Shannon Blankinship
Past, Present and Future: Florida’s Water in the St. Johns River Basin
August 22, 11am to 2pm
Museum of Science & History, 1025 Museum Circle, Jacksonville, FL 32207
Cost is $18 for adults and $12 for kids and includes lunch, admission to MOSH and the “Springs Eternal” exhibit, and participation in all lectures or workshops.
The Year of the River is an initiative by Cultural Fusion Jax bringing together more than 50 institutions to raise awareness of the St. Johns River as the “cultural current” of our city and an important driver for economic development, recreation, tourism and quality of life throughout Northeast Florida. @CulturalFusionJax #yotr
Year of the River is more than just a theme to direct cultural programming and exhibits in 2015. It has forced us to think about the river in a much more holistic way as a community with different perspectives and values. Already the outcome of this ambitious endeavor has been very eye opening. The Museum of Science & History (MOSH) is ground zero for thinking about the St. Johns River and its impact on our communities, from a historical, cultural, and scientific perspective. This event, “Past, Present and Future: Florida’s Water in the St. Johns River Basin” looks to combine the artistic and cultural importance of the river with the potential cumulative impacts of our choices and how they affect the river.
Past: The Magical Springs of Old Florida
Rick Kilby, artist, creative consultant and author of “Finding the Fountain of Youth: Ponce de León and Florida’s Magical Waters,” will talk about how Florida’s water has defined our state. Whether it was the early explorers, steamboat travelers or tourists in the early 1950s, Florida oceans, rivers, springs and wetlands have always been the destination. Culturally, Florida is not just defined by our relationship with water, but the rest of the world sees Florida as a water-filled paradise. Artistically, our water has been inspiration for painters, photographers, authors and musicians for generations. Looking at the importance of water in Florida’s past should help to shape our values in wanting to preserve and protect it in the future.
Present: Explorations and Adventures on the St. Johns and Ocklawaha Rivers
Matt Keene, filmmaker and journalist working on environmental, social justice and counter-culture issues in Florida, is focusing on our rivers as they are right now. They are beautiful, wild, fascinating, and in trouble. Matt has paddled the entire length of the St. Johns River and Ocklawaha, which means seeing the good parts and the ailing. It means understanding the headwaters and flow, seeing the wetlands that connect our water to the land, and then reaching the Rodman dam and seeing what happened when we built a cement wall across a free flowing river. After his presentation, watch the short documentary “River be Dammed: Florida’s forgotten river” with the filmmaker and stay for a Q&A. riverbedammed.org
Future: Salt Life – the Salty future of the St. Johns River
Dr. Jeremy Stalker, geologist and marine geochemist, assistant professor in the Department of Biology and Marine Sciences at Jacksonville University, will talk about the cumulative impacts of over-tapping our aquifer. Sea level rise, deepening the river, and water withdrawals are a few of the many threats we continue to face in northeast Florida. Dr. Stalker has spent considerable time studying the impact of a free-flowing Ocklawaha River. Salinity intrusion is an important issue that deserves attention, so that we can all understand how to be better citizens and stewards of the St. Johns.
This interactive and interesting look at the Past, Present and Future of the water flowing through our region will use pictures, speakers, videos and workshops for adults and children. While adults attend lectures, kids are having their own scientific discoveries. Invertebrate encounters with the MOSH touch tank, ponds and beyond in the native garden, workshops on how much water we use, and a theatre showing engaging films. Year of the River programing is more than eye opening. It may also be revolutionary for our city and our river.
Register Now www.themosh.org/event/past-present-and-future-floridas-water-in-the-st-johns-river-basin/#sthash.orAYF5mX.dpuf
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