More than 200 military youth and their family members were treated to activities in local wilderness parks and preserves through the Blue Star Outdoor Exploration program, a partnership between the National Park Service’s Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve, Timucuan Parks Foundation (TPF) and Blue Star Families Jacksonville.
“This year’s program introduced these military families to the amazing assets and rich history that we find in our parks and preserves through a partnership with the national nonprofit and our park partners,” said TPF Program and Outreach Director Felicia Boyd. “We taught them the basics of ethical angling and introduced them to the Gullah Geechee fishing heritage, connected them to the history in our city, state and national parks, and showcased the ecology that thrives in our preserved natural spaces.”
The Blue Star families participated in a Junior Ranger Angler fishing clinic held at William F. Sheffield Regional Park. Youth ages 6 to 17 and their parents were taught how to properly use angling equipment, including fishing poles, hooks, lures, and nets. Timucuan Preserve and TPF hosted the military families at the Kingsley Heritage Celebration, an annual event held to celebrate African heritage and remember the enslaved who lived at Kingsley Plantation.
