When Lovers Key State Recreation Area merged with Carl E. Johnson County Park in 1996, the 1,616-acre Lovers Key State Park was formed. At that same time the Friends of Lovers Key (FOLKS) incorporated as a nonprofit corporation and state-sanctioned citizen support organization for the park.
FOLKS was soon busy identifying projects and raising money for restoration of the park's beach and mangrove communities. Each year the FOLKS raise funds to benefit Lovers Key, now and for future generations.
Typical projects include maintenance of the park’s native plant nursery, shorebird nesting protection and purchase of equipment. A portion of the FOLKS membership fees also go to the capital campaign for building the Lovers Key Welcome and Discovery Center.
