Geraldo T. Maldonado

Geraldo T. Maldonado is a park ranger at Lake Louisa State Park.

The mission of the Florida Park Service is: "to provide resource-based recreation while preserving, interpreting, and restoring natural and cultural resources." What role do you play in this mission?

I'm a park ranger at Lake Louisa State Park, and I like to try my hand at every opportunity that working for the Florida Park Service provides. I'm especially keen on providing environmental interpretation, performing prescribed fires, felling trees, operating tractors and working on machinery.

How does your heritage influence your experience in the outdoors?

Well, having a darker complexion certainly helps when being outdoors because it's harder to get sunburnt, and chances for skin cancer are lower (but still a concern). I've been working outside, operating lawn equipment and swinging a machete for as long as I can remember, such as my father, grandfather and the ancestors I'll never know the names of. I was always fascinated by the stories of my ancestors from the Texas and Mexico border. I enjoyed stories about my great grandmother, who in the 1960s lived in a hut made from sticks and mud.

The idea of living off the land and being isolated in such a rural landscape has always appealed to me and has compelled me to get more in touch with nature.

Any advice for Latinx who are interested in a career in conservation or recreation?

Start as a volunteer and see if you have a taste for it. Expose yourself to every opportunity that parks have to offer, even the ones you're not crazy about. If you're having a blast volunteering, imagine getting paid to do the same work! If you can get into an AmeriCorps program or an OPS position, that's an excellent way to gain experience and get your foot in the door.

Set goals, plan, grind, reach those goals and then set some more goals.