Volunteer Spotlight, Robert & Sonya Childs
Robert and Sonya Childs
Blue Spring State Park
Robert was born and raised in the Apopka area of Florida. Sonya was born in Delaware, and her family moved to Florida when she was young. They lived in Montana for 26 years while Robert worked for the U.S. Postal Service. After retirement, they decided to move back to Central Florida to be closer to family and friends. They sold their home and decided to live full time in their RV.
Robert and Sonya both love the outdoors and wanted to find a way to protect the natural world. They especially enjoy hunting, fishing, biking, hiking and photography and how you can walk the same path outdoors and experience something new every day.
They chose to volunteer at Blue Spring State Park initially because it was close to family and friends and they heard about the benefits for volunteering for Florida State Parks. They developed a deeper appreciation for this park due to the family-like atmosphere between the staff and volunteers. They enjoy having the freedom to jump in and help out when needed.
Robert and Sonya also appreciate the park management’s confidence in their ability to get the job done. You can find them all over the park helping out, from picking up trash and trimming to laying down tile and building a pole barn. They enjoy taking on new jobs and don’t mind filling in wherever they are needed.
Robert and Sonya believe that if we don’t take care of our parks now, they will not be around for our grandchildren to enjoy. Staff members at Blue Spring State Park admire Robert and Sonya’s commitment to our park. We are proud to have them here as resident hosts!