Volunteer Spotlight, Kathryn Askins
Kathryn Askins
Crystal River Archaeological State Park
Two weeks after moving to Florida, Kathryn Askins and her husband attended Moon Over the Mounds – the nighttime guided tour of Crystal River Archaeological State Park. It was then that Kathryn knew she would volunteer at the park.
After retiring from the industrial roofing industry, Kathryn returned to school, earning her master's degree in American Indian studies from the University of Arizona and her Ph.D. in history from the University of New Hampshire. She went on to teach at the university until her second retirement. Since 1997, the Askins have visited hundreds of Ancient, Adena, Hopewellian and Mississippian culture mounds throughout the United States. It was serendipitous that their Florida home was so close to one of the most highly regarded pre-Columbian ceremonial sites.
Kathryn is a passionate educator who believes the museum and the mounds are perfect venues for informing visitors of the park’s significance. Many visitors - especially international ones - consider a trip to the archaeological park as a bucket-list accomplishment.
“This park is a cultural gem,” says Kathryn. “Through expanded social media, our attendance at Moon Over the Mounds has increased substantially. In January 2019, we had over 600 attendees in one night. It was exhilarating to be able to showcase the park to so many people at one time.”
In addition to her years of volunteering at the archaeological park, Kathryn served two terms as president of the Friends of the Crystal River State Parks and currently serves as the group's treasurer. In 2018, Kathryn was selected as the State-Wide Adult Volunteer of the Year for the Florida Park Service. We’re lucky to have a volunteer as skilled and dedicated as Kathryn on the team!