Timucuan Parks Foundation has received a grant from the TD Charitable Foundation to help implement its environmental stewardship projects in local city, state and national parks and preserves. The nonprofit was given $5,000 to help fund volunteer projects in 2025. The projects would bring hundreds of volunteers into the wilderness parks and preserves to help with trail maintenance, invasive plant removal, litter cleanup, construction projects, and outreach activities.
“This grant will help us continue to bring people and the parks together through these environmental stewardship projects and programs,” said Mayda Velez, executive director of TPF. “We organize these hands-on activities with various organizations, including underserved and historically underrepresented youth, companies who want to give back, and groups like our young professionals. We also host volunteer projects for the public to help showcase the importance of these natural spaces that we all can enjoy.”
The TD Foundation Grant, which funds local programs making an impact in the community, will help cover the cost of tools, supplies, and safety equipment needed for the stewardship projects, snacks and water provided at each event, and the coordination and marketing of the projects.
The environmental stewardship projects are used to engage the community and community partners to introduce and engage with them in the wilderness parks and preserves to work together to protect and strengthen these natural spaces. TPF brings together park stewards of all ages, ethnicities, races, and genders for monthly park projects. The organization works with individual groups, including the TPF Trail Team, comprised of 10 to 15 active seniors who engage in weekly cleanup and trail maintenance projects, local university students working on land restoration projects, teenagers and community members who take part in self-guided cleanup programs for community service hours, and underserved youth who participate in outdoors exploration programs and service-learning projects.
These environmental stewardship projects are designed to impart a sense of accomplishment and confidence in volunteers, abate the fear of the outdoors, provide role models in the park rangers and other local community leaders involved, and foster the next generation of park stewards. The projects increase the parks’ visibility and use and lead to the completion of much-needed park and trail enhancement. For more information on the volunteer projects and to get involved, visit timucuanparks.org/volunteer.