At the regular board meeting on June 28, 2017, a new member, Jane Blais of High Springs was elected to the board of directors. Jane is an extremely hard worker who has a deep love for the environment.
We welcome Jane to the board and we consider ourselves very lucky to have her.
A Lifelong artist and aesthete, Jane lived for one year at Henri Matisse’s residence on the Mediterranean in Nice, France. Returning to the U.S. she earned her degree from University of Illinois and moved to Hawaii. It was while living in Hilo, Hawaii, that she became an animal and environmental advocate while studying a Krsna community on Mt. Kilauea.
She moved to Florida to become a schoolteacher in Monroe County (the Keys )….and lived there for 15 years, selling paintings and teaching gifted students in Marathon. In 1992, after a very close encounter with Hurricane Andrew she moved up to the Gainesville area. She worked as a child advocate/social worker in Levy County for several years before moving to High Springs in 1998, where she has resided since, building her dream home on our Santa Fe River near Treehouse Springs.
Seeking nature’s panacea every day on the picturesque Santa Fe River, she enjoys hiking, paddling, gardening, horsebackriding, wildlife photography and watercolor painting. Drawing from her years as a teacher, Jane attempts to educate the public on animal protection and environmental issues with various aspects of advocacy. She lobbies in Washington, D. C. to advance federal legislation regarding the safety of our food supply and animal welfare. She operates her farm as a dog and horse rescue facility, and occasionally rescues human beings that need the respite our beautiful river, parks and wildlife have to offer.
Jane is descended from Harriet Beecher Stowe….whose book Palmetto Leaves is an old Florida classic. Jane also has an original copy of Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
Jane takes the endangered status of our river, our wildlife, water, and indeed our entire state very seriously and we think she will be an integral part of taking our organization to the next level.
Thanks to Jane, and all Board and OSFR members for their work to protect our river, springs and environment!