Florida Union Volunteers Improve
Access to Remote Island
Matt Nelson felt a rush of nostalgia as he stepped off a pontoon boat onto Tick Island. The International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers (IBEW) Local 756 Business Manager had camped on the remote island as a kid. This spring, he was back with a group of skilled union members looking to make the location accessible for the next generation.
Tick Island is one of the most remote areas of Florida’s Lake Woodruff National Wildlife Refuge. It is accessible only by boat and surrounded by open marsh, hardwood swamp and river channels.
As the group of Union Sportsmen’s Alliance (USA) volunteers walked inland, they saw a dilapidated fence, a deserted cabin and a deteriorated dock. After years of weathering, the area was unsafe for public use and needed restoration. The dock is the island’s only reliable access point, which added a logistical challenge for the 11 skilled volunteers.
“We had to make sure we had every material and tool we might need before heading out because it was a 40-minute boat ride each way,” Nelson said. “We didn’t want to waste time making extra trips.”
Volunteer leaders conducted a site visit in March to coordinate logistics. A month later, members of IBEW Local 756, IBEW Local 606, UA Plumbers & Pipefitters Local 295, International Union of Operating Engineers (IUOE) Local 673 and Teamsters Local 385 replaced the dock, repaired the entrance fence and restored steps to the cabin all within a weekend.
The new and improved Tick Island dock restored by union volunteers.
“We’re old-school tradesmen,” Nelson said. “We all work around each other in one form or another, so we’re used to making a game plan in the field. We utilized that experience and brought it to this project.”
Wildlife Refuge Manager Sterling Valentine said working alongside the volunteers was something special.
“They were incredible, truly some of the most skilled and motivated volunteers I’ve ever worked with,” Valentine said. “Every person showed up with professional-grade expertise. They were efficient because they knew how to tackle complex structural work safely and quickly.”
Staff from Blue Springs State Park, Hontoon Island State Park and De Leon Springs State Park all provided crucial resources and support, including a barge for material transport and a stable platform to work from.
The project was a part of the USA’s Work Boots on the Ground flagship conservation program, which brings together union members willing to volunteer their time and expertise to projects that improve and enhance public access to the outdoors, conserve wildlife habitats, restore America’s parks and mentor youth in the outdoors.
“These volunteers brought professional trade skills, dedication to public lands, and a passion for conservation,” said USA Director of Conservation Sam Phipps. “Their efforts allowed the Tick Island dock replacement to be completed safely, efficiently, and at a fraction of the projected cost.”
Valentine envisions youth skills camps, paddling trips, environmental education events and more for the island’s future.
The newly-installed fencing as part of the Tick Island restoration project.
Now that the project is finished, Nelson hopes the next generation gets to experience Tick Island the same way he did as a kid.
“It’s going to provide life skills and life lessons,” he said. “When kids go out there, they’re in a more isolated environment. There’s no electricity, no running water and none of the everyday amenities we’re used to now.”
“At the end of the day, this project is about giving back, building the community and not letting places like this go to waste and rot away.”
