Lars Andersen
“For the past 27 years, Lars Andersen has been a full-time river guide for Adventure Outpost, based in Ft. White, Florida. His tours (2-3 per week on over 60 waterways) give a full representation of North Florida’s rich diversity of wetlands and aquatic habitats. He is also an author. Published works onclude, “Paynes Prairie: A History and Guide.” Pineapple Press. 2001. “North Florida Adventure,” Grinnin’ Lizard Productions, Dallas. 1988, “Paddlers Guide to the Sunshine State.” 2nd edition. Co-edited with Sandy Huff,” 2022, and an essay in ”The Wilder Heart of Florida”. University Press of Florida. 2022., and Master Naturalist.
Lars has won several awards for his tours, teaching natural history and advocating for Florida’s springs and nature, including — the “Award of Excellence” (2014) by the Florida Master Naturalist Program, the “Unsung Hero” award (2015) by the Florida Defenders of the Environment, “Spring Advocate of the Year for 2017” by the Florida Springs Institute; and the “Wes Skiles Water Stewardship Award” (2020) by Gainesville Rotary.
Since January 2016 Lars has been a lead instructor for U.F.’s Florida Master Naturalist Program while continuing to lead 2 – 3 tours per week for Adventure Outpost.
Mary Jane Angelo
Mary Jane Angelo is Professor of Law and Director of the Environmental and Land Use Law Program at the University of Florida College of Law. She previously was an environmental attorney at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, D.C., and for the St. Johns River Water Management District. Mary Jane originally moved to Gainesville in 1981 to attend graduate school in entomology. She quickly fell in love with Florida’s rivers and springs. She is a life-long nature lover and outdoorswoman and regularly paddles on Florida’s rivers. She currently lives on a lake near Melrose.
Jim Gross
Jim Gross is a professional geologist with 48 years of experience in water resources. He is a native of California and earned his bachelor’s degree in geology at the University of California at Santa Barbara. For the first 10 years of his career Jim worked in geothermal energy exploration and development throughout the western United States. After several years of professional work he returned to academia and earned a master’s in geology at New Mexico State University. He then moved into water supply planning and development work, both in the public and private sectors. Jim has more than 20 years of experience in long-term regional water supply planning, including 18 years in Florida. Jim is a licensed professional geologist in California and Florida, and is certified as a Professional Geologist by the American Institute of Professional Geologists. On April 1, 2016, he was named Executive Director of the Florida Defenders of the Environment.
Tom Kay
Tom Kay was named the Executive Director of Alachua Conservation Trust in June of 2013. He holds a bachelor’s of science degree in Environmental Policy & Behavior from the University of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources and Environment and a Juris Doctor from Florida State University’s College of Law. A licensed Florida attorney, Tom has worked as a staff attorney for a large not-for-profit health care organization and a public housing authority. For seven years, he worked as a litigator in civil, criminal, and real estate matters. He has volunteered on local and national political campaigns and interned in U.S. Senator Bill Nelson’s Tallahassee office during law school. Tom’s wife, Christine, is a vitreoretinal surgeon at Vitreo Retinal Associates, P.A. They have three daughters and live on a farm in McIntosh. He currently serves as the President of the Alliance of Florida Land Trusts, the umbrella organization for state’s 22 land trusts. He serves on the board of directors for Friends of Paynes Prairie, is a founding member of Protect Paynes Prairie Coalition, and serves on the Executive Committee of the Partnership for Gulf Coast Land Conservation, a coalition of local, regional, state and national land conservation organizations. Tom chaired the Wild Spaces and Public Places ballot initiative in Alachua County that successfully passed by over 60%. This local half cent sales tax over 8 years is expected to generate over $130 million for the acquisition of new conservation lands and upgrades at recreational parks and facilities throughout Alachua County and its 10 cities. When he is not serving on multiple boards, Tom is an avid kayaker, runner and mountain biker.
Dr. Bob Knight
Dr. Bob Knight is an author and environmental scientist with more than 38 years of professional experience in Florida, including detailed ecological studies at more than 20 large springs. He is former adjunct professor at the University of Florida and is the founder and director of the Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute. Bob is currently active on research and restoration efforts at many of Florida’s major springs. Detailed restoration plans have been prepared for these springs, and he is actively working with similar efforts by the Florida Dept. of Environmental Protection and the relevant water management districts. Bob is also active with a number of springs advocacy groups around North Florida that help to educate local governmental officials about groundwater supply and springs protection.
