The Head Spring: October 2026
In this edition of The Head Spring, we're sharing upcoming events, updates from Blue Spring and Hontoon Island State Parks, and opportunities to get involved as we head into the final months of the year!
Upcoming Events
We have several exciting events and activities coming up at the parks! Take a look at what's ahead, and we hope you'll join us.
Hontoon Island – A Hidden Piece of Old Florida off the Beaten Path
by Missy Gibbs
The Friends of Blue Spring State Park also supports nearby Hontoon Island State Park, and we wanted to take this opportunity to remind you of what Hontoon Island has to offer. Firstly, it IS an island, so you can only get there by boat…either your own, which you can tie up at the park’s network of docks, or take the Hontoon Island Park ferry (follow the signs and park at 2309 River Ridge Road, DeLand). There is no entry fee but there are plenty of amenities, including bathrooms, a picnic pavilion, campground, and a store for buying snacks, souvenirs, and bait.
Yes, the park is a popular fishing spot for anglers of all ages (especially for catfish, sunfish, bass, and speck) and the park recently hosted a fishing event called “Hooked on the Byway: Kids Try Fishing” last month, sponsored by the River of Lakes Heritage Corridor and the Friends of Blue Spring State Park. Over 75 kids and their parents came and had a great time learning how to fish and exploring the park’s aquatic life.
If you want to explore the island’s miles of trails or climb the ancient shell mound, you can hike or rent a bicycle at the park store. Along the way, you will see many of the park’s 14 different ecosystems (e.g. pine flatwoods, cypress swamps, oak hammocks, wetlands). Unlike parks on the mainland, the river water barrier means Hontoon has very few exotic plants or animals. When I was out there with the rangers last week, we saw, among other things, two Bald Eagles in their nest, skinks, Limpkins, and a whole bunch of dung beetles (wow was that cool!). We also saw fields of Blazing Star and Florida Paintbrush and visited the giant Bear Oak. If you want to explore the island by water, you can rent canoes and kayaks from the park store. The Hontoon Dead River is a great paddle with lots of wildlife and very little boat traffic.
You can stay overnight on the island by renting a cabin, a primitive site (bring your own tent), or boat camping at the park’s dock (slips have power and water). There is also a youth primitive camping option for groups.
Hontoon Island State Park is a park without crowds, with lots of wildlife, incredible nature, archeological sites (shell midden and replicas of otter and owl totems recovered from the river) and fun activities (Junior Rangers, fishing, hiking, boating, and photography).
Recently at Hontoon Island State Park
On September 19th the Friends of Blue Spring State Park were at Hontoon Island State Park in support of the Try Fishing event. Volunteers and park staff dedicated the day to encouraging, teaching, and cheering on kids and their families as they tried fishing! Some participants were picking up a fishing rod for the first time, making their first casts and many young participants even caught their first fish! There was also an amazing opportunity for the kids to learn about Florida fish species and waterways by getting a closer look at their catch! The event was a huge success thanks to the combined efforts of our volunteers and the support of local organizations who set up booths for the event.
Recently at Blue Spring State Park
On September 12th, Blue Spring State Park hosted a Girl Scouts Love State Parks event where local troops could learn and participate in various activities to earn patches, get inspired to be outdoors and have fun! The Friends of Blue Spring volunteers along with Park Rangers were there to guide and educate the young scouts on different aspects of Blue Spring. There was a fire station where they learned about prescribed fires and how rangers use them to keep the ecosystem healthy and manatee rescue station which had a mock up manatee rescue that showed what happens when a manatee needs help in the wild.
Junior Ranger Friends
Happy Halloween! Our manatee Junior Ranger plushies have gotten together for a fun Halloween celebration featuring their ballerina and devil costumes. But what is this?! A true ghost-like looking manatee swims into the spring! This manatee may have spent a little too much time in cold water developing signs of cold-stress syndrome which can be dangerous for real-living manatees. As all good Junior Rangers know, when you see a manatee with a white face, white flippers, or lesions on their body, it is best to report it to the FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline at 1-888-404-3922.
Critter Corner: Antheraea polyphemus The Giant Silk Moth
© Trevor Van Loon. iNaturalist
How many of you have been lucky enough to find a Giant Silk Moth? They are Florida’s 2nd largest moth with a wingspan of 4-6”! Wow! Its species name (polyphemus) is a nod to the large eyespots on its lower wing sections (did you know Polyphemus was the name of the cyclops in Greek mythology?). Moths use those eyespots to make predators think the moth is actually an animal with big eyes (like an owl) that might eat them instead….staring eyes are pretty intimidating, aren’t they? Adult Giant Silk Moths don’t have any mouths and only live about a week!
