Timucuan Parks Foundation receives financial award to connect the community to their local parks

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The National Park Trust, in partnership with the National Park Service, announced $375,100 to fund 18 education and outdoor recreation projects, dubbed the 2023 NPS Challenge Cost Share Program.

Of the awardees, the Timucuan Parks Foundation (TPF) was chosen. It received a $25,000 award that will help involve four diverse audiences in outdoor explorations in partnership with NPS’ Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve.

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This year’s group of awardees will engage more than 8,600 participants in active, healthy outdoor recreation and in education initiatives that increase knowledge about our nation’s natural and cultural heritage.

Each project connects a local community to a nearby national park, national trail or wild and scenic river.

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The funding will be used to take groups of youths on outdoor adventures. This will include kayaking, fishing, and a ranger-led “Hike into History.” Trail maintenance, removal of invasive plants, shoreline clean up and shoreline restoration will also be implemented thanks to the financial award.

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“A key priority for Timucuan Parks Foundation and our park partners is to move our health and equity initiative forward by connecting more people to the parks, particularly non-traditional audiences who can benefit physically and mentally from being outdoors in Jacksonville’s wilderness parks and preserves,” Felicia Boyd, program and outreach director for TPF, said in a statement. “We appreciate the generosity of the National Park Trust and the partnership we have with the National Park Service that allows us to design and implement inclusive programming that provides access and opportunities and healthy recreation to underserved and diverse communities.”

TPF will host four young audiences that include Groundwork Jacksonville Summer Youth Corps made up of teens from the urban core of Jacksonville; middle- and high-school boys who are being mentored by the Men of Valor organization; middle school girls from The Foundation Academy; and LGTBQ+ youth.

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Each group will participate in the four adventures described above and practice outdoor skills, including paddling a kayak, seining and marine studies, knot tying, casting, ethical angling and Leave No Trace principles. They will also be introduced to the rich history of the Timucuan Preserve.

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“We appreciate the work of local partner organizations across the nation, who are using their resources and skills to support conservation, recreation and education projects that are meaningful and impactful to their communities,” Lauren S. Imgrund, NPS associate director for Partnerships and Civic Engagement, said.