Conservation Florida Expands its Team and its Capabilities
Conservation Florida now has more resources for land preservation with the addition of three new team members.
Gainesville, Fla., June 3, 2020 - Conservation Florida, a leader in statewide land conservation, has expanded its team and subsequently, its land preservation capabilities.
As a part of the challenging and nurturing internship program Conservation Florida has developed, three summer interns have been hired over the last few months. Each with unique roles and skill sets, these young professionals signify the organization’s commitment to cultivate conservation leaders of the future.
“Thanks to donors and volunteers dedicated to conserving Florida’s natural land, it has been a busy year and we are excited to welcome these three passionate and bright new CFL team members,” said Traci Deen, CFL’s executive director and CEO.
Conservation Florida’s newly hired legal intern is Florida native, Madi Dale. She will take her experiences from law school to research conservation laws in Florida and assist with maintaining online filing systems and data entry. Dale is returning to the CFL team for the second time after interning with CFL as an undergrad at the University of Florida. She is currently pursuing her J.D. at the University of Minnesota Law School. Dale enjoys traveling around the state and seeing the unique ecosystems Florida has to offer. She is passionate about CFL’s mission to permanently protect and conserve Florida’s landscapes for future generations.
Eva Ortiz-Feder is a Mexican American who just began working as Conservation Florida’s land stewardship intern. In this role, she will use her talents to assist with land protection projects, including the stewardship of D Ranch Preserve. Ortiz-Feder is currently a junior at the University of Central Florida majoring in biology with a pre-vet/zoology concentration and a minor in environmental science. Since she was young, Ortiz-Feder has been interested in conservation. She spent much of her childhood and teenage years volunteering to help wildlife in their natural ecosystems. Ortiz-Feder hopes to have a positive impact on the environment through her volunteering and career, and already sees Conservation Florida as a step in that direction.
Third-generation Floridian, Allison Russakis has been working as Conservation Florida’s multimedia intern for just over a month. She is responsible for managing Conservation Florida’s online presence by creating, curating, and analyzing content for Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and the organization’s website. Russakis is a combined master’s and bachelor’s degree student at the University of Florida. She will graduate with a Bachelor’s of Science in Public Relations this December and a Master’s of Science in Management from the Warrington College of Business the following December. Russakis grew up watching her family work to protect and conserve the natural Florida land of their cattle ranches. Because of this and her love of traveling, especially throughout Florida, Russakis is grateful to have the opportunity to work as a part of Conservation Florida and help preserve Florida for generations to come.
With the addition of three new team members who are each passionate about the conservation of Florida’s natural land, the organization’s ability to work towards its mission is sure to be strengthened. The expansion of the Conservation Florida team echoes the increase in Florida conservation made possible only by dedicated donors and volunteers.
Conservation Florida has developed a year-round internship program that uses each intern’s unique skills and interests to personalize their learning experience. Providing an inclusive, team-oriented environment that fosters creativity and empowerment, we instill confidence in our interns that they can make a positive difference in the world through their work in the field of natural resource management and land conservation. Email info@conserveflorida.org to learn more about internships with Conservation Florida, and to read more about its staff, go to conserveflorida.org/staff.
About Conservation Florida
Conservation Florida is a statewide accredited land trust with a mission to save Florida’s natural and agricultural landscapes for future generations. Our conservation efforts include Florida’s native plants and wildlife, fresh water, conservation corridors, family farms and ranches, the economy and nature-based recreation. Since our founding in 1999, Conservation Florida has led the way in strategic and evidence-based land protection and has saved over 30,000 acres of critical habitat through acquisition, facilitation or incubation. While our role in the land protection process varies, our services include providing expertise to guide landowners through the land protection process, serving as a trusted community partner to support statewide land conservation and promoting land conservation through effective education and advocacy. Our vision is large-scale, and we are 100% committed to conservation in the state of Florida – for nature, for people, forever!