Caterpillars are always very different looking than the adult form (of butterflies or moths), and the silk moth is no exception. Silk Moth caterpillars are bright green because they spend all their time eating leaves and storing up energy for the pupa (cocoon) stage, which can last a few weeks to a few months. The cocoon structure is where you can see how this species got the name silk moth. The caterpillar spins a silken cocoon around itself that often incorporates a few leaves from the tree the caterpillar is in. After transformation, the moth emerges from the cocoon. Sometimes other species, like tree frogs, might use the leftover cocoon as a refuge.
Photo 1: © Tom Preney, iNaturalist | Photo 2: https://floridawildlifefederation.org/marvelous-moth/
Have you ever wondered how to tell the difference between a butterfly and a moth?Compared to butterflies, moths have wider bodies, furrier legs, and brush-like antennae.
© Jason Headley, iNaturalist
Remember that like butterflies, moth wings are covered with tiny feathery scales, and if you handle one, it might have difficulty flying. Take a photo instead and share with your friends. If you want to learn more about the Giant Silk Moth, iNaturalist is a great place to start or maybe to upload your own photos!
Volunteer Opportunities
Whether you enjoy helping at special events, welcoming visitors, or supporting ongoing programs, we'd love to have you join us! Here are some of the ways you can get involved.
Manatee Bingo – Help support our weekly fundraising event.
Manatee Observer Program – Help protect manatees and educate park visitors.
Rolling Hikes – Support our accessible hiking program.
Junior Ranger Programs – Help young visitors learn about Florida's natural environment.
Park Maintenance – Assist with projects that help maintain and improve our parks.
Special Events – Support events and activities throughout the year.
Scrub-Jay Program – Help support educational and conservation activities focused on Florida scrub-jays.
If you’d like to volunteer but just don’t know where to start, please provide your information here, and someone will reach out to you as soon as possible!
Thank you to our members, volunteers, and community supporters for your continued support of our parks. We appreciate all that you do!
The Friends of Blue Spring State Park is a group of volunteers dedicated to helping ensure Blue Spring State Park and Hontoon Island State Park remain fun, interesting, educational, and beautiful places to visit!
For general questions or inquiries, please contact info@friendsofbluespringstatepark.org.
The Head Spring: July 2026
The Thursby House decorated for America’s 250th Birthday. | Photo: Erin Paulakovich
What’s New for The Friends of Blue Spring?!
We’ve added an online Friends of Blue Spring State Park calendar to our website. Anyone can view the calendar to stay up to date on upcoming volunteer opportunities, meetings, events, and other important dates. It's a convenient way to see what's coming up!
Updates from Blue Spring State Park and Hontoon Island State Park
A new day-use reservation program will be implemented at Blue Spring State Park beginning July 15, 2026. All day-use visitors will be required to have a reservation to enter the park.
This does not impact normal volunteer duties. Learn more here.
Florida Dive Company (FDC) is offering guided snorkel and scuba diving tours at Blue Spring State Park. The tours give visitors a unique opportunity to explore the spring and wildlife while supporting the Florida Park Service's mission to provide resource-based recreation while preserving, interpreting, and restoring natural and cultural resources. Learn more here.
Photos: Florida Dive Company
Primitive camping and cabin rentals are available again at Hontoon Island State Park. Reservations can be made through park concessionaire, Hontoon Island Adventures here.
Photo: Erin Paulakovich
Recent Park Projects
Photo 1: Ranger Adam Hull | Photo 2: Lauren Houghteling | Photo 3: Erin Paulakovich
On June 5th, Hontoon Island State Park performed a 115-acre prescribed burn to help restore and maintain their mesic flatwoods. It aided in the conservation of many endangered plants and animals. This includes Tank, the largest and oldest known gopher tortoise on the island, and the Many-Flowered Grass-Pink (Calopogon multiflorus), an imperiled terrestrial orchid that only blooms after fire. Only about 6,000 are estimated to remain across the entire Southeastern United States. About 15 were seen on the island after the burn. We won’t see these orchids bloom again for another 2-4 years when fire is reintroduced to this zone.
Photos: Leah Brooks
On Friday, June 12, volunteers planted 471 native wildflowers in three locations throughout Blue Spring State Park: the Thursby House demonstration garden, the Visitor Center landscape, and the park entrance. This environmental community service project was spearheaded by the Village Improvement Association (VIA) Orange City Woman’s Club.
