We returned to the office to meet up with the other teams. Everyone had caught their bird. In total we caught two females and two males, creating two breeding pairs. We smile and laughed, listening to the stories of everyone’s catches. Apparently, all the other birds flew into the net the moment the tree was hit, one before the tree was hit. Our bird was certainly the most stubborn, but I like to think it’s because she’s smart and has good survival instincts. I’m glad she’s passing on her genes. I just hope her new mate isn’t as stubborn as her because she’s definitely going to get her way.

Our stubborn lady.

Since then, we caught another male woodpecker, and I’ve helped Kim multiple times. Through these experiences I’ve realized my love of wildlife work and that I want to pursue it as my career. I always thought I had to work so that I can afford to enjoy my free time, but recently I’ve learned that if I’m doing what I love, I’ll get to have fun every day.

Me holding the female woodpecker. (picture provided by Sarah)

Woodpecker catching teams! I’m in the back left for both pictures.

(Pictured provided by Sarah and the Steve Saccio)

Agency: U.S Forest Service

Program: Resource Assistant Program (RAP)

Location: Osceola National Forest

Starting a new job is always a combination of exciting and scary. Especially when it’s somewhere you’ve never been before. I’ve learned to expect the unexpected… and I sure did not expect the surprise my first week had in store for me.

Osceola National Forest is a lovely location filled with memorable sites like Ocean Pond and Olustee Battlefield, and keystone species such as the endangered red cockaded woodpecker and gopher tortoise.

View of Ocean Pond

These sites are great for visitors and, since I am in the recreation department, they are my focus. However, what I am truly passionate about is wildlife, and sometimes the visitors and wildlife don’t mesh well.

Some visitors to the forest have been known to abandon pets here. People have left cats, dogs, pigs, and my coworker Kenny has even seen a mule left in the woods! Not only is it inhumane to leave domesticated animals to fend for themselves in a harsh unforgiving environments, but it also hurts the native species the Forest Service is trying to protect.

Wild boars run rampant in Florida forests, rutting up the ground and killing native species, and their presence here originated from people leaving them in the woods. On St. Vincent National Wildlife Refuge, where I just worked, the boars would destroy endangered sea turtle nests. Since coming to Osceola National Forest, I’ve seen damage at Hog Pen Landing campground from them rutting up the ground.

Ocean Pond Campground Info Board

Personally, I’ve seen several cats at Ocean Pond Campground running around. These feral cats struggle to eat to survive and are a real threat to many bird species. Cats have contributed to multiple extinctions worldwide, and with Osceola being home to the endangered Red Cockaded Woodpecker, it is crucial that we remove them.

Many of the camp hosts take it upon themselves to leave out traps to catch the feral cats. Once caught, usually a Forest Service employee takes the cat to the humane society. Ideally these cats would find a welcoming home where they no longer have to scrounge for food, but that is not often the reality. Most of the cats become too feral to ever be a pet again, and they must be put down. Others carry a feline upper respiratory infection that cause discharge from their eyes. Since this could infect other cats in the shelter, they are put down to prevent the infection from spreading.

Having grown up on a farm with barn cats, I am familiar with this condition. Many kittens have it, but we just wipe away the discharge with a damp rag and sometimes give them penicillin. The kittens usually get better. However, the humane society won’t take that risk.

Trap used to catch feral cats

            My first-time visiting Ocean Pond Campground I spotted a pregnant cat sneaking through the site. The second time I visited, two days later, there was a litter of three kittens mewling in one of the traps. My heart hurt for the kittens, as the camp host, Mark, explained how they heard them crying the night before.

            He found them under a bush. The one crying the loudest was twisted in Spanish moss, struggling to breath with it wrapped around his neck. Mark had saved the kitten, and put them all in the cage to protect them from the predators. Everyone had been looking out for the mother, but no one had seen her since.  It is likely that she left, because she didn’t believe she could feed them and also survive herself. Two concerned visitors, Cindy Bell and Tony Angelo, came over to listen, and we all went to check on the kittens.

The litter of kittens snuggling

            Less than a day-old kittens were resting on a blanket, and it was hard to tell if they were okay. It was late in the day, and no one was sure the kittens could make it another night. The hypothermia, starvation, and predators were all too real threats for these kittens. Newborn kittens should be drinking milk every two hours, and these kittens hadn’t had any milk all day. We all wanted to help the kittens, but there was only so much we could do.

            The forest service takes cats that are caught on site to the humane society, but the humane society wasn’t a certain haven. The kittens could have the upper respiratory infection that would result in them being put down. However, the infection itself wasn’t a death sentence. I’ve had many cats who used to have it as a kitten. I was tempted to take the kittens myself, but working a full time job would prevent me from caring for them properly. I didn’t want to risk the kittens going hungry while I was gone for eleven hours every day.

            Luckily the kittens found a home. Cindy and Tony have been caring for them. Everyday the kittens get stronger. They run around, climb, purr almost every time they drink milk, and one kitten has even started opening his eyes!

                                                                                                       Cindy with a kitten            Tony with a kitten whose eyes are open!

I’ve gone over to Cindy and Tony’s twice after work to help feed the kittens. It’s the wrong direction to go home, but completely worth it. Cindy and Tony saved these kittens lives, and this experience has not only led to our friendship, but it has shown me that though some people do behave selfishly, there are also people like Cindy and Tony who are kind and will go out of their way to help those in need.

Cindy and I feeding a kitten

            I am not going to ignore the actions of those who abandoned these kittens’ mother, that is the best way to repeat history. However, I am also choosing to focus on the heroic actions of Cindy and Tony. The news mostly reports on the bad, and while it is newsworthy, I believe this has led some to view all of humanity through this lens. The story of these kittens isn’t all happy, but it does inspire me to not only see the good in others, but to also strive to be the type of person who does good. Whenever, I feel bummed or tired at work I’m going to think of the rescue of these kittens, and I’m going to push myself to do as much good as I can while I’m in the Resource Assistant Program. I hope to use this opportunity to better myself, and to help the Forest Service and everyone who visits Osceola National Forest, whether it’s by working to repopulate an endangered species, maintaining a recreation site, or by saving kittens.

Me playing with the kittens

Sleeping Kittens

Agency: U.S Forest Service

Program: Resource Assistant Program (RAP)

Location: Osceola National Forest

Laura Fielder spent the past year as a habitat specialist for Community Training Works where she researched the threatened Frosted Flatwood Salamander in field studies and aided in restoring their habitat at St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge. She also assisted in designing social media posts and designing presentations about the company’s accomplishments for partners. Prior to this, Laura was an environmental educator for Nature’s Classroom where she designed science curriculums which she taught to students on field trips. Laura found her love of science at University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where she obtained a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Science & Geography with a minor in writing. Her interests include animals and exploring the outdoors, which she developed from a young age having grown up on a farm. This passion has led to her new pursue her opportunity as a Resource Assistant at Osceola National Forest, where she is excited to assist the US Forest Service in sustaining the environment for the present and future generations.