Southwest Florida, Celebrate Park and Recreation Month With Family, Friends and Fun

Southwest, Fla. – Governor Charlie Crist recently signed a proclamation recognizing July as Park and Recreation Month. To celebrate, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Florida Park Service encourages Florida’s citizens, families and friends to experience outdoor recreation at a Florida state park in July.

“Florida’s state parks provide an endless opportunity for family and friends to enjoy the great outdoors and all of its benefits,” said Florida Park Service Director Mike Bullock. “During Park and Recreation Month, we encourage residents and visitors to experience the treasures of state parks in their backyard.”

Since 1985, the National Recreation and Park Association has designated July as Park and Recreation Month. This year, the Florida Park Service continues its Family. Friends. Fun. campaign which aims to reconnect children and families with nature by engaging them in outdoor activity.

Southwest Florida is host to a variety of state parks that engage visitors in natural surroundings, recreation, culture and history. Myakka River State Park in Sarasota, one of the oldest and largest of Florida’s 160 state parks, is running wildlife airboat tours daily throughout the summer. Egmont Key State Park, located at the mouth of Tampa Bay, allows visitors to roam 19th century ruins of the Spanish-American War along the beaches of the island. For more information about state parks and activities in southwest Florida, visit the online park guide at www.FloridaStateParks.org.

Special events for Park and Recreation Month in southwest Florida include:

30th Annual Kiwanis Midnight Run
Honeymoon Island State Park
Friday, July 3 - Saturday, July 4, 2009. 11:00 p.m.
Honeymoon Island State Park will host the 30th Annual Kiwanis Morton Plant Mease Midnight Run. The one mile run/walk will begin Friday night at 11:00 p.m. and continue through the night at the illuminated Honeymoon Island. For more information, call (727) 469-5943.

Firecracker 5K Race
Highlands Hammock State Park
Saturday, July 4, 2009. 7:30 a.m.
This race is a fast, flat track under the hardwood hammock of Highlands Hammock State Park. Fees are $20.00 per participant. For more information, call (863) 385-4736.

Fort Foster Garrisons
Hillsborough River State Park
Saturday, July 18, 2:00 p.m. - Sunday, July 19, 11:00 a.m., 2009.
Fort Foster Historic Site at Hillsborough River State Park was one of the original Seminole War forts constructed in Florida during the early 1800s. Today, a replica wood picket style fort has been constructed on the original site. Park Rangers and reenactors provide tours that explain the Fort operations and living conditions, as well as telling the history of the Seminole Wars in Florida. For more information, call (813) 987-6870.

To view the Governor’s Park and Recreation Month proclamation, visit www.dep.state.fl.us/secretary/news/2009/06/files/parks_rec_month.pdf.

The first two-time Gold Medal winner honoring the nation’s best state park service, Florida’s state park system is one of the largest in the country with 160 parks, most of which are open 365 days a year. Florida’s state parks, which span more than 700,000 acres and include more than 100 miles of sandy white beach, provide an affordable outing for people of all ages. Caladesi Island State Park, just off the coast of Pinellas County, was honored with the coveted Best Beach in the Nation award in 2008. To learn more about Florida’s state parks, visit www.floridastateparks.org.