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CRYSTAL RIVER, Fla. — Earlier this week, Florida Wildlife Corridor Day took place at the State Capitol.
The main event was an exhibit provided by Save Crystal River, highlighting how state-funded projects are helping Florida’s waterways and communities. The group says there are currently three iniatives: continuing the planting of seagrass, opening of spring vents and the placing of exo-forms which would help break waves.
“It’s not a series of problems that are unique just to Crystal River and Citrus County,” said Lisa Moore, President of Save Crystal River. “All up and down the coast there have been places where those exo-forms would be useful to try to protect your shoreline.”
And those conservation efforts to save Florida’s waterways are taking stage in Crystal River.
Along the water outside the Crystal River National Wildlife Refuge, Lace Blue-McLean and K.C. Nayfield take in a spectacular view.
“Our main mission is literally to support the Crystal River refuge complex- Chassahowitzka, Crystal River, and Three Sisters Springs,” said Blue-McLean.
The two are the president and vice president of the Friends of the Crystal River Wildlife National Refuge. It’s a nonprofit dedicated to protecting these waterways, which are at risk, they say, of pollutants and other threats.
“We’re loving it to death,” said Blue-McLean. “It’s just the management of finding that balance … of tourists that come and enjoy this wonderful area without destroying it at the same time and overusing it.”
The group is working to protect the refuge and partnering with Save Crystal River. They’re raising funds for platforms and a manatee rescue ramp at Three Sisters Springs. The goal is to ensure the survival of the waterways and those who call it home.
“Three Sisters Springs is a key place for releasing manatees back into the wild,” Blue-McLean said. “This ramp needs to be spruced up a little bit. So with that, with the platforms and the fishing pier we just added on that ramp, it’s up to $400,000 and we’re almost there.”
“Once Three Sisters is done, we have some other ideas with improving access to some of the other parts of the refuge with boardwalks and viewing towers elsewhere,” said Nayfield. “So our work is never going to be done.”
It’s a tireless effort, Nayfield says. One that goes beyond preserving, as education also plays a key role. That can be seen inside the visitor center.
“We need to keep it up. Keep providing the public with access to learn about nature, why we have the nature, of course, and why it’s worth preserving and seeing these beautiful creatures that inhabit the property and realizing they need to be conserved and preserved as well,” Nayfield said.
So that others may enjoy nature like this.
“People come to the Nature Coast for all of the natural resources that we have here in Citrus County, which is the largest in the state of Florida by the way,” said Blue-McLean. “We want to continue to protect that because once it’s gone, it’s gone.”
A view worth protecting for future generations.
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Calvin Lewis
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