(train wheels rattling) - [Andrew] There's a lot of times I find myself walking through the park thinking back about my dad working in the rail yard.

I think to myself, "Man, he must have his footprints all over this rail yard."

And then I think again, and my brothers and I playing out here and geez, our footprints are everywhere else.

And I think a little bit more and think how many thousands of kids today their footprints are here as well.

This place is just a dream.

(upbeat music) (music continues) Parks are great for a lot of reasons.

Mostly I think it's just able to get away.

Get away with family and friends.

Forget about all the worries in life and just enjoy being in the world.

- We're a free park with no admission, and for that reason we really can reach all the population.

So there's no barrier to entry from an income standpoint.

And once you get here, it's absolutely a bit of escapism.

So if you need to get out and walk, jog, run, look at some animals, we really have a space where someone can do all of those things on a daily basis without spending a dollar.

(ethereal music) Volunteers are a big part of what we do at Bonnet Springs Park.

We couldn't accomplish everything that we do without them.

We have hundreds of volunteers who come work here on an annual basis.

One of the most dedicated volunteers we have is Andrew Rybinski.

- This is the house that my parents raised nine children in, and we were literally a stone's throw across the road from Bonnet Springs Park.

- One of the fascinating things about Andrew is that his father actually worked in the rail yard when it was active.

Andrew grew up playing in the natural area of the remainder of the property and then came back to Lakeland and has been a volunteer here since we got started.

(ethereal music) (car whooshes by) - [Andrew] This was my backyard, this was my playground.

It was almost imperative that I come back here and become part of it, give back to Lakeland, share my childhood with the people that come to the park.

- [Josh] In 2015, David Bunch, along with his wife Jean, knew that this property would end up becoming a warehouse space next to downtown Lakeland.

He got with Barney and Carol Barnett, Bill and Martha Tinsley, and the six of them formed the initial board to move into the creation phase of Windsong Park, which would eventually become known as Bonnet Springs Park.

(ethereal music) - [Andrew] If you look over here, this is a picture of my father.

He worked at the rail yard for 34 years.

Carol Jenkins Barnett, I went to high school with her.

So it was just too many connections for me to stay away.

Yeah, my dad hired on with the Atlantic Coastline Railroad probably in 1948.

Moved up through the ranks, became a yard switchman, which he got to walk around switching train tracks, decoupling cars and things like that.

- [Eric] Education is liberation, right?

So, you know, my job as a principal really talk to the teachers about the importance of building our kids from something that they may not have and having the vision to shape them into something that they can become better citizens.

So giving back to the community like this is absolutely amazing.

- [Andrew] That is one of the main premises of this park is to grow into the future.

You know, being down in this gorge really brings back a lot of old, old memories.

One of the first times I came down to the area that was Bonnet Springs Park was when I was five years old and we stumbled upon this gorge.

It was almost impossible to cross because the water you see below me now, it was probably this deep.

The gorge itself was deeper.

This is all sediment.

Because there was water flowing through here, it kept eating and eating and eating into the clay.

The sidewalls were almost like marble.

It was white clay.

Now they're covered with this topsoil that's falling out of the root system.

(water sloshing) (ethereal music) These two trees behind me when I was a kid, they were growing straight up together.

They formed a huge canopy here.

The branches went to the ground and it formed like a little hiding place here.

A little secret hideaway.

I do remember as a kid putting my initials in this tree over here, over my right shoulder.

Now today I come back out here and I can't find them.

The park's grown over, the tree's falling over.

But the neat thing about it, if you look at some of these trees here, they're covered with initials.

So the kids today, for some reason, this is the only spot in the park that I find initials right here by this tree that I put my initials in 40 years ago.

- [Josh] The impact Bonnet Springs Park has had on the greater Lakeland area truly makes the city a place to live, work, and play.

We open the gates at 6:00 AM and we have a line of cars for people who want to exercise and come out and enjoy the park.

Through our cultural programs, we offer experiences for diverse populations that make us an inclusive property for everyone.

- [Andrew] Sitting here at the creek and close my eyes, feel the cool water on my toes takes me back to 1970.

Not a care in the world, checking out fish and turtles and steaks when I see 'em.

One day I looked down and saw this triangular stone and when I picked it up, I realized it was an arrowhead.

So what I would do is I'd come out here and look for a rock bed.

I see some shells over here and some rocks over here, a big rock here.

And I just get down and look real close.

And if I saw something that had like, a triangular shape, you bend down and pick it up and you find it.

So if you ever find yourself in the stream, look down.

You might find one yourself.

One of my first memories here in the park was walking around Lake Bonnet, the lady from our neighborhood.

We came with a group of siblings, a couple of friends from the neighborhood, ended up at this very spot.

When we got here, what took our breath away was the beauty of this magnolia tree that you see behind me.

So 60 years later, when I came back to work at the park, it's one of the first places I came was right to this very spot to find the old magnolia tree, and it was still there.

What I love about the magnolia tree today is it's easily accessible by the Monarch Trail.

And what I love about the Monarch Trail, it's the only trail in Bonnet Springs Park that's in a natural setting.

Woo-hoo.

That looks like fun.

- [Child 1] Yeah.

- You having a great time today?

- [Child 2] All day I do this.

- All day long?

Gimme a high five.

Alright.

Way up there.

- So one of the best, oh, you hear a train in the background.

We still have an active rail line right out in front of the park so kids and adults who are interested in seeing trains get to see them on a daily basis as they move trains up and down the line.

(gentle music) - [Andrew] Bonnet Springs Park is so important to so many people of this city.

I look around and I see kids playing on all the playground equipment, screaming and yelling, and just having a great time.

- [Josh] Our goal in 100 years is to become the Central Park of Central Florida.

When I think about future generations, I truly hope that the kids who are here today bring their kids out in 20 years and they get to roll down the mountains like we see here on a daily basis.

I can't help but be excited about the quality of life that Bonnet Springs Park is going to bring to Lakeland and all of Central Florida.

- [Andrew] You know, one of my favorite things about volunteering at the park is all of the different kind of people you meet.

I meet kids of all ages.

I meet adults.

And what I really like about that is sharing experiences, 'cause I had all my experiences in childhood and now I get to hear other people's experiences.

My years growing up at this park, I've made many memories.

And as a volunteer, I've made a bunch of new ones.

And if you ask me what the ultimate purpose of this park is, I think it's for families to come here and make their own memories.

Memories that'll last their lifetime.

(gentle music) (music continues) (music continues) (music continues) (train horn blowing in background)