Wekiva Wilderness Trust upcoming events

Survival 101 at REI Winter Park (04/19/2026)

Sun, 19 Apr 2026 15:00:00 GMT

Survival 101 is a basic class that could save your life. It covers the two essentials of survival — staying warm and staying dry and how to do this in the harshest of environments. You will 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 the survival, security and safety.

Wildflower Hikes at Wekiwa Springs (04/23/2026)

Thu, 23 Apr 2026 14:00:00 GMT

Back by popular demand - Wildflower Hikes with Florida Master Naturalist Noreen Engstrom. Discover wildflowers in bloom this month. Learn their names and their native habitats.

Noreen, who is also a member of the Florida Wildflower Foundation, has for several years been working on a project to identify and photograph all the wildflowers to be found at Wekiwa Springs State Park.

“We are blessed with an amazing diversity of wildflowers and every month there is something new to see, so every hike offers a different experience,” she says.

Join her as she explores the diverse flora of Wekiwa Springs.

The Amazing History of Wekiwa Springs and Rock Springs (04/26/2026)

Sun, 26 Apr 2026 18:00:00 GMT

Did you know that Florida’s first tourist attraction was at Wekiwa Springs almost 150 years ago and that there was a three story, 100 room hotel catering for guests from New York and other northern cities?

Did you know that after the Civil War, there was a bustling township called Ethel at what is now Rock Springs Run State Park?

Come and learn about the fascinating story of these two parks from Don Philpott who has spent over 15 years researching their histories and gathering hundreds of rare photos and documents.

Edible Florida at REI (05/03/2026)

Sun, 03 May 2026 15:00:00 GMT

There are over 1,700 edible plants in Central Florida that can be eaten or have medicinal uses. Learn about the most common ones, how to identify them and how to use them. Learn basic foraging skills that you can use to take full advantage of nature’s plentiful bounty.

The class is taught by Don Philpott, who has been researching edible plants for more than 50 years and has written several books about foraging and food. He is a Florida Master Gardener, Florida Master Naturalist, a Certified Interpretive Guide and a volunteer at Wekiwa Springs State Park.

Florida’s Wonderful Wildlife Past & Present (05/03/2026)

Sun, 03 May 2026 18:00:00 GMT

Junior Ranger Club — May (05/08/2026)

Fri, 08 May 2026 21:00:00 GMT

Join us for our May Junior Ranger Club meeting at Wekiwa Springs State Park! Sign up on Meetup—>https://www.meetup.com/wekiva-wilderness-trust/events/313774216/

Learn about rocks with Ranger Emily, earn your Natural Resources stamp, and make a rock craft to take home.