A MESSAGE FROM OUR DIRECTORAt the end of summer, as students across the state and country went back to school, state and local park leaders gathered for training at the Florida Recreation and Park Association’s annual conference in Orlando. In a sense, it was like going back to school for us. Updating our skills and keeping up with the latest knowledge is a requirement for maintaining professional certifications. Many of the participants, including our staff, are Certified Park and Recreation Professionals, as designated by the National Recreation and Park Association. Certified Park and Recreation Professional certification is one of the many ways the Florida Park Service encourages professional development. The Florida Park Service is committed to training staff to the highest levels of their professions. This in turn helps staff to deliver outstanding visitor services and to manage parks’ natural and cultural resources. I often say that “people make the parks.” People are our most important investment. Training staff in safety, as well as to educate park visitors, manage facilities and protect land and water is critical to our success. My favorite training program is our Ranger Academy. Ranger Academy is a rite of passage for most park staff, a kind of “boot camp” for park professionals. We learn everything from natural communities to building maintenance to customer service. We even learn how to properly wear our uniforms. Yes, I say “We,” because even I attended Ranger Academy as a new director of the Florida Park Service. I was a humble cadet learning and taking tests, then sleeping in a cabin at night. The knowledge and understanding that I gained were valuable. Even after years working alongside Florida’s state parks in a variety of ventures, I was surprised at how much I learned. More than that, though, I was struck by the overwhelming sense of camaraderie and pride in my fellow attendees. As much as we enjoyed being together, we also couldn’t wait to get back out into our respective parks and put our experiences to use. Any park ranger or manager you encounter on your next visit likely has a similar story. If you ask one about it on your next park visit, you might just walk away with a memorable tale or a better understanding of what makes our parks the best in the nation. Best, Eric Draper | 
