Springs Field School 2022
Join the Florida Springs Institute for our most in-depth course on Florida springs, held from September 6th – 10th, 2022. Springs Field School will explore topics on springs ecology, water use, pollution impacts, and environmental management.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Florida’s springs and the Floridan Aquifer that feeds them are under increasing threats from human activities, including flow reductions, nutrient increases, aquatic weed management activities, recreational impacts. The growing need for knowledge about basic chemistry, biology, and ecology of springs is important for improved resource management. The Springs Field School course provides a scientific overview of how springs are a product of their environmental surroundings and how they respond to management decisions.
The 2022 Florida Springs Field School is centered on the springs of the Santa Fe and Ichetucknee Rivers in north-central Florida. The course is designed to accommodate a variety of schedules, while still offering the opportunity for full immersion in the springs.
Multiple pre-recorded Zoom lectures will be released daily on September 6, 7, 8, for attendees to watch throughout the day according to what best fits their schedule. On Friday, September 9th, Springs Field School attendees will meet in-person at Poe Springs Park Lodge, for a welcome reception, guided field trip to the spring, springs presentation, and catered dinner with movie screening. A guided paddling excursion to Ichetucknee Springs State Park will be held on Saturday, September 10th, where attendees will be guided through the park while Dr. Knight describes various aspects of the ecology at Ichetucknee. Attendees will be able to observe live demonstrations of the equipment that FSI uses to measure water quality at the springs during our paddle.
There are two ticket options available for Springs Field School Attendees.
$35 – CLASS PASS gives full access to ALL of the online Springs Field School lectures, as well as a ticket to the welcome reception at Poe Springs Lodge on the evening of Friday, September 9th. The welcome reception will be held from 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm and includes a catered dinner.
$100 – CLASS AND FIELD EXCURSION PASS gives full access to ALL of the online Springs Field School lectures, as well as a ticket to the welcome reception at Poe Springs Lodge on the evening of Friday, September 9th. The welcome reception will be held from 5:00 pm – 9:00 pm and includes a catered dinner. This ticket option also includes a field paddling excursion to Ichetucknee Springs State Park on Saturday, September 10th. Ticket price covers field excursion’s park admission fee, kayak rental fee, and lunch.
who should take this course?
This course is offered to those interested in Florida’s water resources from a science, management, or administrative perspective and for those who wish to develop or sharpen their understanding of aquatic ecology in general. Information from all related physical, chemical, biological, and economic disciplines will be integrated and presented in understandable fashion to allow participants to have a deeper understanding and appreciation of the role that springs play in overall support for Florida’s natural and human ecologies. This course should be of interest to environmental scientists, ecologists, environmental activists, water resources engineers, natural resource managers, and those practicing environmental law.
This course is not recommended for K-12 students.
Scholarships
5 scholarship passes will be offered for any of the above options, at no cost to the attendee.
Any interested person is eligible to submit an email that briefly describes their reasons for wishing to attend and their financial need. Scholarship applications for Springs Field School 2021 are due no later than 11:59 pm on Thursday, August 11, 2022 and can be submitted to info@floridaspringsinstitute.org.
The Springs Field School was funded in part through generous support from the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida.
