Educational Programs

On this page, you can browse all of the different types of events and programs the Florida Springs Institute has to offer! Click any profile to learn more about the event/program. If you’re looking for a specific event, navigate to our Calendar to search by event name and/or date.

Our Springs Outing trips connect nature lovers with the outdoors (and each other) while giving participants the opportunity to learn about Florida’s rich landscape from qualified experts and scientists. Each Spring Outing holds a new adventure, and with it, new information and experiences, even for the most seasoned adventure enthusiasts! Proceeds from Spring Outings benefit the Florida Springs Institute so we can continue vital springs research and education efforts.

SpringsWatch is our monthly citizen science springs monitoring program that facilitates  “hands-on” volunteer participation while also contributing to springs research efforts around the state. Currently, we have six SpringsWatch groups: Silver, Ichetucknee, Rainbow, Santa Fe, Weeki Wachee, and Homosassa River spring systems

The Florida Springs Institute is hosting our 6th annual Give Springs a Break at Gissy Springs on the Rainbow River from Thursday, June 6th – Sunday, June 9th, 2019. This weekend event combines learning and relaxation, with activities for college students and young professionals who are passionate and concerned about our environment and the future of Florida’s freshwater resources.

Our Springs Outing trips connect nature lovers with the outdoors (and each other) while giving participants the opportunity to learn about Florida’s rich landscape from qualified experts and scientists. Each Spring Outing holds a new adventure, and with it, new information and experiences, even for the most seasoned adventure enthusiasts! Proceeds from Spring Outings benefit the Florida Springs Institute so we can continue vital springs research and education efforts.

Springs Academy is six-part lecture series which takes place on the first or second Tuesday of each month. Springs Academy Courses are as follows: Class 1: Springs Overview, Class 2: Springs Hydrogeology, Class 3: Springs Biology, Class 4: Springs Chemistry, Class 5: Springs Stresses, and Class 6: Springs Advocacy.

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The Wacissa Spring Group lies at the northern end of the Aucilla Wildlife Management Area in Jefferson
County and forms the headwaters of the Wacissa River. Over twenty springs form a cluster that runs
along the river. A public boat ramp allows for easy access to the core of the spring cluster. This dense
core contains Log, Thomas, Wacissa #1-4, and Acuilla springs, which together form a large bowl of fast-
flowing water. Along the run, large patches of Coontail compete with beds of Hydrilla beneath the clear
water. The combined magnitude and isolation of the Wacissa springs make the location one of the most
pristine in the state, earning the system a spot on the list of OFSs despite none of the individual springs
flowing at the first magnitude.