August 20, 2025 • 16 mins
Florida's second most visited state park holds a remarkable story of conservation triumph that nearly wasn't. Lovers Key, now a pristine coastal sanctuary, once faced imminent development into a canal-lined McMansion community in the late 1970s. Today, this environmental treasure stands preserved through the tireless efforts of an all-volunteer organization working to protect its unique ecosystems.
Jim Remis, President and Chair of Friends of Lovers Key (FOLK), reveals the inner workings of this citizen support organization that partners directly with state park rangers to maintain and enhance this beloved natural space. While many visitors come solely for the gorgeous beaches, FOLK's mission extends far beyond sand management to comprehensive environmental stewardship. Their work has become especially critical during what Remus describes as "a master class in hurricane recovery" following multiple storms including Hurricane Ian.
The park's remarkable resilience shines through in stories of sea turtle nesting success, with widened beaches providing safer hatching grounds and dedicated volunteers adopting nests. Meanwhile, the Welcome and Discovery Center – built to withstand Category 4 hurricanes – continues operating despite infrastructure challenges. Popular summer camps have returned, introducing a new generation to environmental stewardship across the park's four distinct ecological zones. FOLK's annual gala consistently sells out months in advance, demonstrating the community's passionate support for this conservation success story.
Discover how you can join this vital preservation effort through volunteering, membership, or simply visiting to experience one of Florida's last unspoiled coastal treasures. With no paid staff and complete reliance on community support, Friends of Lovers Key exemplifies grassroots conservation at its finest – ensuring this paradise remains protected for generations to come rather than becoming another development casualty along Florida's coast.
Friends of Lovers Key
Jim Remis -President
8700 Estero Blvd Ft Myers Beach, FL, 33931
contactus@friendsofloverskey.org
friendsofloverskey.org
Ft Myers Beach-Good Neighbor
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to State Insurance USA Cares podcast,
where we celebrate the heart ofour communities.
Each episode, we highlightlocal charities and nonprofits
who are bringing hope, help andhealing to those who need it
most.
Get ready to be inspired by theamazing stories of people
making a difference, becausetogether we care.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Well, hello, my name is Gail Langner and I am proud
to work for State Insurance USA.
We also have a foundationcalled State Insurance Cares and
today, because of StateInsurance Cares, we have Jim
Remis, who is the president andchair of the board of the
Friends of Lovers Key, and so,jim, we're so glad to have you
(00:40):
on today.
I'm pleased to be here.
Well, thanks for all you do atFriends of Lovers Key, that's
for sure.
We know that volunteering is apaycheck of the heart for sure,
so we're glad you're here.
One of the things that we didwith State Insurance Cares is
last year we did theAdopt-A-Turtle Nest, and I just
(01:03):
have to tell you that we hadrecord numbers.
We had over 100 babies.
So we were pretty proud parentsabout that.
But now our mama this year shehas a lot to hold up to to get
that many babies.
So we'll see.
We're waiting for the hatch.
So how are things been goingwith that?
Do you have quite a fewsponsors for that?
Speaker 3 (01:24):
We do, and with the beach being widened so much, you
know, there's much more of anopportunity for the turtles to
be successful and not have theirnests washed away.
So that is a great program andthe folks who run it four folk
are excited about how manypeople have been participating
in this.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
That's good.
Well, once the word gets out, Imean it's.
I know we talk about it all thetime how excited we are to be
turtle parents.
For sure I know, though, withthe beach being widened, I'm
sure that the mamas are reallydon't have to worry so much
about the damage, for sure aboutthe damage for sure.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
It was interesting how the folks who actually did
the widening came backafterwards and did some magic in
the sand so that the turtlescould actually dig, because once
they did it, initially it wastoo hard, it was too hard.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Oh, I wouldn't even think about that.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
They spent quite a bit of time making the sand
available for the turtles oh,that's wonderful.
It's a demonstration of what.
Making the sand available forthe turtles oh, that's wonderful
.
It's a demonstration of whatwe're doing here Exactly.
It's interesting because thepark is the second most visited
park in the state.
Many people come here solelyfor the beach, but yet there's
so much more.
Oh for sure.
And you just don't know thefact that there is.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
Yeah, there really is .
