Greener Initiative

… in a press conference at Wekiwa Springs State Park. The Greener Initiative is designed to expand environmentally friendly practices in state parks, reduce parks’ energy-related expenses and encourage park visitors to make environmentally-conscious decisions in the parks and at home.

Environmental stewardship is one of the Foundation’s top priorities, and all Foundation-sponsored projects are evaluated for their potential environmental impact before they are implemented. The Foundation has a proud legacy of environmentally-minded projects, and we look forward to Going Greener in Florida State Parks in 2023 and beyond.

In July 2024, the Foundation teamed up with Cannondale Bicycles and REI Co-op’s Winter Park, Florida, store to provide 25 Cannondale Tesoro Neo X 3 e-bikes for use by rangers at parks across the state.

The program proved to be such a success that the Foundation expanded to provide 25 additional e-bikes in August 2025, bringing the statewide fleet total to 50.

As part of the Greener Initiative, the Foundation announced plans to install new, energy efficient LED lighting at Wekiwa Springs State Park, Blue Spring State Park, Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park, Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park and Highlands Hammock State Park. These five “pilot parks” will realize a combined estimated savings of more than $300,000 over the next 10 years. The project will expand to additional parks in the months and years ahead.

In 2021, the Foundation unveiled “Chief Potackee- Betty Mae Tiger Jumper,” the first ever accessible glass-bottom boat at Silver ings State Park. Not only does the boat feature a flat deck and spacious aisles for access for mobility assistive devices, but it also is powered by twin eco-friendly electric engines that create no emissions or combustion scents.

On the heels of the “Chief Potackee-Betty Mae Tiger Jumper,” the Foundation added a second accessible, environmentally-conscious tour boat to the Florida State Parks fleet in 2023 with the debut of the “Great Blue Heron” at Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park near Tallahassee.

The state-of-the-art vessel features a hybrid-electric engine which can capably navigate the Wakulla River’s strong current, as well as an extended ramp and ample space to accommodate mobility devices.

Similar to the accessible glass-bottom boat at Silver Springs, the Foundation has teamed up with a variety of community partners to provide electric-powered accessible trams at parks around the state. Florida Power & Light Co. has provided trams to John D. MacArthur Beach State Park, Hugh Taylor Birch State Park, Henderson Beach State Park and Oscar Scherer State Park, while TECO Energy and the St. Joe Community Foundation have provided a tram to Hillsborough River State Park and Topsail Hill Preserve State Park, respectively. These trams expand accessibility in Florida State Parks while eliminating fuel emissions.

The Foundation created Plant a Pine in 2020 to help restore Florida’s native longleaf pine population. These majestic trees support rich, diverse ecosystems across the southeast, but after decades of commercial use, they now cover just an estimated 3% of their original habitat. For every $1 contributed to Plant a Pine, the Foundation plants one longleaf pine in a Florida state park. To date, the program has generated more than $450,000 for longleaf pine restoration in Florida’s state parks.