Letter From Wekiva River Basin State Parks

Thank you for inquiring about volunteering here at Wekiwa River Basin State Parks. We are always on the lookout for great people with the desire to help others!

Please let me introduce and explain to you a little about myself. My name is Scott Mowry, the Park Services Specialist here at Wekiwa Springs State Park in Apopka. I have been in the Florida Park Service for over twenty years with the majority of those years working here at Wekiwa Springs. I do believe with all my heart that this park is the best in Florida and offers opportunities, adventure, tranquility, and so much more to everyone of all ages. Most people who live here in Central Florida have no clue that this natural wonder is right here in their back yard. Wekiwa Springs and its adjoining Parks and properties are roughly 41,000 acres and stretches from Apopka to the Ocala National Forrest in Lake County off State Road 44.

Our Resident Camp Host sites have water, 30 amp service with sewer hookup. You will be taking care of one circle in our camping area. The most important host duty is cleaning and maintaining the bathroom facilities which includes toilets, showers, sinks, mopping floors, etc. Other duties would include site checks, cleaning out grills, general maintenance or landscaping like weed eating, mowing and trimming shrubs when needed, informing campers of the park rules and regulations, helping campers when needed. They are required to document and volunteer a minimum of 20 hours per week. The minimum stay is 8 weeks with a maximum of stay 16 weeks. Hosts are provided with the following tools that are shared-a golf cart, cleaning chemicals and supplies, and needed hand tools. We do have a washer and dryer and limited ice at Wekiwa for Hosts use.

We also have Park Hosts which are similar to Camp Hosts but they are assigned a campsite in the regular camping area or other areas in one of our other Parks listed below. They are also required to document and volunteer a minimum of 20 hours per week. The minimum stay is 8 weeks with a maximum of stay 16 weeks. These sites also have fire ring, grill, picnic table, 30 amp electric, sewer, and water. Park Hosts are assigned maintenance type duties which may include cleaning the facilities in any of our parks.

I have attached the duties of a campground host to this email so you may read and understand them. Your days off will either be Monday and Tuesday or Wednesday and Thursday.

As you can see we have 2 categories that we place Resident Volunteers into here at Wekiva River Basin State Parks. The first are resident Volunteers that are placed in the campground as Camp Hosts. And the second are Park Hosts that are placed in the various places in all three parks.

In most situations people start as a Camp Host their first year then move on to Park Hosts the following year or years.

There are camp host/park host sites available though out the year at various times. Most always fall through spring are taken but openings do happen. You are welcome to email me to discuss possible availability.

Our three parks are the most unique in that they are in Central Florida where all the great adventures begin. One couple who left two seasons ago said” We were here for six seasons and never seen or did all we wanted to in the Central Florida area.”

Here are our three parks below.

https://www.floridastateparks.org/park/Wekiwa-Springs

https://www.floridastateparks.org/park/Lower-Wekiva-River

https://www.floridastateparks.org/park/Rock-Springs-Run

I truly hope this email has given you a great desire to come and volunteer with us. If you have more questions please feel free to ask.

Again, thank you for your interest in both Wekiva River Basin State Parks and the Florida Park Service. I look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you,
Scott Mowry