I know that the Friends ofLovers Key is actually and I you
know actually, I'll be honest,I had to research it it's
actually called a CSO, which isa citizen support organization,
right?
So you are helping support thestate park which is Lovers Key.
Tell us a little bit about thekinds of things that you do, jim
(03:05):
.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
So Friends of Lovers Key is a 501c3 charity like
every other 501c3.
And we sit up of the CSO and weget our authority from the
state park service in a contractthat we actually have with them
, and so we have an integralpartnership with the park
(03:28):
through the rangers.
So there's really three groups.
There's Friends of Lovers KeyBoard, which, by the way, are
all volunteers.
We have no employees.
Then there's the rangers, whoare on the state.
Most of them are on the statepayroll, although there's a lot
of creativity and how they getpaid, um, but we do not pay them
(03:48):
.
And then there's the volunteers.
Okay, so our mission is reallysimple it's to protect, preserve
and support the park right and,unfortunately, the last three
years have been sort of a masterclass in hurricane recovery,
sure, and so one of the thingswe've been doing actually since
(04:09):
Ian is helping the park do anumber of things.
Most importantly, the state isonly reimbursing the park for
the things they lost, and thethings they lost in many cases
were 10, 15, 20 years old.
So we did a lot of fundraisingto replace equipment and tools
(04:30):
and all that other stuff, andit's through that process we
recruited volunteers to assist,because the rangers spend most
of their time worrying aboutprotecting the park and so forth
Right Volunteers, despite quitea bit of their efforts lately
doing all kinds of crazy things,from helping maintain equipment
(04:53):
to building shelves to raise upthe storages and do all kinds
of maintenance on our trails andso forth.
So, yeah, there's aboutanything you can think of that
our volunteers do.
Okay, what about during Ian?
What about about anything youcan think of that our volunteers
?
Speaker 2 (05:05):
do Okay.
What about during Ian?
What about the Welcome andDiscovery Center?
How was that?
Speaker 3 (05:11):
So you know it was built to withstand a Category 4
hurricane and it did.
It was the only building thatwas not damaged to the point
that it had to be, you know,ripped down.
But it's also interesting inthe fact that we're still
running the building, believe itor not, on generators.
Really, we don't have powerback, not because there's no
(05:35):
power back to the park, butwe're trying to redo the
electrical systems through thestate and Florida Power and
Light so they don't get washedaway again.
They would have been tried threetimes in a row by the three
hurricanes, sure, but thebuilding is in perfect shape.
The air conditioning works.
I was freezing there during ameeting yesterday.
(05:56):
The exhibits are open, thepublic restrooms are there for
enjoyment, and it's fine.
We had our summer camps thisyear for kids.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
I was going to ask you about that.
Tell everybody about the summercamps.
I was really thrilled to hearthat.
I was really thrilled to hearthat.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
So it's amazing how many kids in this area,
including at the beach, knownothing about the environment or
anything Does not surprise me.
We go to the beach to swim andthat's about it.
So our purpose is to try tostart the process of creating
the next generation ofenvironmentalists, and when I
(06:44):
use that term, I don't mean itin the way that, you know, some
people look at environmentalists.
I'm talking about the fact thatour mission is to provide an
opportunity for the park to bethere forever.
And to do that, you know I'mnot going to be around forever,
ever.
And to do that, you know I'mnot going to be around forever.
So the main purpose of thecamps is to introduce the kids
to why it's important tounderstand what we have, to
(07:04):
understand the variouscomponents of the park.
The park is interesting in thefact that it has four different
environmental zones, so weintroduce them to those and, to
the extent that we need to, weactually provide the tuition for
them.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Oh, that's wonderful and that comes obviously from
your fundraising efforts.
That's correct, right.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
So it's been very, very good.
Unfortunately, we had a greatstart for Ian and, like
everything else, everything'scoming back slowly, but I think
this year it worked out really,really well.
We we just um, we just uhelected a new board member
actually yesterday who was goingto coordinate our events going
(07:47):
forward.
Um, and part of our efforts nowfor the next year is to get
back to doing various things inthe park to attract locals and
others so that we can exposethem to what we're trying to
accomplish.
That's wonderful.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
Well, I know you have a great board.
I mean I know that.
I mean I know Kat and Tina andMegan.
