Courtesy of Don Philpott
Key Points
- Don Philpott completed 35,000 volunteer hours at Wekiwa Springs State Park after 30 years of service.
- Philpott serves as president of the Wekiva Wilderness Trust and holds multiple roles supporting Florida state parks.
- Philpott's research led to discovering ghost towns Clay Springs and Ethel, inspiring books and a Heritage Festival event.
Wekiwa Springs State Park honored volunteer Don Philpott at a Friday ceremony for completing 35,000 hours of service.
“I am obviously honored to get the award, but I have been volunteering at Wekiwa Springs for 30 years and have loved every minute of it,” Philpott said in a statement to The Apopka Chief. “Our state parks are so special that they need protecting and preserving, and I have been happy to help in any way I can. I also have the pleasure of volunteering alongside a great group of people, volunteers, and staff, who do so much willingly and with little recognition.”
Philpott has volunteered at the park for 30 years and serves as president of the Wekiva Wilderness Trust (WWT). He is also a board member of the Florida State Parks Foundation, co-founder and co-chair of the National Association of State Parks Federations, Florida Master Naturalist, Florida Master Gardener, and a Certified Interpretive Guide.
Philpott’s extensive research on Wekiva Springs State Park and Rock Springs Run State Reserve for the past 15 years led to the discovery of two ghost towns — Clay Springs and Ethel. WWT then published one book for each town, both of which are available to download at wwt-cso.com.
Rock Springs Run State Reserve will honor Ethel’s history at its Heritage Festival from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. The free event will feature music, reenactors, food, and family fun.