FPL Volunteers Beautify Central Florida Zoo During Power to Care Week

More than 30 Florida Power & Light volunteers spent a day shoveling, raking and beautifying facilities at the Central Florida Zoo & Botanical Gardens in Sanford last week, the latest effort in a company volunteer tradition now entering its 16th year.

The work, part of FPL's annual Power to Care Week, focused on landscaping improvements across the zoo's nearly 120-acre grounds along West Seminole Boulevard, creating what organizers described as a safer and cleaner environment for both animals and visitors. Volunteers tackled general beautification projects designed to improve walkways, exhibits and shared spaces that require constant upkeep to remain accessible to the public.

"We believe in showing up for the communities we proudly serve," said Linda Dubea, FPL's External Affairs Manager. "Our team dedicated the day to making meaningful improvements that benefit the animals and the families who visit, and that kind of community involvement is what our Power to Care initiative is all about."

Central Florida Zoo CEO Richard E. Glover, Jr. emphasized how outside partnerships help the zoo sustain its mission across its sprawling campus. "Maintaining a safe and welcoming environment for both our animals and our guests requires ongoing care and collaboration," Glover said. "When community partners step in to assist with improvement projects, it strengthens our ability to serve families and care for the animals who call the Zoo home."

The 2026 landscaping effort builds on a deeper history of FPL-zoo collaboration. In March 2024, more than 50 FPL employees and their families from Seminole, Orange, Volusia and Flagler counties arrived with hammers and hard hats to construct mobile habitat carts for the zoo's education animals. Those carts were designed to allow zoo staff to present armadillos, snakes, rabbits, turtles, opossums, owls and other animals in more natural states, improving both animal welfare and the quality of public programs. Volunteers that year also built an outdoor permanent habitat for Ambassador Animals, created enrichment items, removed invasive plants and painted and refurbished existing habitats.

"Conservation is at the heart of our mission, which is to create connections that inspire people to take action for wildlife," Glover said of that collaboration. "We are thankful for the dedication and generosity shown by the FPL team and their families."

This year's Power to Care Week extended well beyond Sanford, with FPL volunteers completing more than 20 projects across more than 10 counties statewide. In Panama City, crews helped clean, paint and landscape the Gulf World Marine Institute, an organization dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation and release of marine mammals and sea turtles along the Florida Panhandle.

Groups and individuals interested in volunteering at the Central Florida Zoo can contact the Volunteer Services office at volunteers@centralfloridazoo.org. The zoo accepts volunteers age 13 and older, with programs ranging from the Teen Team and Zoo Crew to interpreter and docent roles. Group and corporate volunteer projects are coordinated through the Volunteer Office at 3755 W. Seminole Blvd., Sanford, with morning sessions typically running from 9 a.m. to noon.