I mean you know, I know youhave a really good and active
board.
I know one of the things thatKat always talked about was your
gala.
So I know you probably.
I looked it's coming up inFebruary, right, right.
So is that your biggest eventof the year is your gala?
(08:26):
It is, and it sells out right.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
So two years ago we had the first true gala and it
sold out.
Yeah, and it's interesting.
The logistics of permitting andso forth basically requires
that it not be more than about200 people and it sells out.
In fact, I'm concerned that thegala is already sold out.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
In February.
What a horrible problem to have.
Let me tell you what, jim.
I'm the chair of the board ofthe Estero Historical Society
and I'm thrilled that Futuregenerations are going to learn
About Estero history.
But to have that be sold out,that's a good problem to have,
jim.
It is.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
It's our biggest fundraiser, but it was
interesting Because of all ofthe damage to the beaches, both
Fort Myers Beach and Bonita Lastyear, last February, we didn't
have a true gala.
We had a waves of appreciationwhere we invited our donors and
our volunteers and the rangersto come at no charge and we had
(09:34):
sort of an internal gala wherewe thanked them for everything
they've done.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
That's really you know, that's really nice, that
appreciation piece really.
And and you know how hard theyworked.
I mean, you know how hard youworked.
So how, how would you volunteer?
If somebody would that'slistening today, would want to
volunteer, how would they dothat?
Speaker 3 (09:53):
Oh, it's interesting.
Every one of us, including ourboard members, are volunteers
that are required to apply tothe state and have the state
accept us as volunteers.
That's interesting Now, unlessyou're having some really bad
problems, you're going to getapproved.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
Bank robber.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
But what the state wants to know is a couple of
things.
They want to know what you'regoing to be doing and they want
to make sure you're trained todo it.
So we actually have onlinetraining that we go through both
board and volunteers, and theycollect our hours.
We record our hours every monthbecause they want to quantify
the value that we give to thestate.
(10:37):
In fact, those numbers justcame out and I think, through
all the CSOs, it's somewhere inthe excess of $5 million.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
Oh, my gracious.
Speaker 3 (10:44):
So to apply, you have to apply through the ranger
program.
The ranger who manages this andhis name is Mitch B-e-l-l-o-c-k
and he's a ranger at liver'skey state park and his email
mitchellbellock@ floridadep.
(11:07):
gov, okay, and Mitch interviewsthem.
He was interviewing volunteersyesterday and the main effort at
that activity is when you meetwith Mitch is to make sure
you're matched up with what youwant to do, with what we need.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
Oh, that's great, that's really great.
Speaker 3 (11:29):
That's a wonderful program.
Yeah, and believe me, there'smore things to do in the park
than the rangers can do.
So we live for our volunteers.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
Of course, how would you become a member, if you
wanted to become a member, ofFriends of Lovers Key?
Speaker 3 (11:48):
So membership is simply a donation to the park at
three different levels.
A donation to the park at threedifferent levels I believe it's
50 or 80 to be an individual orfamily member.
It's on our one site, theactual application, and there's
a life time.
(12:08):
You're a life member and one ofthe values of being a member is
, of course, you get all theinformation on a monthly basis
of what we're doing.
Like we just opened our bridge,our first major accomplishment,
that's great.
Mid-island is back out and thepictures in our monthly
newsletter that just came outare just wonderful.
(12:29):
But the things you get are youget 10 free passes to the park a
year.
But the things you get are youget 10 free passes to the park a
year and you get discounts atthe concession stands and the
rental stands and those types ofthings.
More importantly, you feel likeyou're much more a part of what
we're doing Because, again,what we're doing is not just
(12:52):
maintaining a beach, it's tryingto do a whole bunch of other
things.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
Right, that's wonderful.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
Do you still have as many manatees out there as what
you did?
Yes and no, I mean, the goodnews is there were babies this
year and you know they'll beback or they are back, I don't
know.
I actually haven't walked thetrails since a couple days ago.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
That's always such a thrill Really it is.
It's walking the trails andbeing out there and you think
you're just so close to the road, but then you're not, and all
of a sudden you're in thismagical land and that's.
Speaker 3 (13:35):
Florida.
