Stolen Stars

As the sun set, shivers set in. We had just surfaced from a dive in the Ballroom and the damp neoprene and soggy booties weren't doing us any favors. 

A cloudy, grey night obscured the moon, leaving no hope for any stars. But we knew where to find them. 

For now, we had them bottled up. The stars, that is. The back of the car glowed until Bre took the bottled up stars and tucked them into the pocket of her drysuit. We geared up and headed for a new galaxy - but instead of heading for outer space, we plunged into the depths of the aquifer.

We each found a safe spot amongst the limestone boulders in the vast, underwater cavern and signaled large circles with our lights to let each other know that we were okay. With the flick of a switch, the last light was extinguished and total darkness ensued.

Before the stars emerged, it was impossible to tell if my eyes were open or closed. There was no distant city glow, no moon faintly shining through a thin layer of clouds. There were no dim streetlights, no headlights. Simply no light at all. Somehow, the darkness was comforting - it wrapped me in a black, watery cloak and suspended me, weightless in an empty room. 

But just as soon as my eyes come to terms with the total and complete darkness, a glow emerges below. The stars have been released.

Galaxy Dive
Friday night lights. [don't forget to click the HD button on the bottom right ;)]~~~There is nothing like a galaxy dive (except, I imagine, being an astronaut!). Thanks to Narked Scuba for an awesome night!
Posted by Jennifer Adler Photography on Saturday, July 18, 2015

A colorless cavern is transformed into a glowing, otherworldly landscape. It's a mix of the Milky Way and a giant cloud of fireflies. The invisible water flows furiously from the cave below, carrying the shimmering stars like a swift night wind.

Shooting stars are too numerous to count.

In this galaxy, shooting stars are too numerous to count. They ride the current and dance in our bubbles, some staying suspended in what appears to be thin air and others falling to blanket the sandy bottom.

Stars streak through the cavern and settle to the limestone floor. A tiny diver's silhouette is dwarfed by the cavernous underworld.

I reach back and squeeze Greg's arm - sometimes I dream I can breathe underwater but this appears to be real. He squeezes back, but there are no words underwater. We hover, speechless but not silent - each exhale pushes a stream of bubbles that grumble like thunder as they push through the limestone crevices in the sky. Soon, the stars fade, as if storm clouds followed the grumbles of thunder and extinguished the underwater stars.

Where Turtles Can Fly

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

Congratulations Dr. Wendy Graham!

It was a pleasure working with University of Florida Preeminence to shoot the images for their feature on Dr. Wendy...
Posted by Jennifer Adler Photography on Friday, May 29, 2015

Lenses and Love

My latest blog post is up on the "State of Water, State of Change" blog, a blog that highlights the work of students at the University of Florida's College of Journalism and Communications. This past semester, I was lucky to take an Environmental Journalism course with Cynthia Barnett - "Lenses and love: The art of Saving Florida's springs" is my final long-form piece for the class, a story about the role of art in saving Florida's springs. A million thanks to the amazing artists that talked over tea at Volta, under live oaks at the Prairie, on the phone while driving to a presentation, and in their own living rooms - you are all incredible sources of inspiration and I thank you for sharing your beautiful stories. And of course thank you to Cynthia, whose patience, 5 a.m. edits, always-helpful suggestions, and kind words have so incredibly shaped my development as a writer.

Check out the latest story from State of Water, State of Change, a showcase of work from Environmental Journalism...
Posted by Cynthia Barnett on Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Phosphorescent forest

The forest dances at dusk.

The chorus of cicadas sings to the harmony of crickets, the melodious symphony breaking the silence of the summer darkness that stealthily replaces the remnants of the sun’s orange glow. Flashes of light dot the thick evening air as fireflies waltz... The understory is alive.

In the landlocked forest, I have never felt so close to the sea. Water splashes into my mind, bringing waves of memories: summer slumber on the sailboat, starry nights illuminating the harbor, the ocean under a crisp crescent moon as I lay on the salty deck. I am wading in a sea of phosphorescence.

The crackling leaves under my flip-flops break my ocean dreams; the phosphorescent ocean in my mind gives way to a forest floor, glittering under a hand-stitched quilt of fireflies.

World Water Day & the Blue embrace

The chilly, yet welcome, embrace of Blue engulfed me; 

as I took the plunge, she cradled me in her arms. 

Without a wetsuit, the shock of the spring instantaneously awoke 

my sleepy mind, silencing stress and the morning symphony of birds. 

Bubbles, then reflective, blue silence, filled my eyes and ears 

as the underwater world painted the sky.

This reflective world is my escape; it is the place I go to relax, where I capture colors, feelings, and patterns in the invisible sky. The springs are my canvas and water is my obsession - what does water mean to you? Today, World Water Day, is the perfect time to take a break and share a few photos and musings on the subject of this seemingly ubiquitous, yet coveted, liquid gold - and encourage you to do the same.

One of the may things that fascinates me about water is that 97% of the liquid freshwater on our planet is found beneath our feet. Here in Florida, 92% of the population relies on this invisible water as their main source of drinking water, but because it's hidden in aquifers, it is often out of sight, out of mind. Do you ever wonder what it looks like in the aquifer? Here's a little glimpse:

Post by Jenny Adler.

Invisible water isn't just below ground - in fact, if all of the water vapor in the earth's atmosphere were in liquid form, it would cover the earth in about an inch of water. Anyway, these facts, stats, and thoughts are just a few of many water-related ideas that have been flowing through my mind over the past few weeks as I've been working on several stories that have to do with the aquifer and springs.

But I know that not everybody spends this much time obsessively thinking about water... So, one of my goals is to share views from underwater places that people may never get the chance to experience for themselves - and to share unique views from places people have visited... views that seem to bend reality and invite you to explore. In some small way, I hope these photos help people fall in love with our precious springs and become inspired to learn more, or perhaps decide to take the plunge and experience the underwater world for themselves.

Jacques Cousteau’s famous words “we protect what we love” are ringing in my head. If we can raise a generation that loves springs and cherishes our water and the creatures that live in it, we will have done something truly revolutionary and amazing... So don’t take water for granted - World Water Day should be every day - but at least for today, think about what water means to you and share it with others: inspire your friends and family, neighbors and coworkers, to better understand how important water is to them personally and our society as a whole.

Walking on water at Seven Sisters.

More water walking on the Ichetucknee.

As for recent adventures, Greg and I have been walking on water, exploring the Chaz and the Ichetucknee on our new inflatable standup paddle boards. I've been spending an equal amount of time in the caves (and much more time reading/on the computer/in classes) and am excited to share a cave diving story via a short video very soon.

Anyway, despite the alarming water headlines that have been dominating the news, from the opposite coast in California to right here in Florida, there is still a lot of beauty to cherish. Even if it is beauty in the breakdown. Realizing that there is still so much left that is worth protecting (and much more to explore!) gives us an even greater reason to seriously think about how our everyday actions affect our precious water. And of course the best place to reflect on these ideas is to dive in and experience the undeniable joy and connection we feel when we are embraced by blue...

Happy World Water Day! 

Guest blog post for UF PIE Center: Survey shows disconnect between water research, public

Post by Jennifer Adler Photography.