WATCH // EXPLORE // CRAVE
Celebrating Florida’s Springs Join the Florida Museum of Natural History for a screening of Lost Spring, the second installment in this year’s Florida Springs Film Series.
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// B Y K A R I N FA B R Y- C U S H E N B E R Y
Defenders of the Environment; Allen Martin he Florida Museum of Natural History with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation on the University of Florida campus in Gainesville is dedicated to understanding, Commission; and Matthew Cohen, a professor of forest water resources and preserving and interpreting biological watershed systems at UF’s School of Forest diversity and cultural heritage to ensure their Resources and Conservation. The evening survival for future generations. As one of our will be moderated nation’s top five natural by Heather O’Bara, history museums, the outreach coordinator museum offers an THIS IS OUR FRESH WATER for Alachua extensive variety of WE’RE TALKING ABOUT. IT’S Conservation Trust. exhibits and programs Throughout the to further its cause. SO VITAL TO OUR ECONOMY, discussion, viewers The Florida Springs AND IT’S HOME TO SO MUCH will be offered Film Series is one interactive surveys such event. BIODIVERSITY. IF WE DON’T relating to the topics Created as a fourPAY ATTENTION WE WILL BE IN at hand. part film series, only “By showing these one screening took BIG TROUBLE IN THE FUTURE. films, we hope to place before COVID-19 WE ENCOURAGE PEOPLE attract people who altered the museum’s want to know more plans. Now, months TO GET INVOLVED AND DO about our springs,” later, they are picking THEIR PART TO PROTECT AND says Kristen. “We up where they left often take for granted off, albeit in a virtual CONSERVE OUR SPRINGS. what the springs do manner through the for Florida on so many end of the year. -KRISTEN GRACE, PHOTOGRAPHER levels. Tourism, natural The second film, beauty, fresh water and so much more. This is Lost Spring, will be posted to the museum’s about preserving real Florida.” webpage and YouTube channel on November 5 The remaining two films in the series and will remain available for screening through have been postponed until 2021 and include November 9. topics on our springs’ biodiversity, along with Lost Spring focuses on the Ocklawaha River a baseline observation on how things have and the Rodman dam, along with the ancestry changed for the springs over the years. of the people who once lived in that area. “This is our fresh water we’re talking about,” “Our hope is that people will watch the film at their leisure and then join us for an interactive says Kristen. “It’s so vital to our economy, and it’s home to so much biodiversity. If we don’t pay webinar on the evening of November 9,” says attention we will be in big trouble in the future. Kristen Grace, a photographer for the Florida Museum of Natural History. “This topic is political We encourage people to get involved and do for some, so we hope viewers will watch and then their part to protect and conserve our springs.” form their own opinions and questions.” Florida Springs Film Series presents Lost Participants will be invited to submit Spring // Florida Museum of Natural History questions online for panelists to discuss. The // floridamuseum.ufl.edu // Click on events discussion group will include Margaret Ross and then calendar to register for the November Tolbert, the artist and co-director of Lost film screening. Spring; Jenny Carr, president of the Florida 10
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Florida Springs Film Series photos courtesy of Margaret Tolbert
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