Meet Kylie Wilson: A Florida Master Naturalist Program Success Story

Meet Kylie Wilson: Sarasota’s Spectacular Shorebird Superstar!

Kayaking with the Sarasota Bay Watch group for a birding survey of Jim Neville Marine Preserve

Kylie is one of those rare breeds- a native Sarasotan. We’ve had a few of them now in our Florida Master Naturalist Program (FMNP) courses at UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County.

Even as a child, Kylie was in love with the study of living things and nature. Graduating from FSU with a bachelor’s degree in biology, Kylie has worked for the past decade in various roles related to wildlife research and conservation, animal husbandry, environmental monitoring and most recently, land management.

Banding Black Skimmers at Lido Key as the FWC SW Regional Shorebird Biologist

I wanted to pursue a career in biology since I was a kid and followed that passion through university and beyond.

When we first met Kylie, she was enrolled in the Freshwater Systems FMNP course at UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County in the winter/spring of 2023. At the time, Kylie was the shorebird coordinator in Sarasota with Audubon Florida, where she managed one of the state’s largest Black Skimmer nesting colonies. She later went on to be the Southwest Regional Shorebird Biologist for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Expanding Knowledge and Gaining Experience

Kylie hugging trees while delineating wetlands

When asked why she was interested in taking a Florida Master Naturalist class, Kylie stated “While I had a lot of hands-on experience with coastal ecosystems, I wanted to broaden my understanding of freshwater ecosystems. The class gave me a deeper understanding of other plant communities and the various wetland types. This helped build a strong foundation for furthering my knowledge of ecosystem management in relation to these environments. It is also great to have the resource of the course manual to refer to.”

Welcome Kylie to Sarasota County’s Park, Recreation, and Natural Resources Department!

Kylie feels the knowledge she gained in her FMNP course helped with work she did as an environmental consultant in the private sector, particularly with wetland delineations. She also believes having a FMNP certificate is a valuable addition to the resume of anyone seeking work in environmental fields. And in Spring 2025, Kylie started working for Sarasota County as a land manager. It’s such a pleasure to see our FMNP graduates take on new roles and responsibilities and continue along their paths as naturalists! We now get to partner with Kylie on educational programs and projects, and hope to have her as a FMNP guest speaker in the future.

Kylie and other FMNP Freshwater students standing in a depression marsh at Myakka River State Park learning about carnivorous plants.

Why Take a Florida Master Naturalist Course?

Some of Kylie’s favorite aspects of her Freshwater Master Naturalist class were the opportunities to go into the field and get first-hand looks at the ecosystems we studied and apply the knowledge learned in the classroom. She recommends enjoying every minute and be sure to network – get to know the instructors and others in your cohort as they are fabulous like-minded people who may end up meeting you again in the future of your naturalist journey. She says “I was lucky to have several people in my class that are now coworkers of mine in the county. Prior to being hired by the county, I interacted with them regularly in my previous role with Audubon Florida as a shorebird stewardship and monitoring coordinator. This is truly a learning experience that can come full circle! I would highly recommend taking the FMNP courses and hope to complete the program with the Coastal and Upland modules!”.

This is truly a learning experience that can come full circle! I would highly recommend taking the FMNP courses

Become a Florida Master Naturalist!

Learning about cypress dome hydrology and native plants at Myakka River State Park during FMNP Freshwater Systems.

Interested in joining a Florida Master Naturalist Program course to see what all the hype is about? Register for an available course near you, or learn more about the program. You can also apply for a scholarship here. Read a graduate success story to learn how this program impacts the lives of students and their communities. Stay in the know and find out when UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County is offering FMNP courses! Sign up for Nature News, the Ecology and Natural Resources Program’s newsletter. Graduates from an FMNP class may also join their local Friends of FMNP group to continue learning, creating community, and supporting conservation locally. Friends events in Sarasota County are shared via our Nature News newsletter.