It is with great pleasure that I share my reflections from an inspiring weekend on the Suwannee River. The Florida Wildlife Corridor joined a young Floridian – Oscar Psychas – on a portion of his 300 mile “Walk for Wild Florida” from Gainesville to Tallahassee to bring attention to the need for more funding for state land protection programs like Florida Forever. We will feature Oscar’s story in our April newsletter with an exciting 360 Virtual Reality video so that you can walk (and paddle) alongside us.

Our journey took us to a stretch of the Suwannee River near Live Oak in northern Florida. This areas is one of 10 Critical Linkages in the Corridor that we are highlighting as most in need of urgent protection. If privately owned lands and waters here are not protected, the connectivity along this essential east-west connector will be lost forever. The Suwannee River – which is born in the Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia - is a blackwater river, with color like strong sweet tea. It is fed by underground springs and surrounded by sinkholes and swallows. Drifting down the river in a canoe brings you past white, sandy inlets, through towering wooded bluffs and past karst features that appear like skulls in a grotto. The reflection of the rocky bluffs is both spooky and surreal, causing pause to ponder the dynamic geological processes that continue to shape this river.  

Following an intense day of travel and video shoots, I left the campfire and walked down to the river for a moment of quiet reflection. As I looked up, I was literally breathless. Devoid of all artificial light and with a new moon, the sky was completely illuminated by stars. Without hesitating, I dove into the black water, flipped onto my back and floated weightlessly - taking in the vastness and beauty. It affected me in a profound and incredibly personal way and reinforced why our mission – to connect and protect wild places – is not only my career but my life’s greatest passion.

As I shivered slightly in the chilly water, I thought about nature’s ability to heal, restore and inspire. In the book “Blue Mind,” author and marine biologist Wallace Nichols describes the neurological, psychological and emotional changes our brains experience when we are close to water. He makes the case that we seek out water because we instinctively know it makes us happier, more peaceful, emotionally healthy, and more successful in life and love. I felt that deep connection and restoration along the river, and you likely have experienced it, too, in your own special place.

Nature is worth preserving because it is vital not only for wildlife, but because it renews our senses, spirit and soul. And, with your help, we will continue to connect and protect these wild and wonderful water (and land) scapes for generations to come!
 
Yours in Conservation, 


Lindsay Cross
Executive Director