Friends of Wakulla Springs State Park, Inc. Newsletter - April 2008

by Ron Piasecki

If you haven’t been to Wakulla Springs lately you are really missing the beauty of the wonderful spring sights. Dogwoods in full bloom along with the azaleas make for a great viewing pleasure.

This is our spring 2008 Wakulla Riverfront newsletter and we have much to report.

First some sad news.  As you are all aware Sandy Cook is retiring.  As a matter of fact her last working day was March 31st.  Sandy will be on annual leave until her formal date of retirement in May.  While Sandy will be officially leaving the Park family she will remain a true “Friend”.  Sandy and  George are moving into their first new home on Spring Creek Highway, just south of HWY. 98.  Since this is the way I will travel to attend Friends board meetings I can make sure to stop and pick her up and bring her along.  I know she will continue to be a very valuable member of the Friends.

Charles Montford and I had the opportunity to sit down with Sandy, Brian and Bonnie Allen a couple of weeks ago and discuss some of the recommendations and priority needs of Wakulla Springs State Park.  With the State of Florida making drastic budget cutbacks we all know that the Park will have a very difficult time getting sufficient funds to accomplish many of the projects that we are looking at.  It becomes very important for the Friends to find creative ways to raise sufficient funds to help pay for some of these projects.  All of the tour boats need some level of repair.  In addition, the glass bottom boats need a complete overhaul.  We all would love to see more electric powered boats at the Springs, but these cost money.  In addition, with the Manatees  spending more time here we need to acquire the necessary safety equipment to make sure the boats do not cause them damage. 

Some of the other projects are new benches for the paths, and new path to the look-out tower, renovation of the gift shop, conversion of the Pavilion into an interpretive center, and conversion of the laundry building into a meeting room.  The lodge also needs new furniture and the Friends Board has already approved the purchase of a new High Definition Projection Television set for the lobby area.

Elsewhere in this newsletter you will find a farewell letter from Sandy and a hello from Brian Fugate our new Park Manager.  This coming weekend, Friday April 4-5th. will be the Wildlife Festival.  Please join us for a wonderful Art Show on Friday evening and the all day Saturday outdoor festival.  The Friends will be selling food at the restroom building, so stop by and have a nutrisous meal. Visit our website at www.wakullasprings.org for more information.

Murray McLaughlin is again coordinating the 5k run at the Park on May 17.  This will be our first major fundraiser for 2008 and once again we predict a great success.

Sue Damon, our newest Board member, has done an outstanding job with the media and developing a sponsorship program.  In Murray’s absence Charles Montford has stepped in to help out.  Charles was elected the Vice President of the Friends in March and in addition to the excellent work maintaining our webpage has also volunteered to help us with many other administrative projects.  As always, we need Friends volunteers to work on this program - so contact us if you have time to help.

We will also start a Friends Photo Contest, which will run twice per year.  Photos can be submitted up through June 30th for the first period and from July to Dec. 31st. for the second.  We will require photos to be of Wakulla Springs and will have four different categories to enter.  Members of the Friends will be the judges and the Park has agreed to hang the winning photos at the Park until the following contest.

We hope to encourage more people to visit the Park and take up photography.  We will send out more details in a separate e-mail in the near future.

With the manatees visiting Wakulla Springs State Park for the first time we thought it would be great to learn a little more about them.  Patty Wilbur, Park Ranger has written an article elsewhere in this newsletter that I know you will find very informative.

Well enough from me, I hope you enjoy this version of the Wakulla Riverfront.  We are always looking for interesting articles and welcome new articles and recommendations for improvement.  I feel this is an excellent way to communicate with our members and we hope to issue a newsletter each quarter.  Bring your camera and come join us at the Park.

We also recently had a wonderful visitor to the Springs.

Top photo by Doug Alderson, Jr.

