Founded in 1978 as the Friends of Morningside, the group originally supported Gainesville’s earliest nature park and living history farm, Morningside Nature Center. The growth of the organization has corresponded with the growth of the city’s nature parks so that we are now called the Friends of Nature Parks. We support the growing number of nature parks now owned and operated by the City of Gainesville.
Just as the number of nature parks has steadily increased over the years, so too have the number of members and the support FoNP has provided to the parks. FoNP works closely with the city’s Parks Recreation and Cultural Affairs department (PRCA) on projects in the parks and sponsors educational opportunities for staff members. Community outreach is achieved through scholarships for local schools and individuals, volunteer awards, and additional funding for interpretive programs. These are all part of our efforts to support the nature parks which contribute to the quality of life in Gainesville, and we’d love to count you as one of our members.
Friends of Nature Parks is a 501(c)3 non-profit corporation registered with both the Federal Government and the State of Florida. You can email us at info@friendsofnatureparks.org. We look forward to hearing from you.
“In the end we will conserve only what we love; we will love only what we understand; and we will understand only what we are taught. ”
