There is a place on earth where
turtles can fly…
… and you can too.
It’s a place where feet flock to hide from the heat of the sweltering summer,
…and where some take refuge from the winter’s chill.
It is a place to relax and destress,
...and to explore the intersection of two worlds.
It is a calming green paradise, replete with swaying Sagitteria,
... and an abundance of diverse vegetation that serves as a habitat for a fishes and invertebrates.
It is a place where reflective illusions play tricks on your mind,
... where some come to dream in a storm of blue,
... and others come to study what happens just beneath the surface.
This impossibly clear water is not only a haven and a laboratory but also a reminder of what lies beneath. It's a little glimpse of the invisible aquifer beneath our feet: the fragile source of water that sustains our daily lives.
This, and so much more, is Gilchrist Blue Spring. And it's for sale.
Words and photographs will never do justice to this amazing place, but we can try, and I hope to help by sharing these photographs and accompanying words that are all inspired by Blue's refreshing waters. I hope that you will take the plunge at Blue Spring and fall deeply in love for yourself. And I hope that you will also take action to help Blue become a Florida State Park. This Friday, June 19, 2015, the Acquisition and Restoration Council will meet in Tallahassee to consider the spring as a state park. Please sign this petition to help them reach their goal of 750 signatures:
...and please see this informative post by Our Santa Fe River for more information about sending an email to the council on behalf of Blue Spring. It's the least we can do to thank Blue for all that she so generously offers us through her inspirational and relaxing waters. Thank you so much for taking the time and for joining me in supporting something so close to both my heart and the hearts of so many fellow Floridians.
Thank you, Jenny (www.jenniferadlerphotography.com)
PS on a more personal note, Blue is my favorite place to photograph. Its reflective waters have inspired some of my best photographs and writing and have been the site of my scientific field studies. I have visited blue about 50 times and cannot imagine my world without it. I am optimistic that together we can preserve this unique and irreplaceable ecosystem so that we and our children, grandchildren, etc. may continue to enjoy its crystal blue embrace <3
