A new Florida State Parks Foundation initiative will install energy-efficient LED lighting at five state parks, including Wekiwa Springs in Apopka.
The other parks are Blue Spring State Park, Highlands Hammock State Park, Dr. Julian G. Bruce St. George Island State Park, and Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park. They're just the first of many parks likely to get the upgrade.
The Greener Initiative is paid for through the $25 donations that come with each "Explore Our State Parks" specialty license plate.
"The plate exists to support Florida state parks," said foundation President Tammy Gustafson, "which is why it is so important to us to create a real tangible benefit in our parks as quickly as possible."
The program has already added water-bottle filling stations in parks across the state, she said. "And this is really the next step. This is a perfect complement as we continue our efforts to make our parks even greener."
Duke Energy contributed to the water bottles and provided energy audits at the parks receiving the lighting upgrades.
In those five parks, the new lights replace more than 700 outdated fixtures.
The foundation estimates the upgrades, costing $39,000, will pay for themselves in a year and a half and save about $311,000 over 10 years.
Another five parks already are being studied for the new lights. They are Rainbow Springs State Park, Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park, Lake Kissimmee State Park, Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park and Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park.
