We are headed to our Suwannee and Santa Fe trips and hope to see you there. Cool mornings with a hot cup of coffee on the river bank.  There is nothing better!

We would like to thank our Board of Directors! As a non-profit educational organization, we have many folks helping to make every season a success.

We are very thankful and appreciative of our Board of Directors and all the assistance they provide. You can learn more about our outstanding Board of Directors here. 

We would like to thank outgoing Director (board member), Farley Doucette for his contribution to Paddle Florida. Farley's background and experience were instrumental in our success over the past several years and has made Paddle Florida better.  We wish Farley luck in his future endeavors and are happy to welcome Farley and Karol back as volunteers in future seasons.   

We would like to welcome incoming Director (board member), Monelle McKay  We are excited to have her join us! Monelle has an impressive background in technology, leadership and strategic planning.  She is also a committed outdoor enthusiast and we look forward to her participation on our Board of Directors.  

Since we are headed to the "springs", it seems only fitting that we share The death of North Florida’s springs – Florida Springs Institute by Dr. Robert Knight, President of the Board / Florida Springs Institute.  

We will see you on the water. 

Once compared to the greatest hydrological wonders of North America, including Niagara Falls and the Mississippi River, North Florida’s springs in the 1850s were praised for their extreme water clarity and complex ecology. Like the Everglades in South Florida, artesian springs in North Florida continue to delight millions. Increasingly “discovered” by tourists and recreationalists from Florida and beyond, healthy springs provide waders and swimmers with the cool freshness of pure water against a unique underwater forest of aquatic plants and animals.

Thirty five years ago, the death of the Everglades ecosystem was imminent. Today, through a monumental effort to save these critical lands, a lasting future for the amazing Everglades is now conceivable.

Four hundred miles north of the Everglades, 2.7 million acres of the Florida Springs Region is centered around the Florida Springs Heartland of the Suwannee River basin, including its principal tributaries the Santa Fe and Ichetucknee Rivers. With a combined historic spring flow of about 4.7 billion gallons per day of fresh groundwater, this watershed rivals the Everglades in size and magnificence. More than 300 artesian springs are arranged like beautiful blue beads along these three rivers … [Read More…]

The Rembert property is located in Alachua, within the Springs Priority Focus Area for Columbia, Hornsby and Treehouse Springs. This special property protects almost 3 miles of Bad Dog Branch, part of the creek system that feeds into Mill Creek Sink. Dye trace studies have confirmed the hydrologic connection between Mill Creek Sink and Hornsby Spring, a designated Outstanding Florida Spring on the Santa Fe River. Protection of the Santa Fe River is one of the highest priorities for the Alachua County Forever Program.

The Rembert conservation easement is the first Alachua County Forever conservation land acquisition of 2024, following county voters' re-authorization of the Wild Spaces and Public Places initiative in November 2022. Through ongoing citizen support and partnerships, the program has worked with willing landowners to protect 34,277 acres since its inception in 2000.  [Read more…]

Photo credit: alachuacounty.us

Relatives of weasels and badgers, river otters are slender mammals that love the water. They can be seen swimming in freshwater wetlands throughout Florida, where they use their powerful tails and webbed feet to glide through the water. They usually live in burrows dug into the riverbank, called holts, that have underwater entrances for easy access to and from the water. 

River otters are predators that eat a wide variety of other species. Mostly nocturnal, their finely tuned senses of smell, sight and hearing help them find prey such as crustaceans, fish and insects. They also have sensitive whiskers on their face that they brush along the riverbed to find food ... [Read More …]

How To: Pack a Kayak for Camping

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Get your very own Camp Coffee Mug! $20 to help support our environmentally friendly dish program