A Watery Wilderness

For millions of years, a shallow sea covered the Florida peninsula.  For hundreds of thousands of years, giant mammals roamed here.  For thousands of years, humans have lived here.  All were drawn here by abundant clear, fresh water.  Despite the dozens of springs here, it was a humble tree that led the Nature Conservancy to purchase the first 250 acres of what is now park land in 1985.  In an ongoing effort to protect the impressive stand of Florida maples and the many springs here, the state of Florida purchased the land and created a state park in 1993.  Honoring the original landowner, Dr John Calvin Peacock, the state named the new park Peacock Springs State Park.  

In memory of Wes Skiles-cave diver, documentary filmmaker and one of Florida's staunchest advocates for springs' protection, the park was renamed Wes Skiles Peacock Springs State Park in 2011.  Thousands of feet of cave passage have been explored and captured by photographers and videographers alike.  Invited to share the beauty and wonder of the park, members and volunteers of the North Florida Springs Alliance contributed the images found within the book.  This book is an enduring tribute to their creativity and to the water-the springs, spring runs and rivers that bring life to this beautiful place.