Myra Castle is still sorting through files and learning a number of new things in her third week as park manager at Florewood River Plantation State Park.
Castle, a resident of Kilmichael, started her new job Aug. 1.
However, Castle is not unfamiliar with the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks, which oversees Florewood. Her husband, Larry Castle, is the deer program coordinator for the department.
Castle has a bachelor's degree and master's degree in library science from Mississippi State University. She worked for 11 years in the Winona Public School District before taking nine years off to home school her children. Her older daughter, Amy, 20, graduated as a home school student. She now is a sophomore at Mississippi State. Her younger daughter, Joni, 17, is a senior at Winona Christian Academy. And for the past three years, Castle has worked in the private school system.
She said her husband heard about the job opening at Florewood while he was visiting the Jackson office and thought she might be interested.
When he first mentioned the job, Castle said she wasn't sure if it was something she wanted to do. "When you think about parks, you think about camping," she said.
But she said her husband reminded her that Florewood is an historical park. With her background in education, Castle said he thought is was something she could do.
"And here I am," she said.
Castle is replacing former manager Emily Bradford, who left the park almost two years ago. Assistant manager Tony Garrett has acted as interim manager during that time, she said.
Kelly Mitchell, northern district manager for the Department of Wildlife, Fisheries and Parks and former Florewood manager, said the job was vacant for two years for a combination of reasons. He said the economy always factors in, but it was more about finding the right person for the job.
"Florewood is a unique park in the state," he said. "And we're happy with Myra."
Castle said she is enjoying her new position. "It's kind of a new aspect of education, I guess."
"I'm learning every day, starting with the personnel names, how the budget works, how purchasing works," she said.
The park currently has 12 employees, including Castle.
Periodically, she makes loops through the park to see what's going on.
She said she makes out the weekly maintenance list and walks around to see what is broken, what needs to be fixed or what has been fixed.
Castle said she also wants to become more knowledgeable about the story of the plantation that the interpreters tell during tours. "I want to be able to answer questions if I'm in that situation," she said.
One of Castle's goals is to increase visitation at the park. She said school group visitation was down last year. She already is looking up names of teachers and schools to contact about bringing students to the facility.
But for those who do visit the park, Castle said they will notice new coats of paint on the buildings at the plantation. "It is looking much better," she said.
And all the sprucing up will be just in time for the park's next big event, the Delta Cruisers antique car show scheduled for late September.
Then there will be the park's biggest event of the year, the Christmas candlelight tour in December.
She also is excited about the continuation of the annual reenactment of the Siege of Fort Pemberton that takes place each March.
In fitting with the Civil War theme, Castle said there are several changes that will be taking place at the park in the coming year. The park's theme will center more around the Civil War era than it has in the past. "We are trying to add something new.
"We've always said this was a replica of an 1850s plantation. It is going to be moved up to what life was like on an 1860s plantation during the Civil War," she said.
"We will be redoing the exhibits in the main building. We have ordered new costumes for the guides. And we will have a grand reopening in the spring and introduce what we have done about the Civil War," Castle said.
There are a number of other activities and events that take place at Florewood throughout the year, she said, but she is open to new ideas that would bring more people to the park.
Florewood is open Tuesday through Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on Sunday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
