The Florida State Parks Foundation has announced its 2023 Volunteer Awards for each district of the state. In District 4, Audubon Florida's Jay Watch volunteers at Highlands Hammock State Park won the Volunteer Team of 3+ award for Resource Management for Florida Scrub-Jay Monitoring. 

"This award is a culmination of years of work at Highlands Hammock State Park and underscores the importance of partnerships and volunteers," said Jacqui Sulek, Jay Watch Coordinator at Audubon Florida. "A special shout out to Park Service Specialist Carla Kappmeyer-Sherwin who always seemed to be there to help coordinate and make sure that the Florida Scrub-Jays at Highlands Hammock State Park were high on everyone’s priority list.  Her persistence has paid off and the Florida Scrub-Jay population is on the rise at Highlands Hammmock State Park. Audubon Florida is proud of our Jay Watch volunteers and honored to be a part of this recognition."

District 4 will host a Volunteer Appreciation Picnic, where award winners will be recognized, on March 11 at Koreshan State Historic Site in Fort Myers.

Since its founding in 1993, the Florida State Parks Foundation works in tandem with the Florida Parks Service to support State Park operations, educate the public about Florida's natural resources, and provide financial support on top of state funding in the form of grants.