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Chief Naturalist Jim Stevenson's administrative files, 1967-1989.
Amount:
2.25 cubic ft.
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Arranged by subject.
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Biographical/Historical:
The Florida Park Service was originally created in 1935 as the Board of Parks and Historic Memorials (Chapter 17025, Laws of Florida) and administered within the Board of Forestry. The Park Service's first eight parks were designed and built by the Civilian Conservation Corps. In 1949, the Park Service became an independent agency, the Board of Parks and Historic Memorials (Ch. 25353, Laws). Its purpose was to administer and control the operation and development of the state parks and historic sites of Florida. In 1969, the Board was merged with the Outdoor Recreational Development Council (Ch. 63-36, Laws) to form the Division of Recreation and Parks (Ch. 69-106, Laws) under the Department of Natural Resources. The Division eventually moved to the newly created Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) in 1993 (Ch. 93-213, Laws). From the 1930s until the 1970s, biologists were referred to as naturalists in the Florida Park Service. In the begining, they were primarily concerned with interpretation and visitor program development. By the 1970s, they began to also coordinate resource management issues such as species protection, exotic removal, and controlled burns, as well as conducting trainings and historic preservation efforts. The first naturalists were National Park Service employees employed through the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930s. Park manager and famed ornithologist Oscar Baynard assumed much of the naturalists' duties by the 1940s as the CCC was phased out. Carol Beck, first hired in 1942 to work with Baynard, became the FPS's first Chief Naturalist. When she retired in 1969, former park ranger and USF graduate Jim Stevenson was chosen to replace her. He left the FPS in the 1990s and retired from DEP as Environmental Coordinator in 2003.
During the 1970s, there were five interpretive naturalists working under Stevenson. These naturalists monitored programs at the parks, oversaw exhibits, offered assistance on resource management issues, and conducted interpretive trainings. As chief naturalist, Stevenson oversaw interpretive naturalist activities, created yearly interpretive reports, and edited park brochures.
Summary:
Administrative files of Chief Naturalist Jim Stevenson include interpretive naturalist monthly reports, personal contact reports, park brochure drafts, and correspondence with other naturalists and state parks. Information includes the types and quantity of interpretive programs given at parks, summaries of monthly activities of interpretive naturalists including trainings, exhibit design, personal programs, and resource management, as well early drafts of various park brochures.
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Folder listing available. 0
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Associated Materials:
Jim Stevenson's oral history (#845), housed at the Reichelt Oral History Program, Department of History, Florida State University, contains additional information on the activities of Chief Naturalist Jim Stevenson.
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Electronic Records Access:
Subject Access Fields:
Florida Park Service. Florida. Board of Parks and Historic Memorials.
Parks Florida Natural resources Florida Naturalists Florida
for detailed listing.