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A walk through the dynamic floodplain of our storied Santa Fe River can be an almost otherworldly step into primordial North Central Florida. This was once the realm of thousand-year-old bald cypress trees, the true giants of the southeastern swamps and rivers, with their roots locked together, towering in domes high above the lesser canopy. Black bears slept in their lofty bowers and ivory billed woodpeckers called to one another from their massive trunks. Red wolves and panthers prowled below amongst their knobby knees. Now, only a remnant few of these behemoths remain.
Today, venerable oaks, tupelos and magnolias hug the soil of the floodplain, their long, rope-like roots spread in every direction, exposed by the swift moving waters of the sometimes-swollen river. The forest floor is alive with great carpets of bright yellow butter-weed and snow-white rain lilies. A barred owl watches from above, while a great blue heron slowly and gracefully removes herself downstream at the approach of early morning kayakers who paddle quietly in awe of the natural wonders that surround them. And all the while, the great Floridan aquifer below continues to bubble up through cracks and openings at the surface.
Recognizing the Importance of Saving Our Fragile Watershed
But these moments of peace and tranquility could be lost forever, much like the mature bald cypress trees and ivory billed woodpeckers. Development across North Central Florida has begun to rise up just like the river and if unchecked, could swallow these natural landscapes whole.
During last year’s Amazing Give campaign your generous gifts helped to secure the protection of over 400 acres along this wondrous waterway, ensuring that its wetlands continue to filter and reduce pollutants and the freshwater flowing to its hundreds of springs grows stronger. These lands will forever provide excellent plant diversity and habitat for several endemic and listed species, as well as passive recreation for the public.
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