The cleanup crew that was therefor two and a half years
cleaning up the debris after Ianfinished last Wednesday,
believe it or not.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
Did they really?
Speaker 3 (13:44):
The final thing they did was to grind up all of the
vegetation and stuff that theycollected and spread it out on
the trails and packed it down tomake the trails much more know,
much more firmer for walkingaround.
Sure, recycling all that stuff.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
Right, bring it right back.
Right, that's wonderful.
Speaker 3 (14:03):
So one of the things we're trying to do now is do a
lot of sustainability projects,looking, you know, for what we
can do, going forward to, youknow, make things simpler but,
more importantly, make it sothat the environment is safer.
Speaker 2 (14:18):
That's great.
Well, we're just about to wrapup here, jim, but what is there
anything you'd like to get outto the general public that we
didn't talk about today, thatyou really would like to share?
Well?
Speaker 3 (14:32):
I think one of the things that I think is important
is how close Lovers Key came tobeing a McMansion development,
which was the canals actually atLovers Key were dug so that the
homes could be put on them andhave a water access.
How many years ago was that,Jim?
(14:52):
That was back in the late 70sand the early 80s.
Oh, for heaven's sakes.
I would suggest to your viewersthat there is a PBS documentary
that was done four years agothat follows the history of
Lover's Key all the way back tothe pirates and the Indians, but
all through how it was savedand how the park and folks was
(15:15):
created.
That video is available onYouTube.
If you just search for Friendsof Lovers Key or Lovers Key
State Park, you'll find thatvideo.
Speaker 2 (15:26):
I will do that personally.
Speaker 3 (15:27):
The whole history of how we saved it and what it
could have been.
I mean, it's one of the fewplaces left in Florida where
there's not a whole series ofcondominiums behind the park,
there's just one.
It's a lovely place that needsto be protected and that's what
you and volunteers and we can dogoing forward, okay.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
Well, thank you for all you do, jim on the board and
your volunteers and so on.
For future generations you willbe thanked for that, for being
the pioneers in this area.
So we do appreciate it.
And thanks for being on today,and we're going to be watching
for our new mama to see how manybabies we get.
(16:10):
I've been waiting to hear.
So thanks a lot for everything,jim.
I appreciate you.
Good Thank you.
I appreciate what you do.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
Thank you for joining us on State Insurance USA Cares
.
We hope today's story upliftedand inspired you.
If you'd like to support orlearn more about the incredible
work happening in your community, visit stateinsuranceusa.
com or call 239-567-9992.
You can also visitkabowabogimcom or call
239-567-9992.
You can also visit CaboWaboJim.
com.
Until next time, be sure to letyour sun shine and keep sharing
(16:40):
good and positive vibeswherever the waves take you.
Welcome to State Insurance USA Cares podcast,
where we celebrate the heart ofour communities.
Each episode, we highlightlocal charities and nonprofits
who are bringing hope, help andhealing to those who need it
most.
Get ready to be inspired by theamazing stories of people
making a difference, becausetogether we care.
Speaker 2 (00:20):
Well, hello, my name is Gail Langner and I am proud
to work for State Insurance USA.
We also have a foundationcalled State Insurance Cares and
today, because of StateInsurance Cares, we have Jim
Remis, who is the president andchair of the board of the
Friends of Lovers Key, and so,jim, we're so glad to have you
(00:40):
on today.
I'm pleased to be here.
Well, thanks for all you do atFriends of Lovers Key, that's
for sure.
We know that volunteering is apaycheck of the heart for sure,
so we're glad you're here.
One of the things that we didwith State Insurance Cares is
last year we did theAdopt-A-Turtle Nest, and I just
(01:03):
have to tell you that we hadrecord numbers.
We had over 100 babies.
So we were pretty proud parentsabout that.
But now our mama this year shehas a lot to hold up to to get
that many babies.
So we'll see.
We're waiting for the hatch.
So how are things been goingwith that?
Do you have quite a fewsponsors for that?
Speaker 3 (01:24):
We do, and with the beach being widened so much, you
know, there's much more of anopportunity for the turtles to
be successful and not have theirnests washed away.
So that is a great program andthe folks who run it four folk
are excited about how manypeople have been participating
in this.
Speaker 2 (01:43):
That's good.
Well, once the word gets out, Imean it's.
