Athena Phillips joins Citrus County as preservation specialist

Athena Phillips, the new preservation specialist for Citrus County Government, introduced herself in a short recorded message from the Citrus County Extension demonstration garden and described her role advising residents on trees and promoting local stewardship.

"Hi, I'm Athena Phillips. I'm excited to join Citrus County Government as new preservation specialist," Phillips said, noting she is stationed at the extension garden that master gardeners operate to demonstrate Florida-friendly gardening techniques. She listed garden features including palms, flowering plants, an herb garden and hydroponic vegetables.

Phillips said she moved from Tampa and relied on the extension office to learn what grows well in a climate where freezes occur. "I started my foundation in using science based research on what would grow well and the best methods of growing things," she said, framing research as central to her approach.

She outlined three primary duties: advising homeowners about trees, "connecting people with resources to be good stewards," and working to enhance the county's tree canopy. "I will be helping people make more informed decisions about the trees on their property... enhancing our tree canopy around Citrus County," Phillips said.

Phillips described trees as more than scenery, calling them "habitat and they're history," and urged a shared community passion for protecting and expanding tree cover. The remarks were presented as an introduction to her stationing and priorities at the extension garden; no formal actions, timelines or funding details were provided in the recording.