Springs Safari

Florida Springs and Hydrology

Apopka, Florida

Paddling the springs

Dive into the pristine Florida Springs in Apopka, Florida!

Traveling north through Florida, home to more first and second magnitude springs than any other state in the nation, discover the wonderous springs. Working in journals, student groups document the hydrology of Florida, focusing on The Floridan aquifer, one of the highest producing acquires in the world. With more than 1700 streams and rivers, 7800 lakes, and 700 springs, students understand the importance of protecting Florida’s water quality through proper watershed management.

Arriving at Kelly Park Campground in Apopka, student groups working in teams, set camp in a pine flatwood. Hike to the headwater of Rock Springs, grabbing a tube and ride down the refreshing waters of Rock Springs Run. Students float down the meandering slow-moving spring, peering into to the crystal water, in search of turtles and fish. Focusing on conservation efforts, sampling the springs, student groups analyze water quality using scientific instruments. Identify plants and animals native to the Florida Springs, and record data in journals.

At camp, student groups continue with the educational field trip and master compass orienteering skills. Learning how to use a compass and navigate through a course in the woods around camp finding clues along the way while comparing and identifying the dominant trees and plants. In the evening around the campfire telling stories and signing songs, students participate in a vision quest experience, a very important traditional Native American rite of passage, before ending with delicious s’mores. Night hike down to the springs looking for nocturnal wildlife! Listen to a chorus of frogs singing to find a mate and defend their territories. Search for alligator snapping turtles, one of the oldest freshwater turtles in the world. Snug in tents, students reflect on the day exploring Florida Springs.

Continuing the field trip arrive at Wekiwa State Park, home to emerald springs feeding the Wekiwa River and lush tropical hammocks. While canoeing on the Wekiwa River, students gain an understanding of the complex ecological system designated an Aquatic Preserve by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Starting at the headwaters of Wekiwa Springs, paddling down the Wekiwa River student groups observe fish, turtles, birds, alligators, and the occasional otter family along the way. Students snorkel in the crystal-clear head waters of the Wekiwa springs and even dive down to explore the source of the second magnitude spring expelling, on average 43 million gallons of water per day.

Journey home reflecting on the days spent camping in the beautiful Florida Springs while making Native American crafts!

INSTRUCTORS ARE:

Experienced and professional
Required to complete an intensive on-site training program
Present the program material in a way that makes it come to life
Lifeguard, First Aid and CPR certified
FDLE and FBI Level 2 Background Checked
ASAP-Camp Safety Certified

OUR PROGRAMS BUILD…

Self-confidence
Self-reliance
Teamwork
Friendships
Leadership skills
A “can do” attitude

OUR FIELD TRIPS INCLUDE:

Certified instructors
All meals and snacks-full day and overnight trips
Activity fees
All equipment
Transportation
Educational journals
Bus activities
Accommodations-overnight trips

FLEXIBILITY AND CUSTOMIZATION:

Each trip is carefully planned to provide an educational and memorable experience
All programs can be custom tailored to meet your school’s individual needs
Level of instruction varies based on grade level.
All programs are taught using a fun, interdisciplinary and hands-on approach
Local history is incorporated into the learning experience
Scholarships available so no student gets left behind

Florida State Standards following Grades 5-12

Students will:

learn the importance of recording data in a field journal, with an emphasis on the value of each person’s contribution to the total body of scientific observations and the effort to compare and contrast their findings with those of other students
- SC.5.N.1.1 Define a problem, use appropriate reference materials to support scientific understanding, plan and carry out scientific investigations of various types such as: systematic observations, experiments requiring the identification of variables, collecting and organizing data, interpreting data in charts, tables, and graphics, analyze information, make predictions, and defend conclusions.
  
  SC.5.N.1.6 Recognize and explain the difference between personal opinion/interpretation and verified observation.
  
  SC.5.N.2.1 Recognize and explain that science is grounded in empirical observations that are testable; explanation must always be linked with evidence.
  
  SC.6.N.1.1 Define a problem from the sixth grade curriculum, use appropriate reference materials to support scientific understanding, plan and carry out scientific investigation of various types, such as systematic observations or experiments, identify variables, collect and organize data, interpret data in charts, tables, and graphics, analyze information, make predictions, and defend conclusions.
  
  SC.6.N.1.4 Discuss, compare, and negotiate methods used, results obtained, and explanations among groups of students conducting the same investigation.
  
  SC.7.N.1.1 Define a problem from the seventh grade curriculum, use appropriate reference materials to support scientific understanding, plan and carry out scientific investigation of various types, such as systematic observations or experiments, identify variables, collect and organize data, interpret data in charts, tables, and graphics, analyze information, make predictions, and defend conclusions.
  
  SC.7.N.1.6 Explain that empirical evidence is the cumulative body of observations of a natural phenomenon on which scientific explanations are based.
  