I know we talk about it all thetime how excited we are to be
turtle parents.
For sure I know, though, withthe beach being widened, I'm
sure that the mamas are reallydon't have to worry so much
about the damage, for sure aboutthe damage for sure.
Speaker 3 (02:07):
It was interesting how the folks who actually did
the widening came backafterwards and did some magic in
the sand so that the turtlescould actually dig, because once
they did it, initially it wastoo hard, it was too hard.
Speaker 2 (02:17):
Oh, I wouldn't even think about that.
Speaker 3 (02:20):
They spent quite a bit of time making the sand
available for the turtles oh,that's wonderful.
It's a demonstration of what.
Making the sand available forthe turtles oh, that's wonderful
.
It's a demonstration of whatwe're doing here Exactly.
It's interesting because thepark is the second most visited
park in the state.
Many people come here solelyfor the beach, but yet there's
so much more.
Oh for sure.
And you just don't know thefact that there is.
Speaker 2 (02:43):
Yeah, there really is .
I know that the Friends ofLovers Key is actually and I you
know actually, I'll be honest,I had to research it it's
actually called a CSO, which isa citizen support organization,
right?
So you are helping support thestate park which is Lovers Key.
Tell us a little bit about thekinds of things that you do, jim
(03:05):
.
Speaker 3 (03:06):
So Friends of Lovers Key is a 501c3 charity like
every other 501c3.
And we sit up of the CSO and weget our authority from the
state park service in a contractthat we actually have with them
, and so we have an integralpartnership with the park
(03:28):
through the rangers.
So there's really three groups.
There's Friends of Lovers KeyBoard, which, by the way, are
all volunteers.
We have no employees.
Then there's the rangers, whoare on the state.
Most of them are on the statepayroll, although there's a lot
of creativity and how they getpaid, um, but we do not pay them
(03:48):
.
And then there's the volunteers.
Okay, so our mission is reallysimple it's to protect, preserve
and support the park right and,unfortunately, the last three
years have been sort of a masterclass in hurricane recovery,
sure, and so one of the thingswe've been doing actually since
(04:09):
Ian is helping the park do anumber of things.
Most importantly, the state isonly reimbursing the park for
the things they lost, and thethings they lost in many cases
were 10, 15, 20 years old.
So we did a lot of fundraisingto replace equipment and tools
(04:30):
and all that other stuff, andit's through that process we
recruited volunteers to assist,because the rangers spend most
of their time worrying aboutprotecting the park and so forth
Right Volunteers, despite quitea bit of their efforts lately
doing all kinds of crazy things,from helping maintain equipment
(04:53):
to building shelves to raise upthe storages and do all kinds
of maintenance on our trails andso forth.
So, yeah, there's aboutanything you can think of that
our volunteers do.
Okay, what about during Ian?
What about about anything youcan think of that our volunteers
?
Speaker 2 (05:05):
do Okay.
What about during Ian?
What about the Welcome andDiscovery Center?
How was that?
Speaker 3 (05:11):
So you know it was built to withstand a Category 4
hurricane and it did.
It was the only building thatwas not damaged to the point
that it had to be, you know,ripped down.
But it's also interesting inthe fact that we're still
running the building, believe itor not, on generators.
Really, we don't have powerback, not because there's no
(05:35):
power back to the park, butwe're trying to redo the
electrical systems through thestate and Florida Power and
Light so they don't get washedaway again.
They would have been tried threetimes in a row by the three
hurricanes, sure, but thebuilding is in perfect shape.
The air conditioning works.
I was freezing there during ameeting yesterday.
(05:56):
The exhibits are open, thepublic restrooms are there for
enjoyment, and it's fine.
We had our summer camps thisyear for kids.
Speaker 2 (06:07):
I was going to ask you about that.
Tell everybody about the summercamps.
I was really thrilled to hearthat.
I was really thrilled to hearthat.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
So it's amazing how many kids in this area,
including at the beach, knownothing about the environment or
anything Does not surprise me.
We go to the beach to swim andthat's about it.
So our purpose is to try tostart the process of creating
the next generation ofenvironmentalists, and when I
(06:44):
use that term, I don't mean itin the way that, you know, some
people look at environmentalists.
