Staff Spotlight, Sara Travis
Park Ranger Sara Travis
Jonathan Dickinson State Park
Raised in Jacksonville, Sara grew up with a love of the outdoors. She spent her free time at the beach, in the woods, or watching nature documentaries. A multi-talented athlete in high school, she went to college on a softball scholarship.
Sara attended Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, North Carolina where she graduated with a Bachelor of Science majoring in Wildlife Rehabilitation and minoring in Psychology. Her course work included completing a summer clinical caring for injured wildlife and presenting educational programs to the local community.
Sara moved to South Florida to pursue a career as a Zookeeper. While working at the Palm Beach Zoo she gained valuable skills including proper animal welfare and managerial leadership. During her time as a Zookeeper, Sara became interested in Florida ecosystems and how to educate Floridians about their own back yard. Sara gladly accepted a position as Park Ranger at Jonathan Dickinson State Park and is fulfilling that dream now!
At the park, Sara enjoys answering questions about the local plants and animals and explaining why the park conducts prescribed burns. Her favorite area in Jonathan Dickinson State Park is Trapper Nelson’s because it has such a unique cultural history (and a good unsolved mystery too).
When not at work, Sara can be found on her paddle board exploring mangrove tunnels or hiking in one of Florida’s unique habitats with her fiancé and their dog, Sawyer.