The Friends of the Wekiva River

The Friends of the Wekiva River (FOWR) is a non profit organization that has been in existence for more than 30 years. Through that time, we have helped lead efforts at the local, state and national level to protect the natural resources in the Wekiva River Basin. We have been actively involved with actions that have established the Wekiva River Protection Area, designated the Wekiva as a Wild and Scenic River, and initiated purchase of natural lands in a conservation corridor from the Ocala National Forest to Wekiwa Springs State Park. Our mission includes education, outreach and community involvement related to issues that would affect the ecology of the river and the habitats, plants and animals in the Basin.

We have set the preliminary agenda for programs for the 2006/07 year, and hope that they are of interest to central Floridians who live in or near the Wekiva Basin. Our programs will include expert speakers on subjects such as Nuisance Bears in the Wekiva Basin, Florida Friendly Landscaping and Butterfly Gardening, Eco-passages for wildlife, and the aquatic ecology of the Wekiva and spring systems. In addition, we will host the second annual RiverFest in March and our annual banquet in May.

The FOWR continues to stay involved with issues relevant to the natural resources in the Basin. We are actively participating in Wekiva River Commission hearings, the Environmental Advisory Group for the Wekiva Parkway, and local government Comprehensive Planning updates, and we are leading the Working Group for the Wild and Scenic River, and the Audubon Christmas bird count.

The FOWR organizes field trips, canoeing events, and river cleanups that could always benefit from new participants interested in the Wekiva. Our desire is to assure that resource protection is a priority in the Wekiva Basin as central Florida continues to grow. We hope that some of the residents living in the Wekiva Basin will join the FOWR and assist in the work that we do. We hope that one or more of the FOWR programs scheduled for the upcoming months are of interest to a diverse array of residents in the Basin. The programs associated with our monthly meetings will be held at 7:30, the first Thursday of each month at the Seventh Day Adventist Church on Markham Woods Road in Longwood.

Jay Exum

President, The Friends of the Wekiva River, Inc.

September 2006