St. Johns River Transformational Learning Opportunity

The St. Johns River Transformational Learning Opportunity (TLO) is one of the cornerstone programs of the Environmental Center. During the trip students embark on a 9-day journey along the St. Johns River aboard a houseboat that serves as both a living quarters and a floating laboratory. Students will spend their days visiting the majestic springs that feed the river, while learning its rich history. Every Year at Blue Spring, folk singers and artists bring their art and share unique stories about the river. Students will get an opportunity to work with and learn from scientists, faculty and environmental professionals from around the state. This trip can be taken for credit or just for the experience, which is truly transformational.

What is the TLO: A unique teaching and learning experience that takes place on the St. Johns River, an American Heritage River aboard a two story houseboat.

When is the TLO: March 16 - March 24, 2013

What prerequisite do I need: Students who are interested in participating in the St. Johns River TLO must have a very positive attitude, work well with diverse groups and be open to new experiences.

What is required to participate: Applicants may come from any academic background, but must be a current UNF student in good academic standing. While on the trip, students are required to participate in group activities, including pre-trip meetings, group discussions and interacting with speakers. Students are also required to complete an individual project based on their academic discipline. The TLO can be taken for credit or just the experience; however, if you want to earn credit the student is responsible for arranging a direct independent study with a faculty member.

Recruitment for the 2013 St. Johns River TLO will begin in October and participants will be selected by December of 2012.

To apply, please complete and submit the below items by email to James Taylor or delivered to the Environmental Center Building 1, Room 2200.

Application

Student Agreement

Trip Deposit (Refundable up to January 2013)

Travel Checklist

Proposed Itinerary, Spring 2012

2012 Itinerary (Printer friendly version)

Pretrip - Saturday; February 18, 2012

Field Day

How to observe nature and incorporate sketches into a journal
Basic canoeing/kayak instruction
Common knots used in boating

Sarah Crooks Flaire (sketching)

Dr. Ray Bowman (paddling & knot tying)

Day 1 - Saturday; March 10th

Group travels to Georgetown Marina to load supplies and board houseboat.

Georgetown Marina - Turkey Island, Welaka

Georgetown Marina

7:30 a.m. - Students depart UNF for Georgetown; unload food and personal gear at the docks of the Georgetown Marina Lodge & RV Park
11:00 a.m. - All gear stowed; Welcome from trip leader April Moore; welcome from Captain Girardin ("Capt. Dave"); instructions of where stuff is (life jackets, etc.), how things work (head, showers, deck lines, anchor, etc.) boat safety and crew cooperation!
11:30 a.m. - Cast off from dock, depart downstream
12:00 p.m. - Underway, academic orientation by trip leader April Moore; students describe individual projects, describe planned presentations, and establish task list (who, what, when) for group project; make preparations for dinner
1:30 p.m. - Anchor near Turkey Island, Welaka; presentation by Dr. Bowman on Florida Water Resources and presentation by Capt. Girardin on the St. Johns River
3:30 p.m. - Visit Welaka Spring in small boats

5:00 p.m. - Student Presentation

6:30 p.m. - Dinner aboard

8:30 p.m. - Roundtable Discussion: It's About the River; personal observations and impressions of the day.

10:00 p.m. - begin quiet hours; conversations OK on top deck only; cell phone ringers on vibrate

Note: Students work on individual and group projects throughout the trip at available times on board such as transit time between ports, between events in port, after meals, etc.

Trip Leader
April Moore
(904) 607-9683

Scientist
Dr. Ray Bowman
(904) 382-6002

Captain
David Girardin
(386) 937-1566

First Mate

Derrick Robinson

(904) 298-5261

Day 2 - Sunday; March 11th

Daylight Savings Time Begins!

Turkey Island - Lungren Island, Astor

8 a.m. - Weigh anchor and head upstream for Lake George; breakfast aboard; tidy up boat (clean eating areas and bathrooms; Stow personal gear, etc.)
10:30 a.m. - Arrive at mouth of Salt Springs Creek; board small boats for trip to springs

11:20 a.m. - Leave Salt Springs to rejoin houseboat (waiting outside Silver Glen Springs)

12:15 - 12:45 p.m. - Lunch aboard houseboat

12:30 p.m. - Houseboat anchors at Silver Glen Springs

1:00 p.m. - Meet Dr. Cliff Ross who leads a snorkeling tour of submerged aquatic vegetation beds

3:00 p.m. - Return to houseboat; weigh anchor, travel upstream to Lungren Island south of Astor; student presentation underway

5:30 p.m. - Anchor at Lungren Island

5:30 - 7:00 p.m. - Dinner on your own at Castaways (386) 749-0187 or Blackwater Inn (352) 759-2802
8:00 p.m. - Roundtable Discussion: It's About the River; personal observations and impressions of the day

10:00 p.m. - Begin quiet hours; conversations OK on top deck only; Cell phone ringers on vibrate

Salt Springs Run

Silver Glen Springs

Castaway's Restaurant

Blackwater Inn

Day 3 - Monday; March 12th

Lungren Island - Hontoon Island

8:00 - 9:00 a.m. - Breakfast aboard; Tidy up boat
8:00 a.m. - Weigh anchor; Travel upstream to Hontoon Island; Attentive observations of this largely undisturbed stretch of the St. Johns
11:30 a.m. - Tie up at Hontoon Island State Park; Lunch aboard while watching movie Blue Spring: Gem of the St. Johns; [Crew tops off water tanks]
1:00 p.m. - Guided hike to Indian Mound with Dr. Keith Ashley
3:00 p.m. - [Optional] Paddle on Dead River (rental fee applies)

6:30 p.m. - Dinner on your own at Shady Oak Tavern (386)734-9715 or Bonnie's Dockside (386) 734-5808, Cash only, no credit cards!
8:00 p.m. - Roundtable Discussion: It's About the River; personal observations and impressions of the day

