You might remember when state parks hit the headlines last summer.

Florida’s department of environmental protection proposed major developments at nine state parks- including lodges, pickleball courts and a golf course.

But they dropped those plans after widespread protests.

You’re about to meet a St. Petersburg couple on a mission to visit all 175 state parks. And you’ll hear what makes these places so special and why people want to protect them.

In the months after March 2020 as the world grappled with the unknown of the COVID-19 pandemic, Wilma Norton and Peter Couture decided to start visiting state parks. And as you’ll hear on this episode of Florida Matters, they have a whole new appreciation for Florida since they embarked on their adventure.