Renzo Downey
A hurricane-damaged campsite in St. Andrews State Park will be restored, thanks to a $60,000 community grant from the Florida State Parks Foundation.
The grant, through the St. Joe Community Foundation, will help improve the site damaged by Hurricane Michael in October 2018. Its funds will cover an activity pavilion, picnic tables, grills, safety lighting, the fire circle, and access and restroom improvements.
“The camp is important to provide youth, many of whom are increasingly removed from the natural environment, the opportunity to camp overnight in the wild outdoors of Florida, to connect with nature and to build lasting relationships with their friends and the environment,” said Julia Gill Woodward, CEO of Florida State Park Foundation.
Youth participate in swimming, fishing, hiking and nature observation, and many sleep outdoors for the first time, Woodward added. The park, located across St. Andrews Bay from Panama City, served more than 650,000 visitors last year.
“We are very pleased to assist with enhancing this educational venue within St. Andrews State Park,” said April Wilkes, executive director of St. Joe Community Foundation. “It is sure to be another one of the great little hidden gems to experience within the park for both locals and tourists to enjoy.”
Florida State Parks Foundation supports and sustains the Florida Park Service through preservation, education, advocacy, and encouraging community engagement. Founded as Friends of Florida State Parks in 1993, the group also supports local organizations and more than 20,000 volunteers.
The volunteer Board of Directors represent private and public sectors as well as local and statewide interests.
Florida Park Service, a division of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, manages 175 award-winning state parks and their staff. Florida’s parks, trails and historic sites span nearly 800,000 acres and 100 miles of beachfront.
St. Joe Community Foundation, founded in 1999, education, environmental, and cultural grants in Northwest Florida. It’s funded by transfer fees on real estate sold in certain communities, according to the foundation’s site.
