One of my favorite things to do in North Central Florida is paddle the Ichetucknee River. While most folks like to beat the summertime heat by floating down the river in June, July and August, the best part of the year, for me, is late fall to late spring when the river is quiet and peaceful. Starting from the south end of the Ichetucknee Springs State Park entrance, paddling up to the north end where the water rises from the earth, and then floating back down is my idea of heaven. Much of the time, on the river, there’s nothing to see or hear but the beauty of nature, the birds, turtles, fish, and an occasional otter and deer. Here are a few photograph I took on a gorgeous day last October.

Unfortunately, the Ichetucknee River, and other waterways in North Central Florida, has suffered damaged due to many different factors created mainly by us humans. Not only is this the water we use for recreation, this is the water we drink in our homes, our workplaces, and our schools. In future posts I plan to list some information about how we can join the fight to reverse this damage.