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When you were a kid, did you ever dig for buried treasure in the backyard? If you did, can you remember that expectant, nervous feeling in the pit of your stomach as the shovelfuls of dirt piled up beside you? Who could imagine what wonders or riches might lay hidden just beneath the grass?

Now that you’re all grown up, you probably realize that the real chances of digging up a chest of gold or a bag of diamonds is pretty slim. But you don’t have to lose your innocent childhood expectancy, because nature has “dug” a few holes of her own and she’s inviting you to come exploring for her hidden treasures.

“There are a ton of caves in Florida,” says Jeremy Atyeo, Ocala resident and vice president of the Florida Speleological Society (FSS). “When caving, you never know what you might come across, especially in a cave that hasn’t been explored much. And, aside from the mystery, the beauty of the rock formations is absolutely amazing.”