Osprey and Wood Duck—Photographed by Ron Piasecki at Wakulla Springs

Brian Fugate

New Park Manager of Wakulla Springs State Park

Welcome to Brian Fugate who will join the team as the new Park Manager at Wakulla Springs State Park.

Brian received a Bachelor’s Degree in Parks and Recreation Planning from Bemidji State University.  He began his park service career in 1996 as a Park Ranger at Little Talbot Island State Park.  He then transferred to Fort Clinch State Park as a Ranger before promoting to Assistant Park Manager at Florida Caverns State Park.  From there he took on the Park Manager position at Three Rivers State Park.  It wasn’t long before the Park Manager position came open at Florida Caverns and  Brian accepted the promotion and moved back to the Caverns.  The karst landscape at Florida Caverns has many similarities to that of Wakulla Springs.  This experience has taught him about the fragility of karst and the immediate impact that human use can have on the resource.  This should serve him well as he takes on the awesome responsibility of helping to protect the fabulous resources of Wakulla Springs State Park.

Brian has a true love of the resources of Florida and is extremely proud of the opportunity to work for such a fantastic organization.  The flagship park in
the organization is Wakulla Springs, which makes it even more of an honor.

Brian’s wife Angie is also part of the Park Service and will be accepting an OPS position at Ochlocknee River State Park when they move over.  Brian and Angie have five children and last year welcomed their first grandchild.

Grants Committee:  Volunteers Needed

Charles Montford and I met with Sandy Cook and Brian Fugate to discuss Park requirements for the next couple of years.

As the discussion went on it became apparent that the Park would never be able to obtain sufficient State Funds to pay for some of the much needed improvements.

Some of the items requiring attention are:

• Rebuild the tour boats and the glass bottom boats;
• Convert the Pavilion into an interpretive center;
• Remodel the gift shop; and
• Convert the laundry building into an
  educational training center/meeting room.

To be able to fund these actions will require much higher amount of money than the Friends could normally expect to make through various  fundraisers.  There are many different types of grant funds available through foundations, and Federal and State agencies.  The problem is we need people with time and expertise to explore these alternatives and help the Friends secure some additional grant money.

I am therefore proposing that the Friends establish a Grants Committee composed of Friends members and Park staff.  This Committee would provide the research staff to explore the various grant options and prepare the recommendations for the Board to approve.

We really need your help in this area, so if you have the time to help please send me an e‐mail at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it or give me a call at 850
926‐5049.

Sandy's Swan Song 

I would first like to thank the Friends for the wonderful send off during the annual Friends meeting in February.  I suspected there might be a part on  the agenda to recognize the outgoing Park Manager.  However, I did not expect such a celebration, recognition and gifts.  My scrapbook will allow me to reflect on my “exotic life” with the Florida Park Service.  The alligator is displayed at the waterfront for guests to enjoy.  And the painting of me at the Lodge courtyard will have a special place in our new home.  The champagne toast was a real nice touch.

I have been fortunate to enjoy a great working relationship with our park Citizen’s Support Organization; the Friends of Wakulla Springs.  Many projects that had been identified as priority needs by the park were accomplished as a result of the Friends efforts.  Over 2 million dollars in grants and Friends funds have been spent on projects.  I encourage the Friends to continue to work closely with park management to identify and pursue funding for  priority projects.  This is particularly critical with tight state budgets.  The new Chair, Ron, has hit the ground running with this goal in mind.

Although I don’t generally like to single folks out, I do want to take the opportunity to thank a few folks for their contributions.  Jack Leppert and Dorothy Routh got the ball rolling by establishing the CSO in 1996 and have continued to be active since then.  They have spent countless hours in their effort to protect Wakulla Springs.  Della Parker‐Hanson served as Chair for two terms and at a time when there was a lot going on.  Her background and  passion for protecting the resources helped get us through some tough times.  And then there is Madeleine Carr who IS the Friends of Wakulla Springs in the minds of many.  Although she no longer serves on the Board, Madeleine continues to contribute in many ways.  Many of the successes are a  result of Madeleine’s expertise and perseverance.  There are several more of you who have helped to insure the success of the Friends and I hope you will continue to remain active.

