Fred George Basin cleanup in support of Florida Forever a huge success!

Note: WPS would like to thank everyone who participated Saturday, and especially our friends at FSU Environmental Service Program, The Nature Conservancy, and Save Our Shores. Special thanks as well to WPS intern Rick Ulrich.

Take A Hike, Florida
By Alexis Diao
WFSU Public Radio Tallahassee
February 22, 2010
Related link: Support Florida Forever Coalition

Some local environmentalists spent their Saturday morning picking up trash in the Fred George Basin, a sources for Tallahassee's drinking wells. The basin's clean-up is one of ten events throughout the state collectively called "Take a Hike, Florida." It was hosted by the Florida Forever Coalition.

North Florida is peppered with sinkholes, and for the most part they're all connected. The same water in the Fred George Basin, for example, can be found an hour away in Wakulla Springs.

There's a lot of connectivity here in terms of keeping the groundwater clean. The entire environment supports a tremendous number of threatened and endangered species, including the Woodstork, which is a federally endangered species.

Misty Penton is an environmental activist and founder of the Wildwood Preservation Society. She helped organize this event with the Florida State Environmental Service Program.

"Right now, there aren't any trash traps to keep the trash from draining into the sinkhole area. That means that for 34-square miles, all of the runoff garbage is going down into that sinkhole."

The basin was recently purchased as public land through Florida Forever. Eventually, it will have trash traps, which are large strainers set in the water to catch floating debris.

Until these strainers are put in place to clean the basin water, volunteers are left to do the job. Thomas University student Rick Ulrich showed off black trash bag full of finds.

"Glass bottles, aluminum bottles, some balls, tennis balls, baseballs, that sort of thing."

The Fred George Basin clean-up wasn't your everyday walk in the woods. A month after the Federal Environmental Protection Agency proposed setting tougher standards for Florida's water quality, and about a week ahead of the legislative session, the statewide campaign was sort of a pep rally for environmentalists.

One of them is volunteer and director of Government Affairs for the Florida chapter of Nature Conservancy, Andy McLeod.

"We are participating today in part to call on the Legislature to provide sufficient funding to see that Florida Forever exists next year."

One cooler, thirteen car tires, and countless glass and plastic bottles later, the volunteers call it a day.


Endangered wood stork nesting in Fred George Basin, June 2009.

Wildwood Preservation Society is a non-profit 501(c)(4) project of the Advocacy Consortium for the Common Good. Click here to learn more.

"it's all connected"

Take A Hike Florida!

Florida Forever Presents: Take A Hike, Florida!

Events Set Across Florida on February 20

On February 20, the Florida Forever Coalition and Floridians across the state will take a hike!

In support of the Florida Forever program, the Coalition will partner with local supporters to take part in a day of hiking designed to celebrate Florida’s natural treasures and raise awareness of the Florida Forever program. The hikes will take place across the state and will be open to the public. “Take A Hike, Florida!” has planned hikes in Seminole, Pinellas, Alachua and Nassau counties, to name only a few.

In Leon County, supporters of Florida Forever will join with FSU’s Environmental Service Program, the Wildwood Preservation Society and Thomasville University students to clean up the Fred George Basin. The Basin was purchased in part by an FCT grant, part of the Florida Forever program. The public is welcome and encouraged to bring a picnic lunch, work gloves and a willingness to get dirty! Participants should meet at the gates of the Fred George Basin Greenway, located ½ mile east of Capital Circle. For directions please contact Misty Penton at 850-559-9661.

The Coalition is celebrating 20 years of successful public land conservation under Florida Forever and its predecessor, Preservation 2000. The combined programs have protected more than 2.4 million acres of land. The land has many uses, from recreation to water quality preservation to protecting our military. Florida Forever has touched nearly every county in Florida and greatly improved our state’s quality of life.

Last week, Gov. Charlie Crist included funding for Florida Forever in his 2010-11 proposed state budget. The Florida Forever Coalition is urging the Legislature to follow the Governor’s example and provide funding for the program, despite the current economic climate. The recent economic downturn has provided unprecedented opportunities for the state to purchase critical environmental lands for bargain prices. This makes funding essential to the integrity of the program’s ability to negotiate future deals.

Successful Florida Forever projects include Pinhook Swamp, Annutteliga Hammock, Kissimmee River/Chain of Lakes, Pumpkin Hill, Topsail Hill Preserve State Park, Green Swamp, Fisheating Creek Ecosystem, the Archie Carr Sea Turtle Refuge, Yellow River Ravines, Seven Runs Creek, and Pier Park, to name a few.

Details on the Fred George Basin cleanup, including information on carpooling from FSU, is available here.

Fledgling egrets nesting in Fred George Basin, May 2009.

Wildwood Preservation Society is a non-profit 501(c)(4) project of the Advocacy Consortium for the Common Good. Click here to learn more.

"it's all connected"

Florida Earth Day Jam April 18th in Tallahassee

Florida Earth Day Jam is Florida’s largest Earth Day celebration. The Earth Day Jam is an all-day music festival and environmental exposition that will be held Saturday, April 18 at The Bradfordville Blues Club and is organized by the parents, teachers, children and alumni of The Magnolia School of Tallahassee.

The Magnolia community is committed to serving the community at large with its environmental education component. As they did for their wildly successful concert in 2006, dozens of our area’s environmental organizations will participate in the environmental exposition going on all day during the show. With the music, the vendors and the green exposition on site, this year’s Jam will be more exciting than ever, and will provide valuable outreach opportunities for our environmental nonprofit partners.

Leon County Commissioner Cliff Thaell and Tallahassee City Commissioner Andrew D. Gillum serve as honorary co-chairs of this regional Earth Day observance and celebration.

Musicians, artisans, vendors and exhibitors are being added every day. Support Florida Earth Day Jam!

Click here for more info and to purchase tickets.
Click here to visit Florida Earth Jam on MySpace.





Wildwood Preservation Society is a non-profit 501(c)(4) project of the Advocacy Consortium for the Common Good. Click here to learn more.

"it's all connected"