  SC.8.N.1.1 Define a problem from the eighth grade curriculum using appropriate reference materials to support scientific understanding, plan and carry out scientific investigations of various types, such as systematic observations or experiments, identify variables, collect and organize data, interpret data in charts, tables, and graphics, analyze information, make predictions, and defend conclusions.
  
  SC.8.N.1.6 Understand that scientific investigations involve the collection of relevant empirical evidence, the use of logical reasoning, and the application of imagination in devising hypotheses, predictions, explanations and models to make sense of the collected evidence.
  
  SS.8.G.6.2 Illustrate places and events in U.S. history through the use of narratives and graphic representations.
  
  SC.912.N.1.3 Recognize that the strength or usefulness of a scientific claim is evaluated through scientific argumentation, which depends on critical and logical thinking, and the active consideration of alternative scientific explanations to explain the data presented.
  
  SC.912.N.1.6 Describe how scientific inferences are drawn from scientific observations and provide examples from the content being studied.
  
  SC.912.N.2.4 Explain that scientific knowledge is both durable and robust and open to change. Scientific knowledge can change because it is often examined and re-examined by new investigations and scientific argumentation. Because of these frequent examinations, scientific knowledge becomes stronger, leading to its durability.
learn the importance of conducting water testing, understand density, salinity, temperature, turbidity and pH and how these are measured and compare, and interpret the results of their investigations
- SC.5.N.1.3 Recognize and explain the need for repeated experimental trials.
  
  SC.5.E.7.2 Recognize that the ocean is an integral part of the water cycle and is connected to all of Earth’s water reservoirs via evaporation and precipitation processes.
  
  SC.8.E.5.10 Assess how technology is essential to science for such purposes as access to outer space and other remote locations, sample collection, measurement, data collection and storage, computation, and communication of information.
  
  SC.8.N.1.3 Use phrases such as “results support” or “fail to support” in science, understanding that science does not offer conclusive ‘proof’ of a knowledge claim.
  
  SC.8.N.1.4 Explain how hypotheses are valuable if they lead to further investigations, even if they turn out not to be supported by the data.
  
  SC.8.P.8.8 Identify basic examples of and compare and classify the properties of compounds, including acids, bases, and salts.
  
  SC.8.P.9.2 Differentiate between physical changes and chemical changes.
understand how events and personalities in Florida’s history have made an impact on the springs/Orlando area , from Native Americans to settlers to the Disney family
- SS.5.A.2.2 Identify Native American tribes from different geographic regions of North America (cliff dwellers and Pueblo people of the desert Southwest, coastal tribes of the Pacific Northwest, nomadic nations of the Great Plains, woodland tribes east of the Mississippi River).
  
  SS.6.E.1.3 Describe the following economic concepts as they relate to early civilization: scarcity, opportunity cost, supply and demand, barter, trade, productive resources (land, labor, capital, entrepreneurship).
  
  SS.8.G.2.1 Identify the physical elements and the human elements that define and differentiate regions as relevant to American history.
understand some characteristics of flora and fauna observed in the springs and flatwoods ecosystems and how they are structurally and functionally similar and different
- SC.5.L.14.2 Compare and contrast the function of organs and other physical structures of plants and animals, including humans, for example: some animals have skeletons for support — some with internal skeletons others with exoskeletons — while some plants have stems for support.
  
  SC.5.L.17.1 Compare and contrast adaptations displayed by animals and plants that enable them to survive in different environments such as life cycles variations, animal behaviors and physical characteristics.
  
  SC.6.L.15.1 Analyze and describe how and why organisms are classified according to shared characteristics with emphasis on the Linnaean system combined with the concept of Domains.
  
  SC.912.L.17.6 Compare and contrast the relationships among organisms, including predation, parasitism, competition, commensalism, and mutualism.
learn how a change in water levels can affect an organism’s ability to reproduce and thrive in this ecosystem
- SC.7.E.6.6 Identify the impact that humans have had on Earth, such as deforestation, urbanization, desertification, erosion, air and water quality, changing the flow of water.
  
  SC.8.N.4.1 Explain that science is one of the processes that can be used to inform decision making at the community, state, national, and international levels.
  
  SS.8.G.5.2 Describe the impact of human modifications on the physical environment and ecosystems of the United States throughout history.
  
  SC.912.L.17.19 Describe how different natural resources are produced and how their rates of use and renewal limit availability.
  
  SC.912.L.17.20 Predict the impact of individuals on environmental systems and examine how human lifestyles affect sustainability.
  
  SS.912.G.5.6 Analyze case studies to predict how a change to an environmental factor can affect an ecosystem.
understand the link between decreased water levels in the springs and human consumption of fresh water
- SS.5.C.2.5 Identify ways good citizens go beyond basic civic and political responsibilities to improve government and society.
  
  SS.6.G.3.2 Analyze the impact of human populations on the ancient world’s ecosystems.
  