My retirement plans include my continued passion for Wakulla Springs.  However, the one thing I plan to skip is meetings, reports and board meetings.
I hope to see you at a Friends event.

Thanks Again for making my 15+ years at Wakulla Springs productive and enjoyable.

Photo by Charles Montford

The Deep Secrets at Wakulla Springs

By Madeleine Carr

No, not another deep cave piece.  This time the land‐based depth of the ice age (about 12‐13,000 years ago) is peaking archaeologists’ interest.

Visiting Wakulla Springs State Park during April?  After the exhilaration of the April 3‐5 Wildlife Festival, the state’s Bureau of Archaeological Research
under the direction of Jim Dunbar will begin removing soil from three 2x2 meter units adjacent to the lodge April 7.

If you visit, you’ll see archaeologists and volunteers digging deeper as the first two weeks go by toward a depth of a surmised Pre‐Clovis Paleoindian habitation.  The location of the three sites is based on 1994 archaeological excavations in a test trench investigated by the late Calvin Jones.

The project is receiving funding from the National Geographic Society.  The samples that are being sought would have been part of a human  population that lived in a Florida that was cooler, dryer and much larger than today’s physical boundaries.  During that last Ice Age Florida did not  resemble anything you see today.  It might have looked like Ohio with animals that belonged to the megafauna variety, such as mastodons, giant  sloths, sabertooth cats, even lions, camels and a variety of horse.  (You can see an artist’s rendition in the ticket office or waterfront building at the  park.)

There are two reasons Dunbar and colleagues Kevin Porter and Mary Glowacki want to recover material dating to that time period.

The project combines archaeology and the earth sciences so that we can all begin to understand the existence of early humans in the southeastern U.S.  According to Louis Tessar of the Bureau of Archaeological Research, the Wakulla Springs Lodge Site “is unique because it is the only known  Simpson point site in an undisturbed stratum.”

A replica of the Simpson point that Dunbar recovered in 1994 is on display adjacent to the walkway to the waterfront near the gazebo.

The scientists want to establish a more accurate date for that earliest stratum near the lodge.  Once artifacts are recovered, the samples will be dated
using Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OLS).  OLS dating will take several months after the project closes and is backfilled at the beginning of May. After the fieldwork, specimens and samples will be processed at the Bureau of Archaeological Research, Florida Geological Survey, McMaster University and possible other facilities.

Environmental Conference for Youth Moves to Wakulla Springs

by Lynn Artz

An annual statewide environmental conference for high school students called SEEK (Save the Earth’s Environment through Knowledge) is moving to Wakulla Springs State Park.  Two groups of 36 students from across Florida will converge on the park in July.

The 4‐day conference sessions for students entering grades 10‐12 focus on today’s critical environmental issues:  climate change and energy  conservation, water pollution and conservation, and loss of wildlife habitat.  Conference activities include field trips, interesting talks, hands‐on  workshops, and information on careers in environmental science and conservation.  Students will swim, hike, and canoe, too.

Beginning this summer, Wakulla Springs State Park will host the conference (previously held on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville).  The natural setting at Wakulla Springs State Park will provide outdoor classrooms for the hands‐on, outdoor activities that previous conference participants have requested.  Field trip destinations will include the St. Mark’s National Wildlife Refuge, FSU’s Marine Lab, Gulf Specimen Marine Lab, and the Apalachicola National Forest.  Academic and government resources in nearby Tallahassee will provide participants with information about career opportunities.  SEEK also promotes student initiative and leadership. Selected graduates of SEEK who are no longer gradeeligible to attend the conference may return as mentors.