10:00 p.m. - Begin quiet hours; Conversations OK on top deck only; cell phone ringers on vibrate

Hontoon Island State Park

Bonnie's Dockside

Shady Oak Restaurant & Tavern

Day 4 - Tuesday; March 13th

Hontoon Island - Blue Spring - Butcher's Bend

[fuel, water & pumpout]

7:30-8 a.m. - Breakfast aboard
8:00 a.m. - Depart for Blue Spring by small boat; take lunch supplies
10:00 a.m. - Art, nature photography & music; the influence of the river on artists
11:30 a.m - 12:30 p.m. - Lunch (grill at Blue Spring)
12:00 - 2:00 p.m. - Music
2:00 p.m. - Tour spring; norkel

4:00 p.m. - Depart upstream to Butcher's Bend
5:00 p.m. - Student presentations

6:00 -7:00 p.m. - Dinner aboard while viewing movie Wekiva, Legacy or Loss?
7:30 p.m. - Roundtable Discussion: It's About the River; personal observations and impressions of the day

8:30 p.m. - Prepare for next day canoeing

10:00 p.m. - Begin quiet hours; conversations OK on top deck only; cell phone ringers on vibrate

Blue Spring State Park

Day 5 - Wednesday; March 14th

Butcher's Bend - Brick Yard Slough

Note: vans pick up paddlers at Monroe Harbor Marina and after visiting DeBary Hall, deliver them to Lake Monroe Wayside Park

7:00- 8:00 a.m. - Breakfast aboard
8:00 a.m. - Board small boats
8:30 a.m. - Depart by land from Lake Monroe Wayside Park (north end of US 17/92 bridge) for canoe trip down Rock Springs Run on Wekiva River, beginning at King's Landing (407) 886-0859 ending at Wekiwa Marina (407) 862-1500; pack your own lunch
2:30 p.m. - Return by van to Monroe Harbor Marina, downtown Sanford public boat ramp; board small boats for return to houseboat anchored at Brick Yard Slough

5:00 p.m. - Student presentations
6:00 p.m. - Dinner aboard
7:30 p.m. - Roundtable Discussion: It's About the River; personal observations and impressions of the day; dinner aboard
8:30 p.m. - Campfire

10:00 p.m. - Begin quiet hours; conversations OK on top deck only; cell phone ringers on vibrate

Rock Springs Run

King's Landing

Wekiwa Marina

Map to Monroe Harbor Marina

Day 6 - Thursday; March 15th

Brick Yard Slough - Butcher's Bend

Note: vans pick up students at Monroe Harbor Marina and after visiting DeBary Hall, deliver them to Lake Monroe Wayside Park

7:30- 8:30 a.m. - Breakfast aboard; tidy up boat
8:30 a.m. - Board small boats for trip to Monroe Harbor Marina, pack your lunch
9:00 a.m. - Depart by land from Monroe Harbor Marina for tour of DeBary Hall
11:30 - 12:00 p.m. - Picnic lunch at DeBary Hall
12:30 p.m. - Return by van to Lake Monroe Wayside Park (north end of Route 17 bridge)

2:00 p.m. - Student presentations
5:30 p.m. - Pick up Bill Dreggors at Lake Monroe Park (south shore)
5:45 - 6:45 p.m. - Dinner aboard (not spaghetti) with Mr. Dreggors, Hot Sand and Sandspurs
8:00 p.m. - Roundtable Discussion: It's About the River; personal observations and impressions of the day

10:00 p.m. - Begin quiet hours; conversations OK on top deck only; cell phone ringers on vibrate

DeBary Hall

Bill Dreggors' Website

Day 7 - Friday; March 16th

Butcher's Bend - Lungren Island, Astor

8-9 a.m. - Breakfast aboard
8:30 a.m. - Pick up Shannon Carter Wetzel & Marianne Pluchino at High Banks in small boats

10:30 - Weigh anchor; travel downstream
11:00 a.m. - Return Wetzel & Pluchino to High Banks; lunch aboard
2:00 p.m. - Students presentations

5:30 p.m. - Anchor at Lungren Island, Astor
5:30 - 7:00 p.m. - Dinner on your own at Castaways (386) 749-0187 or Blackwater Inn (352) 759-2802
8:00 p.m. - Roundtable Discussion: It's About the River; personal observations and impressions of the day

10:00 p.m. - Begin quiet hours; conversations OK on top deck only; cell phone ringers on vibrate

Seminole County

Day 8 - Saturday; March 17th

Astor - Turkey Island -Cross Florida Barge Canal

7 a.m. - Weigh anchor; Breakfast aboard
7:00 - 11:00 a.m. - Students give update on group project including detailed plans and deadline for its completion

12:30 p.m. - Pause at the mouth of the Ocklawaha River; board small boats for trip up several bends of the river

1:00 p.m - Return to houseboat anchored at Turkey Island; lunch aboard

1:30 p.m. - Depart for Buckman Lock aboard small boats

3:00 p.m. - Return to houseboat

3:30 p.m. - Student Presentations

5:00 p.m. - Presentation by Neil Armingeon, former St. Johns Riverkeeper
6:00 - 8:00 p.m. - Dinner aboard

8:30 p.m. - Roundtable Discussion: It's About the River; personal observations and impressions of the day

11:00 p.m. - Begin quiet hours; conversations OK on top deck only; cell phone ringers on vibrate

Buckman Lock

Welaka Public Dock

St. Johns Riverkeeper

Day 9 - Sunday; March 18th

Turkey Island - Georgetown

8-10:30 a.m. - Breakfast aboard; clean boat thoroughly; Pack; travel upstream to Georgetown
11:00 a.m. - Depart for home