From the North Florida Herald

By Andrew Pantazi

For 32 years, ever since his doctoral dissertation, Robert Knight has dedicated his time to studying Florida's springs.

Next Thursday, he will show people his plans for helping the springs when he introduces the Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute in its inaugural event at the Opera House at the Great Outdoors Restaurant.

Knight hopes the reception, which will be held from 7-9 p.m., will bring together people who are passionate about the springs.

The cost for the event, $30, will be split between paying to host the event and raising money for the new institute. The institute is operating off of a $20,000 grant from the Felburn Foundation and a smaller grant from the Protect Florida Springs license plate revenue.

Knight's environmental consulting company, Wetland Solutions Inc., is completing the work for the first grant by assessing the health of Silver Springs.

The next step, Knight said, is to set up a program for volunteers to go out on pontoon boats and collect information about water quality, water clarity and nutrient levels. The institute would start with Silver Springs and would hope to expand to other nearby springs, including Wakulla, Rainbow and Ichetucknee.

In May, Knight plans on bringing together scientists from government agencies, universities and private organizations for a public workshop about the health of the springs.

Because Florida has the highest concentration of springs, Knight said, no other state has established a similar program that he knows about. Florida's springs, he said, produce about $300 million for the state economy, and $50 million is produced from Silver Springs' tourism and maintenance.

But before he can accomplish the institute's more grandiose goals, Knight hopes to celebrate the institute's founding at its inaugural event.