Monthly

Springs Vent

June 2014

President's Update

Dr. Robert L. Knight: Liquid light or black lagoons

What is the fate of Florida's springs? Will they once again be restored to "bowls of liquid light" or are they all fated to become "black lagoons?" This is a question that many are asking during this period of ample rainfall throughout North and Central Florida.

With the recent flooding in the Santa Fe, Suwannee and Withlacoochee rivers, the wetlands that nourish the rivers release residual humic acids derived from decomposing leaves and cypress needles. These complex organic compounds in turn mix with runoff to stain the floodwaters the rich, brown color of tea and dominate these rivers during flooding events. These "dark," tannic waters are natural and are familiar to longtime area residents. Read more...

2014 Membership Drive

Calling all springs enthusiasts! From June 2nd through September 30th, the Florida Springs Institute is hosting a membership drive. All new members will receive an FSI Silipint. In addition, all new or upgrading lifetime members will receive free admission to our upcoming fall fundraiser and the first four (4) individuals to upgrade or sign up for a lifetime membership will receive a signed copy of Aquiferious by Margaret Ross Tolbert.

We have several membership levels to choose from:

Student Level = Donation of $15

Individual Level = Donation of $25

Family Level = Donation of $35

Business Level = Donation of $75

Lifetime Level = Donation of $300+

For more information on the benefits of membership, please visit our website.

Photo by Stephan Hoda

Springs Presentation Expands
to Local Schools

FSI Director Bob Knight has been sharing his message on the need to protect Florida springs to adult audiences throughout Florida. In an effort to educate a younger audience on the science and threats of springs, FSI volunteer Debbie Segal has developed a presentation entitled The Springs and Aquifer System of Florida, and has been making this presentation to local high school classes. Debbie's presentation illustrates the connection between the Floridan Aquifer, springs, spring-fed rivers, and the groundwater we consume.

To date, Debbie has presented her presentation to over 300 students and teachers at six schools. Plans for expanding the presentation to more students, more schools, and a more varied audience are underway for the next school year. If you or someone you know would be interested in hosting a presentation on The Springs and Aquifer System of Florida, please contact Debbie Segal at Debbie.segal@gmail.com or 352-514-0596.

FSI Summer Internships

Summer is in full swing and the new FSI interns are diving deep into the springs! This summer, our springs interns are each learning about their assigned springs by attending meetings, conducting field research, reading reports, and analyzing data. By the end of the summer, our interns will be experts on their assigned springs!

Recently, several of our interns, along with volunteers from the Save the Manatee Club and the Kings Bay Springs Alliance, assisted in the construction and deployment of ten newly re-designed cages for our restoration project in Kings Bay. Their efforts were featured in the Citrus County Chronicle last week!

To learn more about our summer interns and our internship program, please visit the "FSI Interns" section of our website.

Coming to an Event near You!

The Florida Springs Institute has set up a table at several recent springs-related events around the state. Our display features information about FSI, including how to become a member, as well as other free materials, such as restoration plans for nearby springs and special members only materials. Tabling is a great opportunity for us to meet all of you, so stop by and say "hi" when you see our sign!

To see where we will be next, please visit the "Calendar of Events" section of our website. If you know of an event in your area that you would like to see us table at, please contact our Outreach Director by email at hculp@floridaspringsinstitute.org

Don't forget, you can now donate 5% of your purchase to the Florida Springs Institute by shopping through Amazon Smile!

The Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute is a 501c3 non-profit funded entirely by grants and private donations.

Please consider making a contribution to help further our efforts to protect and restore our majestic springs for current and future generations.

Click here to donate today!

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The Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute is a 501c3 non-profit.
EIN 46-1663401

5302 NW 156th Avenue, Gainesville, FL 32653
Main Tel: (386) 462-1003
Main Fax: (386) 462-3196

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