I'm talking about the fact thatour mission is to provide an
opportunity for the park to bethere forever.
And to do that, you know I'mnot going to be around forever,
ever.
And to do that, you know I'mnot going to be around forever.
So the main purpose of thecamps is to introduce the kids
to why it's important tounderstand what we have, to
(07:04):
understand the variouscomponents of the park.
The park is interesting in thefact that it has four different
environmental zones, so weintroduce them to those and, to
the extent that we need to, weactually provide the tuition for
them.
Speaker 2 (07:20):
Oh, that's wonderful and that comes obviously from
your fundraising efforts.
That's correct, right.
Speaker 3 (07:27):
So it's been very, very good.
Unfortunately, we had a greatstart for Ian and, like
everything else, everything'scoming back slowly, but I think
this year it worked out really,really well.
We we just um, we just uhelected a new board member
actually yesterday who was goingto coordinate our events going
(07:47):
forward.
Um, and part of our efforts nowfor the next year is to get
back to doing various things inthe park to attract locals and
others so that we can exposethem to what we're trying to
accomplish.
That's wonderful.
Speaker 2 (08:03):
Well, I know you have a great board.
I mean I know that.
I mean I know Kat and Tina andMegan.
I mean you know, I know youhave a really good and active
board.
I know one of the things thatKat always talked about was your
gala.
So I know you probably.
I looked it's coming up inFebruary, right, right.
So is that your biggest eventof the year is your gala?
(08:26):
It is, and it sells out right.
Speaker 3 (08:30):
So two years ago we had the first true gala and it
sold out.
Yeah, and it's interesting.
The logistics of permitting andso forth basically requires
that it not be more than about200 people and it sells out.
In fact, I'm concerned that thegala is already sold out.
Speaker 2 (08:50):
In February.
What a horrible problem to have.
Let me tell you what, jim.
I'm the chair of the board ofthe Estero Historical Society
and I'm thrilled that Futuregenerations are going to learn
About Estero history.
But to have that be sold out,that's a good problem to have,
jim.
It is.
Speaker 3 (09:12):
It's our biggest fundraiser, but it was
interesting Because of all ofthe damage to the beaches, both
Fort Myers Beach and Bonita Lastyear, last February, we didn't
have a true gala.
We had a waves of appreciationwhere we invited our donors and
our volunteers and the rangersto come at no charge and we had
(09:34):
sort of an internal gala wherewe thanked them for everything
they've done.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
That's really you know, that's really nice, that
appreciation piece really.
And and you know how hard theyworked.
I mean, you know how hard youworked.
So how, how would you volunteer?
If somebody would that'slistening today, would want to
volunteer, how would they dothat?
Speaker 3 (09:53):
Oh, it's interesting.
Every one of us, including ourboard members, are volunteers
that are required to apply tothe state and have the state
accept us as volunteers.
That's interesting Now, unlessyou're having some really bad
problems, you're going to getapproved.
Speaker 2 (10:14):
Bank robber.
Speaker 3 (10:16):
But what the state wants to know is a couple of
things.
They want to know what you'regoing to be doing and they want
to make sure you're trained todo it.
So we actually have onlinetraining that we go through both
board and volunteers, and theycollect our hours.
We record our hours every monthbecause they want to quantify
the value that we give to thestate.
(10:37):
In fact, those numbers justcame out and I think, through
all the CSOs, it's somewhere inthe excess of $5 million.
Speaker 2 (10:43):
Oh, my gracious.
Speaker 3 (10:44):
So to apply, you have to apply through the ranger
program.
The ranger who manages this andhis name is Mitch B-e-l-l-o-c-k
and he's a ranger at liver'skey state park and his email
mitchellbellock@ floridadep.
(11:07):
gov, okay, and Mitch interviewsthem.
He was interviewing volunteersyesterday and the main effort at
that activity is when you meetwith Mitch is to make sure
you're matched up with what youwant to do, with what we need.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
Oh, that's great, that's really great.
Speaker 3 (11:29):
That's a wonderful program.
Yeah, and believe me, there'smore things to do in the park
than the rangers can do.
So we live for our volunteers.
Speaker 2 (11:40):
Of course, how would you become a member, if you
wanted to become a member, ofFriends of Lovers Key?