Native plant expert Damien Rockwood of Asclepias Acres supplied 30 species of beautiful Florida wildflowers, including Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia hirta), Florida paintbrush (Carphephorus corymbosus), and Sandpaper vervain (Verbena scabra). Funding for the Thursby House demonstration garden was generously provided by the Florida Wildflower Foundation through proceeds from sales of the State Wildflower License Plate. Note: small educational plant identification signs will be added within the next few weeks to this location. Funding for the entrance planting was provided by the Friends of Blue Spring State Park, the Blue Spring Manatee Festival, and the Rotary Club of DeBary–Deltona–Orange City. Funding for the Visitor Center planting was provided by the Village Improvement Association Orange City Woman’s Club and Grow Learn Garden by Leah Brooks. Site preparation and professional installation for all three planting areas were provided by Tom’s Touch Landscape Design.
In addition to enhancing the park, the Thursby House demonstration garden will serve as an educational resource, inspiring visitors to incorporate Florida native plants into their own landscapes. Native plants typically require little to no fertilizer, helping homeowners create beautiful, low-maintenance gardens while reducing nutrient runoff into local waterways. Keeping home gardens fertilizer-free helps protect water quality and supports the health of Florida’s beloved manatees, which depend on clean aquatic habitats. This collaborative effort will enhance the beauty of Blue Spring State Park while providing valuable habitat and food sources for Florida’s native pollinators and wildlife for years to come.
Photos: Park Services Specialist Connor Wagner
On June 18th, staff and volunteers from Save the Manatee Club, Blue Spring State Park, Friends of Blue Spring State Park, Florida Dive Company and MyFWC Florida Fish and Wildlife planted native vegetation at the headspring and the Manatee Release Ramp at Blue Spring State Park! Funding was provided by Save the Manatee Club and the Friends of Blue Spring State Park. The goal was to reinforce the shoreline and address erosion issues that had arisen since the bank stabilization project and release ramp were finished in 2025. Two manatees (Matthew and Tink Tink) swam up to the head spring to watch us work!
Thanks to everyone who came out to help! We ask visitors to please not climb on the banks, pull out plants or walk on the shoreline so the new plants can settle in.
Photos: Scout Troup 550
Three benches were constructed along Blue Spring State Park's Pine Island Trail as part of Connor York's Eagle Scout Service Project. After months of planning and preparation, the project was successfully completed on June 8th! Connor York is a rising senior at DeLand High School working towards his Eagle Scout rank — the highest achievement in Scouting — by leading more than 30 scouts, leaders, and volunteers to build and install these benches. Connor is a member of Scout Troop 550 at First Presbyterian Church in DeLand, and the project was made possible through funding from the Friends of Blue Spring State Park. The project also continues a family tradition of service, as Connor’s older brothers completed their own Eagle Scout projects at nearby state parks: Ian York at Hontoon Island State Park and Owen York at DeLeon Springs State Park.
Thanks to the efforts of many helping hands, these benches will provide a place for visitors to rest and enjoy the beauty of Blue Spring for years to come.
Manatee Moments: Summer Calves
Summer is definitely not “manatee season” at Blue Spring as most manatees will be venturing out in the river, lakes and the coast this time of year, but some will stop by, especially mothers with calves as our manatee observer volunteers can attest to! We had a record number of manatee sightings in May and June and it’s nice to see some of our “known” manatees from the winter making summer visits. It’s also the time of year when people swim, paddle, tube and dive in the spring run, so please remember to observe manatees from a distance and do not approach, chase or touch them. Manatee calves depend on their mom for the first 1-2 years or their lives and cannot survive on their own.
Check out some of the recent manatee sightings!
Photos: Save the Manatee Club
Manatee ‘Mata Hari’ was visibly pregnant when she went by the Save the Manatee underwater webcam on June 12th (above left photo). On June 25th, she came in with a little calf in tow. This is Mata Hari’s 7th known calf and she likes to give birth in or near the spring and bring the calves in for visits throughout summer. Oftentimes she will go up the Wekiva River and all the way up to the Wekiva head spring in the early fall, so Save the Manatee Club will be keeping an eye out. Here she is with her newborn on June 25th: https://youtu.be/qBBf4-t9C7w.
We also caught her on the webcam on June 30th: https://youtu.be/qu3EpOBa5Zo. But Mata Hari wasn’t the only one to bring in a new calf! ‘Amy’ brought in a calf one day prior on June 24th! https://youtu.be/kPBB9jv0s-A.
Manatee ‘Moore’ wasn’t far behind and brought in a new calf on June 29th (above right photo).
Photo 1: Volunteer Laura B. | Photo 2: Manatee Jaden photographed at Holly Bluff Resort Marina
Manatee observer volunteer Laura B. got this sweet photo of Mata Hari and Moore hanging out together with their calves (above left photo).
June 26th seemed to be a big meet-up. Both Moore and Mata Hari brought in their new calves and manatees ‘Nola’ and ‘Rojar’ brough in their yearling calves: https://youtu.be/u9WFZ-MmQ4w.
