Cully Lord
My Story
"DIP!!!"
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That was my first word ever spoken as a child. Apparently on that day as I reached wildly for the chewing tobacco can, it became clear that a friend of my father had been giving me tobacco behind his back. My dad was absolutely furious. By all appearances, it looked like I would have a long hard road ahead of me in life. On the contrary, by growing up in the rural backwoods of central Florida with one foot in the city and one foot in the country, I developed a love of the outdoors at an early age which by happenstance fulfilled the true meaning of my Gaelic name: Woodsman.
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I learned many life lessons through my involvement with football during high school and briefly in college, strongly justified by me being a fifth generation player. My father was drafted by the Dallas Cowboys in 1968 from Harvard, my grandfather was a captain of the Harvard football team in the late 1920's, and my great grandfather played the game shortly after it was invented I am told. It was all I had ever dreamed of doing with my life. Those dreams and aspirations soon came to pass when a life changing injury forced me to focus on another true passion unexplored - conservation.
My change in life trajectory led me to the University of Florida, where I graduated with a bachelors in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, later completing my masters in Forest Resources and Conservation. I have spent the past 13 years working in land management on public lands in Florida, first for the Department of Environmental Protection as a natural resource specialist, then as a wildlife biologist for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and now currently as a Natural Resource Management supervisor for the City of Gainesville, Florida. I am a Certified Wildlife Biologist, Florida Certified Prescribed Burn Manager, Certified Parks and Recreation Professional, and as I always like to point out, I am nothing more than an avid student of the complex science of fire ecology and management.
Having a strong network of support from my family was among my greatest gifts in life, and I would not be where I am today without them. They have helped me and provided me with love beyond measure. My family and I currently reside in the city of Gainesville, Florida where we enjoy paddling, fishing, camping and anything that keeps us outdoors.
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