Merrillee Malwitz-Jipson
Merrillee calls home the banks of the Santa Fe River in North Central Florida. Married with two children, she and her husband created Rum 138, a family-run business which has become known as a landmark destination. Their business is a fine art gallery with regional artists depicting the springs and rivers in North Florida, a Florida-based tourism in canoe/kayak rental, and a local food restaurant. During her term as OSFR president Merrillee participated as a consultant on writing new curricula for the water studies program at Florida Gate College, gave lectures in secondary schools,and appeared on NPR to explain OSFR’s mission. Merrillee worked for a time with National Sierra Club – Florida as a campaign organizer working with citizens to become part of the process to be a voice for our natural resources. She has worked directly on stopping Sabal Trail natural gas transmission pipeline, fertilizer and septic issues that impact our waterways, and banning fracking in our state. Merrillee’s peace of mind is found in artistic expression and movements through direct action, taking great care of area cultural values along the way. She earned an A.A. ’85, at USF in Tampa and a B.F.A. ’91, at Ringling College of Art in Sarasota.
Martha Strawn
Born in Washington, D.C., Martha Strawn has traveled the world, studying, teaching, giving lectures and professional exhibitions. Her professional credentials are very diversified and include art, photography, research and writing. She is an expert on alligators and crocodiles and has published extensively about them; also on India and religion. She has given dozens of exhibitions, throughout this country (one in the Harn Museum in Gainesville) including Hawaii, and also Africa and India. Lectures and workshops have also taken her all across the U.S. as well as India, Malaysia and Australia. Other professional activities have taken her to Japan and England. Thus, Martha brings a load of professional experience to our advisory board. She also has experience with Our Santa Fe River, being a co-founder back in 2007 during the bottling plant threat. She has also been a past member of the Board of Directors. She lives on the banks of the Santa Fe River and also maintains a residence in North Carolina.
John Moran
John Moran is a Gainesville-based nature photographer who would like to get back to shooting only pretty pictures of Florida, but reality keeps getting in the way. Seeking to show and tell the truth more fully as he sees it, Moran partnered with artist and art historian Dr. Lesley Gamble in 2012 to create the Springs Eternal Project. Their collaboration fills museum walls, educates decision makers and develops creative outreach inspiring Floridians to value, conserve and restore our precious waters. Moran has presented programs on water, democracy and the future of Florida to scores of civic, professional and educational gatherings from Pensacola to Key West. His programs have been called “exquisite,” “lyrical,” “eye-opening” and “like nothing I’ve ever seen.”
Jim D. Pruitt
Jim D. Pruitt is a native Floridian who was born in Ocala Florida in 1949. He received a B.A. degree in pyschology from Columbia Union College in Takoma Park, MD in 1971, and took additional studies in accounting, geology and Latin American history at the University of Florida from 1971 to 1975. He has worked in several fields, among them commodity futures broker and entrepreneur. Most recently he has owned a construction company in Atlanta. He owns large acreage in Chile and speaks fluent Spanish. Jim is a true Renaissance man, with many interests and skills Among his hobbies are skiing in Chile, salmon and trout fishing, bird watching, Florida history, coin collecting and not least, protecting the environment.
Dr. Steve Walsh
Dr. Steve Walsh is retired from the U.S. Geological Survey, where he was a research scientist for over 30 years. His interests are in the area of conservation biology, biodiversity, and ecology of aquatic organisms, primarily fishes and invertebrates. He has worked in freshwater and marine ecosystems including in the southeastern and central U.S., Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean Islands, Neotropics, Southeast Asia, Western Pacific, and Africa. He has a bachelor’s degree in Biology from St. Louis University, a master’s degree in Zoology from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, and doctorate in Zoology (now Biology) from the University of Florida, where he currently has courtesy faculty appointments in the School of Forest, Fisheries, and Geomatics Sciences, and the Florida Museum of Natural History (FLMNH). In addition to his current board service on the Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute and Ichetucknee Alliance, he has served in numerous other professional capacities with the American Fisheries Society, American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists, Association of Southeastern Biologists, and Southeastern Fishes Council. In his retirement, Steve enjoys traveling, tennis, swimming, kayaking, reading, photography, gardening, and curating butterflies at the incredible FLMNH Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity.