Timucuan Parks Foundation (TPF) received a prestigious award from the University of North Florida (UNF) – its inaugural Environmental Service Award. The award was presented to the nonprofit at the UNF and Jacksonville Environmental Protection Board’s (JEPB) Environmental Luncheon. The award recognizes TPF for its significant contributions to UNF students, the community and the environment.
“It is such an honor to be recognized for our work connecting the youth with our wilderness parks and preserves,” said Mayda Velez, outgoing executive director of TPF. “We hope the work we do with the next generation of environmental leaders will instill a lifelong love of these natural spaces and a passion for protecting and promoting them for years to come.”
Six high school students from area high schools were chosen to participate in the Youth Environmental Leadership Program (YELP) by UNF’s Institute of Environmental Research and Education (IERE). The students are participating in the year-long pre-college program, where they are collaborating with mentors from UNF and TPF to develop projects and service initiatives to increase and promote contact with nature and park access in Jacksonville. TPF Program and Outreach Coordinator Felicia Boyd and TPF staff work closely with the students to implement service projects in local wilderness parks and preserves. The projects range from volunteer park cleanup projects to park program development to longer-term projects such as recording and tagging the flora and fauna seen in the parks.
“Felicia Boyd’s mentorship and support has been especially instrumental in the success of initiatives such as the Youth Environmental Leadership Program and others,” said Erin Largo-Wight, Ph.D, UNF Director of IERE and Professor of Public Health, Nature and Health Laboratory. “Felicia and TPF staff have worked with our students to educate and empower them, fostering a deeper personal connection with nature and a stronger commitment to environmental stewardship. Their efforts truly have made a significant difference.”
Also, at the award event, TPF Volunteer and Trail Team Member Chris Bravo received the Individual Award from the JEPB for his work at Tillie K. Fowler Regional Park. Bravo regularly volunteers to maintain and clean up the park, and he led the effort to repair the historic brick road.