about your moderator

Manatee Springs

My name is Annette Long and I moved to the Manatee Watershed 12 years ago. My husband and I were married at Manatee Springs. We came here to visit so often that we decided to stay. I am a cave diver and years ago, began to notice changes in the vegetation and flow in the springs. When I retired, I started to actively try to find out why things were changing by asking questions at meetings of the Water Management District, County Commission, City Councils, Florida Department of Environmental Protection and the then Florida Springs Initiative. What I found out was that simply by moving to Chiefland, I had become part of the problem. Now I work to educate my neighbors and to try to do what I can to restore water levels and water quality at Manatee and Fanning Springs by teaching my neighbors and elected officials about the geology, hydrology and history of the area. I got involved in this project because I was introduced to John Moran and Lesley Gamble through John’s art and the Springs Initiative and Working Groups.