SEEK is attended by teens from all corners of the state –  from Santa Rosa Beach to West Palm Beach and places in between.  What SEEK  participants have in common is a love for nature and concern about environmental issues. SEEK is a volunteer‐run program of the Florida Federation of Garden Clubs, a leading conservation organization in the state.  All SEEK participants must be sponsored by a local garden club in Florida.  Garden clubs (with help from high school faculty) recruit and select students to attend the conference.  Local garden clubs also pay some or all of the  conference, lodging, and meal expenses for their selected students.  Students and their families provide transportation to and from the conference
and contribute to the conference fee as required by the sponsoring garden club.

For detailed information about SEEK, visit:  www.ffgc.org/youth/seek.html .

“Friends” Adopted Road Update

by Jackie Turner

As part of Keep Wakulla County Beautiful, the Friends of Wakulla Springs State Park have adopted a portion on CR 61 from SR 267 to Shadeville Highway and are required to conduct quarterly road cleanups.  Participants are now separating recyclables from the trash.  The aluminum cans are donated to the Animal Shelter (Leah Bowman’s suggestion), and at the landfill, the plastic and glass are recycled and the remaining trash is disposed
of properly.

The last quarterly Friends Road Cleanup was held on Saturday, March 15.  Four Friends, George Apthorp, Trudy Thompson, Leah Bowman, and John Canetta, park volunteer coordinator, Jackie Turner, and park AmeriCorps member, Linda Hall picked up 10‐1/2 large bags of litter (5‐1/2 trash, 2‐1/2 glass, 1‐1/2 plastic, and 1 aluminum).  They cleaned up most of the adopted route (Cherokee Road to Shadeville).  The remaining portion (SR 267 to
Cherokee Road) was not patrolled.

The Friends in attendance decided to have a follow up service day to finish the road clean up.  The follow up road cleanup will be held on Saturday, April 19.  If you are interested, please contact park volunteer coordinator, Jackie Turner (call 850.561.7281 or email This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it ). Please join your “Friends” to help beautify your adopted portion of CR 61.

Note:  the next quarterly road cleanup will be held Saturday, June 14. Please mark your calendars.

Wakulla’s Winter Manatees

By Park Ranger Patty Wilbur

When the weather grows colder, the water gets colder.  That’s the case downriver and in the gulf, but not at the Wakulla Spring.  Prior to flowing out of the spring, the water travels underground through miles of limestone tunnels.  This insulates it from freezing cold winter nights and sweltering summer heat.  The cave acts like a root cellar and keeps the spring a constant 69 degrees year round.  It’s a refreshing cold dip in summer, and can feel relatively warm in winter.

Apparently people aren’t the only ones who think the water feels good.  Manatees have been visiting the park more and more often in recent years during the warmer months.  And this year for the first time, some decided to spend the winter.

Manatees need to be in water that’s at least about 68 degrees.  If they get caught out in water that’s colder than that for too long, they may become
stressed and sick.  Other Florida springs farther south have long provided critical refuges for manatees during the winter.  Hundreds may be seen in the Crystal River this time of year.  The warm water discharges of power plants along the coast have also attracted crowds.  But maybe the word is getting around amongst these big fellows that Wakulla Springs State Park is a nice place to spend the season too.

Late last summer, three manatees were seen on a pretty regular basis at the park.  Occasionally others would come upriver for a short visit.  As the weather turned cold, we expected the manatees to head south.  Instead more and more seemed to show up.  The park staff has documented a dozen
different manatees here this winter!

Sadly, most manatees will have been cut a few times by boat propellers in their lives.  The scars from these wounds are white, and can often be used like fingerprints to tell individuals apart.  Photos taken here this winter have been compared to others in a large manatee database managed by the U.S. Geological Survey.  A few of our visitors had been documented before at Crystal River.  One male even has records going back to 1977.  One  small manatee showed up for the first time in late January.  It had a bad looking wound from a recent run-in with a boat.  It also had sores on its face that were probably due to its being out in colder waters.  On the weekend before Valentine’s Day, he spent a lot of time in the shallows of the swimming area.  He wasn’t eating much and was breathing pretty often for a manatee.  Biologists from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission decided to rescue him on the 12th of February so that he could receive medical care.  He survived the journey to the Lowry Park Zoo in
Tampa, and we hope he will make a full recovery.  But for the most part, the manatees appear to be doing quite well.  Some days they’re even seen frolicking in the spring basin.  They’ve been staying plump eating the plants growing on the river bottom.  They’ll even eat the invasive weed Hydrilla, but it doesn’t seem likely that they’ll be able to eat all of them.

