PLEASE NOTE: We have reached our seating capacity for the In-Person program. There are however, plenty of Virtual seats still available at this time. Thank you for registering.
The Friends of Wakulla Springs State Park, Wakulla Springs Alliance &
Wakulla Environmental Institute present
RIVERS BENEATH US
A look at the underground Wakulla Springs cave system
Explore the astonishing wonders of the underground river that lies beneath us! Northern Wakulla and southern Leon County sit on top one of the world’s largest mapped underwater cave systems. A recent discovery by divers with the Woodville Karst Plain Project (WKPP) connected the 7-mile Chip’s Hole Cave System with the 38-mile Wakulla Cave System. Together, this nearly 45-mile-long underground river system emerges at the famous Wakulla Springs. The amazing river system is part of the Floridan aquifer that supplies our region’s drinking water. This fascinating natural wonder of stunning formations and unique ecosystem sits hidden, directly under a growing community.
Join us for a free hybrid program on the beauty and importance of the Wakulla Springs underwater cave system at Tallahassee Community College’s Wakulla Environmental Institute. The public forum will feature world-renowned cave explorer, researcher and filmmaker Dr. Christopher Werner, Science Director for the WKPP. Dr. Werner will provide an overview of the underground research in the cave system, and show exclusive footage from his soon-to-be released documentary. Thomas Greenhalgh, director of the Karst Center at Florida State University, will discuss the underground hydrology within the Wakulla Springs system, and Jad Kabbani, senior and Research Assistant at FSU's DeVoe L. Moore Center, will discuss correlations between spring health and the economy.
Keynote Speaker:
Dr. Christopher Werner is an experienced explorer, researcher, and filmmaker who chronicles scientific research in insightful documentaries. With a Ph.D. in Geophysical Fluid Dynamics and M.S. in Geology from Florida State University and a B.S. in Earth and Planetary Science from the University of Pittsburgh, Dr. Werner is currently the founder and president of Praeter Saepe, LLC and Black Abyss Productions, LLC. His 20+ years of multi-disciplinary leadership, strategic thinking, and business experience, along with deep roots in technical scientific and engineering expertise, give Werner a unique edge in telling exciting true stories that capture the essence of exploration, the drive and determination of explorers and human spirit that resides in us all.
Click image below to watch the teaser of the soon-to-be-released
NEW documentary film!
Other Featured Speakers:
Thomas Greenhalgh, P.G. is the director of the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Institute’s Karst Center at Florida State University. His areas of interest and expertise are hydrogeology, ground water contamination, dye tracing, springshed delineation and offshore springs. Greenhalgh has 35 years of experience performing environmental work. As a professional geologist he has worked across the State of Florida doing springshed delineation and groundwater contamination work.
Jad Kabbani is a Research Assistant with the DeVoe L. Moore Center. He is a Senior at Florida State University, studying Economics and International Relations. Previously, Jad had engaged in policy research with the Brookings Doha Center, the Wilson Center, and the FSU Center for Economic Forecasting and Analysis (CEFA). At CEFA, Jad found a passion for understanding the economic value of North Florida's springs and the correlations between spring health and visitor recreation expenditures.
This FREE educational forum is brought to you in partnership between Friends of Wakulla Springs State Park, Wakulla Springs Alliance, and TCC Wakulla Environmental Institute
