The first thing you see is the beauty of these young adults wearing springs-like shirts on the edge of one of our most treasured springs: Ichetucknee Head Springs. These colorful shirts were fashioned during a multi-day springs workshop with the assistance of Our Santa Fe River volunteers.
Ms. Spencer’s environmental class at Fort White High School participated in Our Santa Fe River, Inc’s teen outreach program. Over 100 students participated in an exploration of water from the macro level of The World of Water to the micro level evaluating dissolved oxygen in different water samples. We also explored the path of surface water run-off from Lake City to the Ichetucknee Headspring along the Ichetucknee Trace.
Next, a hands-on tie-dye springs tutorial applying the lessons of how the aquifer, river and springs are affected by each other as well as by nutrient run-off from septic systems, farms, and fertilizer.
Finally, Ms. Spencer and Ms. Earls’ Parknership presented a lab at the Ichetucknee State Park comparing the chemical and bacterial qualities from different water sources. One member’s partnership with WWALS Adopt-a Stream program allowed us to demonstrate how to take dissolved oxygen and bacterial measures of the various samples in conjunction with Ms. Earl’s p.H. and conductivity measures.
Santa Fe High School’s Environmental Club also welcomed Our Santa Fe River to present at Ms. Shankman’s invitation. Santa Fe High’s Environmental Club is very active in spring and boat ramp clean-ups.
This outreach was made with help from Current Problems’ Dan Roundtree. Together we were able to expand our offerings to the next generation of leaders and environmentalists.
OSFR President Joanne Tremblay
joanne.tremblay@oursantaferiver.org
“Giving Our River A Voice”