Once the waters of the gulf begin to warm up with the change of season, the manatees may decide to leave the park to explore new places.  Come down to Wakulla Springs State Park soon to see these big visitors if you have a chance.  They might be visible right from shore.  If not, a trip in a  riverboat will probably get you a great look at them as well as all of the other wildlife abundant along the river.

Pictured above:  Synchronized Swimmers

Running for the Springs - Refreshing the Soul

by: Murray McLaughlin

Runners are known for their solitary jaunts along the highways and byways of our communities.  We often see them in what appears to be these torturous extensions of their better selves, at least to the confirmed remote driven recliners among us.  But little do we know!  There is an organized group that exists to facilitate opportunities to get together and run, jog or walk.  Better known as Gulf Winds Track Club, they are experts at these activities.  As stated in their constitution the “ … purpose of this club shall be to encourage participation in jogging and running, whether for competition, physical fitness, or pleasure…”.

The Friends of Wakulla Springs, better known for eating cookies at board meetings, has joined with Gulf Winds Track Club for our second annual 5K
Run for Wakulla Springs.  This is a sanctioned competition for Gulf Winds members but nonmembers may register to participate and you may run or jog or even walk.  However, there is also a one mile Fun Run immediately before the 5K run. Families and kids can participate and you could even put wheels on your recliner and have a board member push you in the Fun Run.

But, let us go back to the pleasure part of the Gulf Winds constitutional purpose.  Wakulla Springs State Park allows the 5K run to occur in the park
sanctuary.  The course is laid out through a pristine part of the park that is only accessible by park staff except for special events.  So whether you run or jog, compete or just enjoy, you will be traversing through hard wood forest containing several champion trees (identified by George Apthorp), passing by beautiful and serene wetlands meandering to the banks of the Wakulla River, and listening to the sounds of birds and critters who make this  sanctuary their home.  Echoing in the solace may be distant voices of the first Americans who originally championed this special place.  Your soul can be refreshed.

And, it will all serve a greater purpose, helping the Friends raise money to work with the State Park in protecting natures’ gift to us all.  May 17, 2008 is the date.  The Fun Run will start at 8:30am followed by the 5K run at 9:00am.  Last year over 150 people participated.  This year we are expecting
more and the first 200 registrants will again receive a T‐shirt with artwork by Pamela Ross.  Each age group will also receive 1st, 2nd and 3rd place prizes.  Visit wakullasprings.org for details and updates.

Please click here to download and print the official race flyer and application for you and your friends.   Please copy the flyer and distribute to as many people as possible. 

BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Executive Committee
Ron Piasecki, President
Charles Montford, Vice‐President
Ann Kennedy, Secretary
Trudy Thompson, Treasurer Ex‐Officio
Sandy Cook, Park Manager
Brian Fugate, Park Manager‐Designate
Bonnie Allen, Assistant Park Manager

Lynn Artz
Cal Jamison
Sue Damon
Jack Leppert
Margaret Davis
Dave Loper
John Epler
Kent Mayer
A.L. Ferreira
Crystal Wakoa

Friends of Wakulla Springs State Park, Inc. April 2008
550 Wakulla Park Drive
Phone 850-926-0700 Wakulla Springs, FL 32327 www.wakullasprings.org

Click here to download and print the Friends of Wakulla Springs membership application.  

This newsletter originally published on April 6, 2008.
 

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