Friends

The mission of the Friends of Weeki Wachee Springs State Park is to promote the use, preservation, and enhancement of the Weeki Wachee Springs State Park. Thank you for your interest in Friends of Weeki Wachee Springs State Park (Friends). We are excited to have this opportunity to introduce you to our Citizen Support Organization (CSO). The Friends CSO was organized in 2009 by a group of passionate volunteers who wanted to protect and help sustain the Weeki Wachee Springs State Park. As a CSO, we are a not-for-profit 501(c)3 organization with oversight by the State of Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Division of Recreation and Parks. Soon after the first board meeting, relationships with local government agencies, businesses, and other not-for-profit organizations were established to promote the Friends mission of supporting the Weeki Wachee Springs State Park and Hernando County. Since Friends was created, the CSO has funded the Park's concert stage, the children's playground, LED Christmas lights and synchronizers, new speakers for Buccaneer Bay and the Animal Show, installation of satellite radio at Buccaneer Bay, a new computer system to enhance presentations in the underwater theater, underwater safety equipment, renovations to the guest services building, sign kiosks, landscaping around the park, and so much more. In 2014, a Master Plan was adopted for the Park that outlined needed improvements. The Friends mission is to raise funds that will help to offset improvement costs to the state park system and improve Weeki Wachee Springs State Park for generations to come. Our fund raising efforts are dedicated to making our beloved Park the thriving, national family attraction it has been since 1947. The Friends of Weeki Wachee Springs State Park volunteers work tirelessly to make this iconic natural spring a destination where families create lifelong memories by experiencing the magic of the Weeki Wachee River. The Friends of Weeki Wachee Springs State Park governing Board of Directors meets the third Tuesday of each month from 5pm to 7pm in the Park Administration Building conference room, unless otherwise stated on the Calendar of Events. All are invited to attend.