Later in the day, a mother manatee with two same-sized calves made a quick visit. Twins? We don’t know. Twins are very rare for manatees, but oftentimes nursing mothers will ‘adopt’ orphaned calves and raise them alongside their own.
On June 5th, Save the Manatee received a report from our friends at the Holly Bluff Resort Marina in Deland, just north of Blue Spring. They had photographed manatee ‘Jaden’ with a newborn calf at their marina (above right photo). Jaden is easy to recognize by a big white scar on her back and half her tail missing from a watercraft collision several years ago.
We were excited to see the pair briefly at Blue Spring on July 6th!
Critter Corner
Florida Scrub Jay - Aphelocoma coerulescens
The Scrub Jay is the only endemic Florida bird, meaning that unlike its cousin, the Blue Jay (found everywhere east of the Rocky Mountains and throughout Florida), the Scrub Jay is only found in Florida. You can see from the map above why the Scrub Jay is considered a threatened species! Scrub Jays are omnivorous, eating acorns, berries, insects, snakes, lizards, and even mice. That thick beak is useful for opening acorns and for digging holes to bury the excess. The Cornell Bird Lab estimates that a single Scrub Jay may store (cache) as many as 8,000 acorns every fall.
Photo 1: District Biologist Peter Jensen | Photo 2: Cornell Bird Lab | Photo 3: Erin Paulakovich
Scrub Jays get their name from their habitat, which is composed of scrub - low-growing (less than about 6’ tall) oak, shrubs (e.g. lyonia) and other plants native to the sandy ridges of Florida. If that scrub gets too tall due to wildfire suppression, the Scrub Jays will move away. According to the 2025 State of the Bird Report, Scrub Jays are considered a Red Alert Tipping Point species (meaning there has been a precipitous decline in their population (more than 50% in the past 50 years)), so it is important to do what we can to protect the birds and their habitat. The proscribed burns that you see in many parks (including Blue Spring) are to help maintain the scrub for Scrub Jays.
Photos: District Biologist Peter Jensen
One of the neatest things about Scrub Jays are their family dynamics. A family consists of the parents (permanent monogamous bonding) and up to 6 offspring. The family works together to feed chicks. Young birds stay with their parents for about two years before finding their own territory, and during that time, they help raise their younger siblings. The birds also work together to keep an eye out for predators. Usually one individual will be the sentinel and alert the rest of the family when there is a threat in their territory.
You can keep an eye out for JayWalks and other events at Blue Spring State Park here.
Junior Ranger Friends
Gary the Gopher Tortoise is happily trundling through the woods looking for something good to eat. Have you ever been lucky enough to see a gopher tortoise in the park? Gopher tortoises are rare enough in Florida that they get extra protection to keep them safe (like their own road signs). A good Junior Ranger always watches out for wildlife and gives them space.
Photo 1: FWC | Photo 2: Missy Gibbs
Some of you may have seen a gopher tortoise burrow. The burrow is really important to tortoises, since it’s where they spend most of their time. Not only do Gary and his friends live in their burrow, so do lots of other animals like burrowing owls, indigo snakes, and Florida mice!
The burrows can be 15-40 feet long. Wow, tortoises must really like to dig! Gary wants to remind all of you Junior Rangers that if you find a burrow, please keep your distance and leave it alone so the tortoises and their eggs are safe. Tortoises often lay their eggs in the soft sand outside of the burrow. Junior Rangers know how important it is to protect nature as we find it and that no one should do any digging in a park (unless you are Gary the Gopher Tortoise!).
The Friends of Blue Spring State Park is a group of volunteers dedicated to helping ensure Blue Spring State Park and Hontoon Island State Park remain fun, interesting, educational, and beautiful places to visit!
For general questions or inquiries, please contact info@friendsofbluespringstatepark.org.
The Headspring January 2026
Check out this month’s newsletter to learn more about what’s happening at Blue Spring State Park!
The Head Spring - Oct 2025
Check out this month’s newsletter to learn more about what’s happening at Blue Spring State Park!
The Head Spring - August 2025
Check out this month’s newsletter to learn more about what’s happening at Blue Spring State Park!
The Head Spring-June 2025
Check out this month’s newsletter to learn more about what’s happening at Blue Spring State Park!
The Head Spring-Apr. 2025
Check out this month’s newsletter to learn more about Firefly Nights at Blue Spring State Park
The Head Spring-Feb. 2025
Check out this month’s newsletter to learn more about winter at Blue Spring State Park
The Head Spring-DEC. 2024
Check out this month’s newsletter to learn more about winter at Blue Spring State Park
