Just a few miles west of Weeki Wachee Springs State Park, home of Florida's mermaids, lies one of Hernando County's best kept secret...or so I thought.

Weeki Wachee Preserve is 11,206 acres of gorgeous conservation lands. Home to an array of wildlife including: gators, bears, and a variety of birds. People of the community come here to get in a good hike, run, bike ride or to just simply enjoy the the beautiful sunset that you can see from the many mounds that stand tall above the trails below. For me, this location is the perfect place to take some amazing portraits during golden hour, like the one below !

The preserves are centered around a mine reclamation area, where limestone was once quarried from deep pits. Now filled with water, these pits form a chain of lakes within a rocky, alkaline landscape surrounded by native habitats. Although there is no swimming in these lakes, people can enjoy bringing their hand launched boats, canoes, and kayaks.

Beautiful right?! So the big question is why was there nine, that's right NINE bags of trash collected just from the white, sandy half-mile entrance before you reach the water ? After spending a day here, my friend and I were in awe at the amount of trash that we saw scattered throughout the gorgeous land. I was angry and sad that people would to this to a nature preserve that is home to so many different animals and a small oasis for us Hernando County residents. We took it upon ourselves to host a preserves clean up to help restore the beauty the once clean land.

On Saturday, July 9, 2017, myself and 7 others gathered to collect the trash that was accumulating. Most of what we found were beer cans, water bottles, sun screen, and food that people easily brought in, but were too lazy to bring back out with them. Due to the inclement weather we had to pack up before we could reach the areas where most people hang out. None the less, nine bags is simply unacceptable. Even, one bag is unacceptable!

We, as a community and human beings, have to do better at keeping the environment clean and places that we go to enjoy some fresh air. We only have one Earth and we have to be vigilant about not littering and polluting the home of wildlife. If so many people love and consider this place nirvana, why do they insist on leaving so much trash?

If you plan on visiting this local oasis, maybe you can help clean up too! Here's a map of the preserves http://swfwmd.state.fl.us/recreation/areas/weekiwachee.html. The hours are from sunrise to sunset daily and can be accessed by foot or bicycle. Let me know what you think of this little piece of peace :)