Upcoming Events & Volunteer Opportunities
The FOWR calendar tends to slow down during the hot summer months, but we have exciting news — fresh new board members have joined our ranks, and big plans are in the works for the Fall 2026/Spring 2027 season. Stay tuned for more announcements! In the mean time check out these other events hosted by our local partners:
Survival 101 Class with Don Philpott - Hosted by Wekiva Island
Date: Wednesday, September 9, 2026
Time: 6:00 PM- 8:00 PM
Location: Wekiva Island, 1014 Miami Springs Drive Longwood, FL 32779
Survival 101 is a basic class that could save your life. This class covers the three essentials of survival – staying warm, staying dry and staying safe, and how to do this in the harshest of environments. Learn about finding food and water, building shelters, how to build and start fires, navigating without a compass, and much more. The class is run by Don Philpott, who has taught survival techniques for more than 50 years. He has expeditioned, backpacked, climbed, canoed and ridden through Europe, North America, Africa, Asia, the Arctic, Australia and New Zealand. He has written several books on survival, security and safety.
This event is free but we kindly ask you to RSVP in advance. Learn more here!
Wekiva Lake Restoration - Hosted by Seminole Education, Restoration, and Volunteer (SERV) Program
Date: Saturday, September 12, 2026
Time: 9:00 AM- 12:00 PM
Location: Wekiva Lake/Wekiva Cove, 250 Wekiva Cove Road, Longwood, FL 32779
Take part in a fun lake restoration project! Help plant native shoreline plants to improve water quality and wildlife habitat at Wekiva Lake. This is a partnered event with local scouts and lake residents. Sign up and learn more!
Hooked On The Byway Kids Try Fishing - Hosted by River of Lakes
Date: Saturday, September 19, 2026
Time: 9:00 AM- 12:00 PM
Location: Hontoon Island State Park, 2309 River Ridge Rd, DeLand, FL 32720
Whether you’re a beginner who has never fished before or you’ve been fishing for years, join us for a fun day of fishing, learning, and making memories! Free event for kids ages 6 -12 and their families. Fishing poles will be provided for all participating kids to use during the event and take home. Pre-registration required!
email: riveroflakesinfo@gmail.com
Evening Bioblitz - Hosted by The Wekiva Wild & Scenic River System
Date: Saturday, September 19, 2026
Time: 8:00 PM- 10:00 PM
Location: Wilson’s Landing, 379 Malekean Trail, Sanford, FL 32771
The Wekiva Wild & Scenic River System River Ambassador Val Hahn and community member Ellie will be holding an evening bioblitz event at Wilson's Landing that will count toward Parks for Pollinators participation.
Registration is required, so be sure to sign up here.
Nature’s Barometer Class with Don Philpott - Hosted by Wekiva Island
Date: Wednesday, September 23, 2026
Time: 6:00 PM- 8:00 PM
Location: Wekiva Island, 1014 Miami Springs Drive Longwood, FL 32779
For thousands of years, people relied on nature to predict the weather. By observing birds, animals, plants and even clouds, they could accurately forecast the weather for days and even weeks ahead. We all know that a red sky at night means fine weather the next day, and like many of these observations, there is sound science behind. Come and discover the secret to accurately forecasting the weather using nature as your guide. Don is a renowned author, journalist, broadcaster and public relations champion. He’s a master naturalist, a certified interpretive guide and a photographer.
This event is free but we kindly ask you to RSVP in advance. Learn more here!
Our River Volunteer Workday - Hosted by Seminole Education, Restoration, and Volunteer (SERV) Program
Date: Saturday, September 26, 2026
Time: 8:30 AM- 12:00 PM
Location: Wekiwa Springs State Park, 1800 Wekiwa Cir, Apopka, FL 32712
Join a fun event at Wekiwa Springs State Park in honor of National Public Lands Day! SERV will be one of several partner organizations helping out at the park; we'll be removing invasive plants to protect biodiversity. Registration details will be posted on SERV's Facebook. You can also contact serv@seminolecountyfl.gov directly to sign up. View event on Facebook
Lake of the Woods Restoration - Hosted by Seminole Education, Restoration, and Volunteer (SERV) Program
Date: Saturday, October 17, 2026
Time: 8:30 AM- 12:00 PM
Location: Lake of the Woods, 300 Carolwood Pt, Fern Park, FL 32730
Join SERV and Seminole County Lake Management to help restore Lake of the Woods! We'll be planting native shoreline plants to improve water quality and wildlife habitat. Sign up and learn more!
Fall 2026 Eco Paddle Events - Hosted by Seminole Education, Restoration, and Volunteer (SERV) Program & the Wekiva Wild & Scenic River System
Date: September 24, October 14, November 6
Time: 9:30 AM- 12:30 PM
Location: Wekiva Island, 1014 Miami Springs Drive, Longwood.
Thanks to the generosity of Wekiva Island, we are pleased to offer monthly Eco Paddle events in fall, winter, and spring. These FREE educational outings are held in partnership with Wekiva Wild & Scenic River System. Signup required; spaces limited. Upcoming dates: 9/24/26, 10/14/26, 11/6/26.
Wekiwa Springs Watch - Hosted by the Florida Springs Institute and Wekiva Island
The 3rd Thursday of each month
Time: 8:30 AM- approx. 11:30
Location: Wekiva Island, 1014 Miami Springs Dr., Longwood, FL
Thank you, Wekiva Island, for donating canoes for this activity!
BECOME A CITIZEN SCIENTIST AND HELP MONITOR OUR SPRINGS! SpringsWatch is a citizen science program that provides volunteers with hands-on training in the field. That “field” is Florida’s beautiful springs! Volunteers learn all aspects of water quality monitoring and get to know the wildlife and plants that depend on springs systems. This fun and educational day on the water also contributes to our springs knowledge database as well as that of other environmental agencies across the state.
Currently, the Florida Springs Institute has 11 active SpringsWatch groups across Florida, including Wekiwa Springs. During SpringsWatch sessions, volunteers collect data on water temperature, dissolved oxygen, specific conductance, vertical light attenuation, aquatic vegetation, wildlife, and human uses.
SpringsWatch is a great way to get out to the springs, learn, and help generate data that supports them. Email michelle@friendsofwekiva.org if you’d like to join!
Scenes from several Springswatch paddles. Images by Michelle Jamesson and other Springswatch volunteers
Run for the Woods - Hosted by Tracked Chair Adventures
Date: Sunday, February 14, 2027
Location: Seminole State Forest, 32058 FL46, Sorrento, FL US 32776
Run, hike or walk the scenic trails of Seminole State Forest. Offering something for everyone, there will be a 5K, 12K (7.14 miles) and half-marathon trail race through some of central Florida's most beautiful forest.
This is a charity event. We help provide both accessibility and opportunity for everyone to enjoy the natural beauty of our forest and parks.
You can directly support the Tracked Chair Adventures by registering for the trail run today. Because the Run is sponsored by Tracked Chair Adventures, Inc., a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization, your registration fees are tax deductible, to the extent allowed by law. Thank you!
