Water Resource Issues in the Apalachicola–Chattahoochee–Flint Basin

Tours

North Florida Research and Education Center

North Florida Research and Education Center – Quincy
Thursday, May 17
2:30 p.m.– 4:30 p.m.

The North Florida Research and Education Center (NFREC) is a large and diverse unit consisting of the combined units at Quincy, Marianna, and Live Oak, Florida. NFREC has 23 faculty members from eight academic departments and the School of Forest Resources and Conservation, plus one multi-county extension faculty member. The work at NFREC helps the agricultural and natural resource clientele adapt and manage resources and agricultural operations more effectively and profitably in a changing socioeconomic and environmentally aware setting.

NFREC – Quincy is home to one of the statewide plant disease diagnostic labs. The office of the Northwest Florida Extension District Director is located at Quincy and the Center is home to the Florida Rural Development Council. The programs at NFREC–Quincy cover a wide range of crops, including vegetables, small grains, agronomic row crops, forages, ornamentals, tree fruits, and forestry. The research and extension efforts include production and management, breeding, variety evaluations, pest management, nutrient management, irrigation management, weed control, and economics.

North Florida Research and Education Center – http://nfrec.ifas.ufl.edu

St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge
Thursday, May 17
11:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.

We will be car-pooling from NFREC to St. Marks. If it is more convenient for you, drive your own vehicle and meet us at the refuge. The drive from Quincy is about one hour, so plan to meet at the refuge about 1:00 noon.

(Directions: The Refuge entrance is off Hwy. 98, which runs east-west. The entrance is about 100 yards east of the St. Marks River bridge. You will drive in about three miles before you come to the main gate. There is a gift shop office about another 200 yards inside the gate on the right side, just around the bend in the road.)

On this tour we will be heading to the coast. While this refuge was established in 1931 to provide wintering habitat for migratory birds we will be just a little late for a lot of the birds; but the flowers will be gorgeous!

This refuge is also the oldest in the National Wildlife Refuge System. It encompasses 68,000 acres spread out between Wakulla, Jefferson, and Taylor counties along the Gulf Coast of northwest Florida. The refuge includes coastal marshes, islands, tidal creeks, and estuaries of seven north Florida rivers, and is home to a diverse community of plant and animal life.

The refuge also has strong ties to a rich cultural past, and is home to the St. Marks Lighthouse, which was built in 1832 and is still in use today.

Click on this link and take a peek of what we might see: http:/www.flwildflowers.com/flwildflowers.html

St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge: http://www.fws.gov/saintmarks

Wakulla Springs State Park
Thursday, May 17
9:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.

We will be car-pooling from NFREC to Wakulla Springs. If it is more convenient for you, drive your own vehicle and meet us at the park.

Wakulla Springs State Park is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is designated as a National Natural Landmark. The park has one of the largest and deepest freshwater springs in the world and provides habitat to an abundance of wildlife, including alligators, turtles, deer, and birds. Join us as we take a guided riverboat tour for a closer view of the wildlife and hear local stories about the natural history of Wakulla Springs

Wakulla Springs State Park: http://www.floridastateparks.org/wakullasprings