  SC.8.N.4.2 Explain how political, social, and economic concerns can affect science, and vice versa.
  
  SS.8.G.5.1 Describe human dependence on the physical environment and natural resources to satisfy basic needs in local environments in the United States.
  
  SC.912.L.17.11 Evaluate the costs and benefits of renewable and nonrenewable resources, such as water, energy, fossil fuels, wildlife, and forests.
  
  SC.912.L.17.12 Discuss the political, social, and environmental consequences of sustainable use of land.
  
  SC.912.L.17.13 Discuss the need for adequate monitoring of environmental parameters when making policy decisions.
  
  SC.912.L.17.15 Discuss the effects of technology on environmental quality.
  
  SC.912.L.17.16 Discuss the large-scale environmental impacts resulting from human activity, including waste spills, oil spills, runoff, greenhouse gases, ozone depletion, and surface and groundwater pollution.
  
  SC.912.L.17.18 Describe how human population size and resource use relate to environmental quality.
  
  SS.912.C.2.4 Evaluate, take, and defend positions on issues that cause the government to balance the interests of individuals with the public good.
  
  SS.912.C.2.8 Analyze the impact of citizen participation as a means of achieving political and social change.
  
  SS.912.G.2.5 Use geographic terms and tools to analyze case studies of debates over how human actions modify a selected region.
  
  SS.912.G.3.3 Use geographic terms and tools to explain differing perspectives on the use of renewable and non-renewable resources in Florida, the United States, and the world.
  
  SS.912.G.5.2 Analyze case studies of how changes in the physical environment of a place can increase or diminish its capacity to support human activity.
  
  SS.912.G.5.4 Analyze case studies of how humans impact the diversity and productivity of ecosystems.
learn that organisms living in the fresh water springs thrive there because of its unique qualities, which include a constant temperature
- SC.7.L.15.2 Explore the scientific theory of evolution by recognizing and explaining ways in which genetic variation and environmental factors contribute to evolution by natural selection and diversity of organisms.
  
  SC.7.L.15.3 Explore the scientific theory of evolution by relating how the inability of a species to adapt within a changing environment may contribute to the extinction of that species.
understand the force and predictability of the underground water source that feeds the Springs and keeps them at a constant temperature
- SS.912.G.3.5 Use geographic terms and tools to explain how hydrology influences the physical character of a place.
recognize that the Earth’s magnetic force operates a compass and learn the basics of compass use, navigating through an orienteering course in the pine flatwoods
- SC.6.P.13.1 Investigate and describe types of forces including contact forces and forces acting at a distance, such as electrical, magnetic, and gravitational.
  
  SS.5.A.3.1 Describe technological developments that shaped European exploration.
  
  SS.5.G.1.1 Interpret current and historical information using a variety of geographic tools.
  
  SS.5.G.1.2 Use latitude and longitude to locate places.
  
  SS.6.G.1.1 Use latitude and longitude coordinates to understand the relationship between people and places on the Earth.
  
  SS.6.G.1.4 Utilize tools geographers use to study the world.
understand what influences the water cycle in South Florida and how this relates both to them and the bigger picture
- SC.7.E.6.6 Identify the impact that humans have had on Earth, such as deforestation, urbanization, desertification, erosion, air and water quality, changing the flow of water.
  
  SC.8.N.4.1 Explain that science is one of the processes that can be used to inform decision making at the community, state, national, and international levels.
  
  SS.8.G.5.1 Describe human dependence on the physical environment and natural resources to satisfy basic needs in local environments in the United States.
  
  SS.8.G.5.2 Describe the impact of human modifications on the physical environment and ecosystems of the United States throughout history.
  
  SC.912.E.7.8 Explain how various atmospheric, oceanic, and hydrologic conditions in Florida have influenced and can influence human behavior, both individually and collectively.
  
  SC.912.L.17.11 Evaluate the costs and benefits of renewable and nonrenewable resources, such as water, energy, fossil fuels, wildlife, and forests.
learn the basic features of Karst topography- how and why they are formed and how to recognize them
- SC.6.E.6.1 Describe and give examples of ways in which Earth’s surface is built up and torn down by physical and chemical weathering, erosion, and deposition.
  
  SC.6.E.6.2 Recognize that there are a variety of different landforms on Earth’s surface such as coastlines, dunes, rivers, mountains, glaciers, deltas, and lakes and relate these landforms as they apply to Florida.
  
  SC.7.E.6.2 Identify the patterns within the rock cycle and relate them to surface events (weathering and erosion) and sub-surface events (plate tectonics and mountain building).
  
  SC.912.E.6.2 Connect surface features to surface processes that are responsible for their formation.
  
  SC.912.E.6.4 Analyze how specific geologic processes and features are expressed in Florida and elsewhere.
  
  SC.912.E.6.5 Describe the geologic development of the present day oceans and identify commonly found features.