The area around Tallahassee sits atop the world's largest freshwater springs. Those amazing underground streams are the focus of an open discussion the evening of Tuesday, April 25 evening at the Wakulla Environmental Institute in Crawfordville.
One of the presenters is Chris Werner, a leading light of the Woodville Karst Project that's been exploring the massive maze of underground spings beneath Leon, Wakulla and Jefferson counties.
"And one of the things that's unique in this area - and unique in this part of Florida - is the interconnectedness of this aquifer."
Of course, this aquifer supplies fresh water. Jad Kabbani, a graduate business student at FSU who is also a conference presenter, says the vast network of caves and springs is important for other reasons.
"Economic value to local communities through visitor recreation and expenditure (and) through overall economic significance of them."
So it's critical, adds Chris Werner, that the purity of these waters be protected. Although he insists that doesn't mean all above-ground development must stop.
"You can have a sliding economy in the area and still do the things that are going to sustain that longer-term as far as conservation of some of these unique places. All those things can come together and so the original reason why people live here. All we're going is keeping that in mind when they make ecisions."
The "Rivers Beneath Us" panel discussion happens the evening of Tuesday, April 25th starting at 6:30 in Crawfordville's Wakulla Environmental Institute.