Drop It

Finally visited our newest park here in Gainesville, FL, the Sweetwater Wetlands Park. I was second in line at the gate when it opened at 7:00am! "These wetlands were built to remove nutrients, sediment, and trash from Sweetwater Branch (a watershed flow which collects rainwater runoff throughout the city of Gainesville, FL and sends it to Paynes Prairie...this, of course, is my very simplified version of the process!). Water flows through 125 acres of treatment wetlands, and then into Paynes Prairie and the aquifer." Park info flyer...

I spent an enjoyable one and a half hours walking the trails which include several boardwalks. My blip today is of several drops of water resting on an American Lotus leaf. If you would like to see a few more of the shots taken this morning...which include an Anhinga drying it's wings, an alligator deciding whether it should cross the trail, a flock of Black-bellied Whistling Ducks flying overhead, A Black-crowned Night Heron on the wing, and a couple of shots of American Lotus Flowers...then fly on over to...HERE.