Floridian Nature

The Rainbow River is located in the southwest corner of Marion County Florida. It is formed by a first magnitude spring that is ranked fourth in the state for volume of discharge. In addition to the springs located at the headwaters, there are many smaller springs that discharge from numerous caves, rock crevices, and sand boils the entire length of the river. The Rainbow River is a gently winding river that is 5.7 miles long and merges with the Withlacoochee River at Dunnellon Florida. The headwaters is the anchor for the Rainbow Springs State Park. This first magnitude spring is not one large vent but is numerous vents that issue 400 - 600 million gallons of crystalline water every day.    Rainbow Springs State Park is comprised of 1,459.07 upland acres (which includes around 100 acres of wetlands) and 12.83 submerged acres. The most significant natural feature is the first magnitude headspring basin which produ...

Everglades National Park , the largest subtropical wilderness in the United States, boasts rare and endangered species. The largest body of water within the park is Florida Bay, which extends from the mangrove swamps of the mainland's southern tip to the Florida Keys. Over 800 square miles of marine ecosystem lies in this range. Coral, sponges, and seagrasses serve as shelter and food for crustaceans and mollusks, which in turn are the primary food source for larger marine animals. Sharks , stingrays, and barracudas also live in this ecosystem, as do larger species of fish that attract sport fishing. Pelicans , shorebirds , terns, and black skimmers   are among the birds frequenting park shorelines. Everglades National Park contains the southern 25 percent of the original Everglades marshland region of southwestern Florida. The park visited by one million people each year and has been declared...

Spring is in the air and it is the perfect time to explore Floridian Nature ! The island of Anclote Key houses both the Anclote Key State Preserve and the Anclote National Wildlife Refuge. Accessible only by private boat, this island park has a lighthouse and wildlife area that is a sanctuary for rare and endangered species. Blue-green Gulf waters lap gently along the preserve´s beautiful four-mile-long beach. About 1,000 years ago this island was pushed up from the Gulf floor to rest on a limestone platform. Its geologic growth hasn’t stopped. Recent research has documented a 30 percent increase in the size of Anclote since 1957. Much of the 180 acres encompassed by Anclote Key is very damp and marshy , which makes it hard to travel around unless you walk along the sand beaches. The color of the water resembles that of the Florida Keys because it is a turquoise-color. The island's intercoastal side, or eastern side...