Florida state parks unveil new manatee experiencesTim Linafelt, Special to the
The beloved manatee is a Florida icon, and several of our state’s award-winning state parks provide both critical habitat for manatees and educational experiences and programs to help park visitors create connections with these gentle giants.
November is Manatee Awareness Month — Former Gov. Bob Graham first made the designation in 1979 — and the Florida State Parks Foundation celebrated the occasion by announcing a new wave of manatee-related resources for four state parks, all of which are no more than a day trip from Tallahassee.
The Jacksonville-based Delores Barr Weaver Legacy Funds, a longtime partner of the Foundation, donated $250,000 to help bring these new resources to fruition.
“Mrs. Weaver made an incredible investment in Florida’s state parks and manatees,” Florida State Parks Foundation CEO Julia Gill Woodward said. “We are thrilled to see that these projects have come to fruition through her generosity.”
Want to check out the new features and experience Florida’s manatees this month? Start down the road in Levy County, where Manatee Springs and Fanning Springs state parks have each received new signage to inform visitors about Florida’s manatees and how to best share our state’s waterways with them.
Farther down U.S. 98 at Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife State Park, visitors can get face-to-face with the park’s ambassador manatees in “The Fish Bowl,” a floating underwater observatory that hosts programs throughout each day. Weaver’s gift helped to provide new habitat resources for the ambassador manatees, as well as repairs and upgrades to the park’s manatee patrol boat.
Finally, a pilgrimage to Blue Spring State Park in Volusia County is a must for all manatee lovers. As many as 900 — yes, 900 — manatees gather at the park during the peak winter season, creating an awe-inspiring scene across the spring run. It’s a bit of a hike from the Capital City, but it’s worth it.
Between gasps and photo opportunities, visitors to Blue Spring State Park may also now enjoy new programs and materials designed to create a deeper understanding of Florida’s “sea cows” and foster new generations of people who advocate for them.
These include children’s books, crafting supplies, an augmented-reality experience and a hydrophone that allows visitors to listen to manatees underwater.
“We are thankful to Delores Barr Weaver for her amazing commitment to so many aspects of our state parks,” Florida State Parks Director Chuck Hatcher said. “These resources will directly benefit the manatees and manatee habitat that our park rangers work to manage every day, and new educational resources will help create connections between manatees and park visitors — especially our youngest park visitors.”
This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida state parks unveil new manatee experiences
Source: Nature
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