MARION COUNTY, FL (352today.com) – The importance of the springs in Marion County can’t be understated.
Horse Farms Forever’s 2024 Conservation Summit will emphasize the significance of the springs and what they mean to the area and its future.
Event details
- When: Thursday, Nov. 14, 2024, from 5-7 p.m.
- Where: Ocala Breeders’ Sales arena
- Cost: $45 per person
- Sponsors: Brook Ledge Horse Transportation, Advent Health Foundation Ocala
The mission of Horse Farms Forever (HFF) is to inspire the conservation of horse farms in Marion County, says Busy Shires, HFF director of conservation strategies.
Award winning filmmaker, musician and photographer Mark Emery is the summit’s featured keynote speaker.
“Hopefully, people will be inspired by Mark Emery,” says Shires. “He’s going to tell the story of Silver Springs from a naturalist perspective. He’s worked, studied and photographed Silver Springs for decades and he has a deep knowledge and understanding of the health of Silver Springs, and he can talk about the past, present and the future of what we can all do.”
UF graduate and renowned artist Margaret Ross Tolbert will share the spirit and the soul of the springs. The painter, author and filmmaker’s book AQUIFERious combines art and science. It serves as an important guide to the springs and the Floridan Aquifer, highlighting the importance of protecting this vital resource.
“We’ve focused mainly on the Farmland Preservation Area,” says Shires. “When that area was created in 2005, it was created by a team of volunteers, land use planners, soil scientists and the growth services staff. This area was created for two reasons, one was to protect the soil. If you look at a map for the prime agricultural soils in Marion County, and you look at the outline of where the Farmland Preservation Area is, it’s like it fits on the top of that puzzle.”
The Farmland Preservation Area includes important areas for aquifer recharge and is the Springs Protection Zones for two major springs in Marion County, Silver Springs and Rainbow Springs, according to Shires.
“We wanted to raise awareness for why protecting the farmland preservation is so important for the horse industry,” Shires notes. “Also, for protecting the springs and our water quality.”
Dr. Jason Gulley, a geology professor at the University of South Florida, is one of the three main speakers at the event. He holds a Ph.D. in Geology from the University of Florida and will discuss the science behind springs and ways we can help protect them.
Gulley’s adventures have taken him across the globe, visiting all seven continents. His research and photography have led him to explore underwater caves in places like Florida, the Caribbean, and Africa. His work has been published in many of the world’s leading periodicals including National Geographic, the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, the Washington Post and The Guardian.
Shires explains that every landowner makes a difference. Programs exist to help protect farms using conservation easements and Marion County’s transfer of development rights program. Horse Farms Forever collaborates with a statewide land trust to assist landowners in finding ways to safeguard their land, according to Shires.
“Protecting the horse industry and protecting the springs is all about protecting the land,” says Shires. “It all comes down to becoming more aware of our water usage and also our land use. Protecting that area, and those key farms in the Farmland Preservation Area, will help to protect our high aquifer recharge area.”
More information is available at their website, or you may contact them at info@horsefarmsforever.com.