AIR DATE JULY 20, 2023

Title: Springs & Lakes

Emily explores beautiful springs and lakes in central Florida and learns how we can all do our part to keep them clean and healthy.

Guests

Kelly Park, Site Supervisor III – Jonathon Dunn

Paddleboard Orlando, Founder – Ned Johnson

Affordable Outside Adventures Are Available Throughout Central Florida

Many people come to our communities to see the beaches, theme parks, and vacation-related opportunities we offer. You can spend a couple of weeks here with a packed itinerary, but doing those activities daily can be expensive.

If you live in Central Florida, finding affordable outside adventures for the whole family can be challenging. I recently spoke with Paddleboarder Orlando and Orange County Parks and Rec to discuss our options.

Jon Dunn, a site supervisor for the county, spoke with me about options like Kelly Park in Apopka. “The biggest thing we have is the natural water wave,” he said. “It’s very busy during the summertime a year, we have people lining up as early as 4:00 AM just to get in.”

Paddleboarder Orlando is in their 13th year of providing services. Founder Ned Johnson, or “Uncle Ned,” explores the urban waters. “We offer an urban-style paddle on the Winter Park Chain of Lakes, as well as what we call wild and scenic paddles on Rock Springs Run and Wekiva Springs Run,” he said, “and we offer those year-round.”

Fun Activities Await the Adventurous

You can create your own adventure when visiting Kelly Park. “We do offer a campground that has 24 sites so you can bring out your family and stay the night if you want,” said Dunn, adding that reservations can be made at the county’s website to ensure you get a spot.

“Everybody always wants to come out in the summer, but we are here throughout the year,” Dunn said. “From November to early February, there is less crowds.”

Johnson mentioned that paddleboarding can seem like an intimidating activity at first, but told me it is a pretty easy sport to learn. “If you have the right size board and you have the right conditions, paddleboarding is more akin to bicycle riding than to surfing,” he said. “The boards are very stable, and when you stand up on them, most people are surprised at how easy it is.”

Once you start paddling, you can enjoy quiet and peace on the water. If you’re at Kelly Park, the natural spring offers swimming, playgrounds, pavilions, hiking, and other activities.

Taking Care of Our Resources Must Be a Priority

Our natural sanctuaries require some love and care to be available to everyone. “There are two things,” said Dunn. “If you’re here, please don’t litter. We’ve got trash cans in the park! Anything you throw on the ground ends up polluting it.”

That includes fertilizers and lawn clippings. “Make sure that stuff doesn’t get back down into the runoff because it all ends up in the groundwater eventually,” added Dunn.

Johnson mentioned the same runoff issue to me when we discussed changes in the waterways he has seen since 2009. “I know Orange County recently addressed the nitrogen issue, and they did ask me for some input, so I sadly sent them some pictures that were spaced about two years apart,” he said. “You could definitely see the algae growth on the bottom of the Wekiva River. That’s a direct contribution from the nitrogen from the lawns.”

Paddleboard Orlando believes in getting the youth of our community actively engaged with the cleanup process early. Working with organizations that keep our parks and waterways clean helps us all have more ownership over these natural resources.

You can find more information about the outdoor activities at Kelly Park by visiting orangecountyparks.net. “When we hit capacity during our off-season, we post on the website daily,” said Dunn.

If you’re interested in paddleboarding, you can find Uncle Ned on Facebook as Paddleboard Orlando, Instagram as @Paddleboard.Orlando, or online at paddleboardorlando.com.