Speaker 3 (11:48):
So membership is simply a donation to the park at
three different levels.
A donation to the park at threedifferent levels I believe it's
50 or 80 to be an individual orfamily member.
It's on our one site, theactual application, and there's
a life time.
(12:08):
You're a life member and one ofthe values of being a member is
, of course, you get all theinformation on a monthly basis
of what we're doing.
Like we just opened our bridge,our first major accomplishment,
that's great.
Mid-island is back out and thepictures in our monthly
newsletter that just came outare just wonderful.
(12:29):
But the things you get are youget 10 free passes to the park a
year.
But the things you get are youget 10 free passes to the park a
year and you get discounts atthe concession stands and the
rental stands and those types ofthings.
More importantly, you feel likeyou're much more a part of what
we're doing Because, again,what we're doing is not just
(12:52):
maintaining a beach, it's tryingto do a whole bunch of other
things.
Speaker 2 (12:57):
Right, that's wonderful.
Speaker 3 (13:02):
Do you still have as many manatees out there as what
you did?
Yes and no, I mean, the goodnews is there were babies this
year and you know they'll beback or they are back, I don't
know.
I actually haven't walked thetrails since a couple days ago.
Speaker 2 (13:18):
That's always such a thrill Really it is.
It's walking the trails andbeing out there and you think
you're just so close to the road, but then you're not, and all
of a sudden you're in thismagical land and that's.
Speaker 3 (13:35):
Florida.
The cleanup crew that was therefor two and a half years
cleaning up the debris after Ianfinished last Wednesday,
believe it or not.
Speaker 2 (13:43):
Did they really?
Speaker 3 (13:44):
The final thing they did was to grind up all of the
vegetation and stuff that theycollected and spread it out on
the trails and packed it down tomake the trails much more know,
much more firmer for walkingaround.
Sure, recycling all that stuff.
Speaker 2 (13:59):
Right, bring it right back.
Right, that's wonderful.
Speaker 3 (14:03):
So one of the things we're trying to do now is do a
lot of sustainability projects,looking, you know, for what we
can do, going forward to, youknow, make things simpler but,
more importantly, make it sothat the environment is safer.
Speaker 2 (14:18):
That's great.
Well, we're just about to wrapup here, jim, but what is there
anything you'd like to get outto the general public that we
didn't talk about today, thatyou really would like to share?
Well?
Speaker 3 (14:32):
I think one of the things that I think is important
is how close Lovers Key came tobeing a McMansion development,
which was the canals actually atLovers Key were dug so that the
homes could be put on them andhave a water access.
How many years ago was that,Jim?
(14:52):
That was back in the late 70sand the early 80s.
Oh, for heaven's sakes.
I would suggest to your viewersthat there is a PBS documentary
that was done four years agothat follows the history of
Lover's Key all the way back tothe pirates and the Indians, but
all through how it was savedand how the park and folks was
(15:15):
created.
That video is available onYouTube.
If you just search for Friendsof Lovers Key or Lovers Key
State Park, you'll find thatvideo.
Speaker 2 (15:26):
I will do that personally.
Speaker 3 (15:27):
The whole history of how we saved it and what it
could have been.
I mean, it's one of the fewplaces left in Florida where
there's not a whole series ofcondominiums behind the park,
there's just one.
It's a lovely place that needsto be protected and that's what
you and volunteers and we can dogoing forward, okay.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
Well, thank you for all you do, jim on the board and
your volunteers and so on.
For future generations you willbe thanked for that, for being
the pioneers in this area.
So we do appreciate it.
And thanks for being on today,and we're going to be watching
for our new mama to see how manybabies we get.
(16:10):
I've been waiting to hear.
So thanks a lot for everything,jim.
I appreciate you.
Good Thank you.
I appreciate what you do.
Speaker 1 (16:19):
Thank you for joining us on State Insurance USA Cares
.
We hope today's story upliftedand inspired you.
If you'd like to support orlearn more about the incredible
work happening in your community, visit stateinsuranceusa.
com or call 239-567-9992.
You can also visitkabowabogimcom or call
239-567-9992.
You can also visit CaboWaboJim.
com.
Until next time, be sure to letyour sun shine and keep sharing
(16:40):
good and positive vibeswherever the waves take you.
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