Projects

​Diving Wakulla Springs Video

The Woodville Karst Plain Project

​The WKPP is excited to announce an upcoming project with the Aucilla Research Institute (ARI) to help complete a full 3D documentation of the Wakulla Springs bone field inside the cave entrance at a depth of 190ft. Steadily improving conditions in recent weeks as the WKP dries out and the inputs to the northwest clear out should provide good visibility for the end of November and early December. This has been a project idea for many years; congratulations to Jim Dunbar and his team for getting this approved. Looking forward to having the WKPP support all aspects of the diving operation and the final results. The Woodville Karst Plain Project        Video
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The Page-Ladson Site

Located on the southern edge of Florida’s Red Hills, the Page-Ladson site has attracted exploration by scientists since the 1960s. In the January 2015 issue of National Geographic Magazine an article includes Page-Ladson as one of only ten 14,000 year-old sites for studying early human settlement in the Western Hemisphere.

Educational Programming

Educational programming is now being written into grants and we have made available in-class lectures and field trip opportunities to local schools (Team effort, Associate Scholar Willet Boyer, Karel Wolberg and FSU students, with thanks to Florida Education Consortium and Duke Energy). ARI has also hosted the Junior Leader Ship Students here at the Gerry Building and are on schedule as guides on a river field day in early 2018. (David Ward, Tom Harmon and Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce)

The Wakulla Project

The Wakulla Project is an ongoing investigation made possible by the partnership of the Florida State Parks, Division of Historical Resources,  Florida Bureau of Archaeological Research, Panhandle Archaeological Society at Tallahassee, Department of Environmental Protection, Friends of Wakulla Springs, and the Aucilla  Research Institute.  In addition, various researchers and specialists have donated their time and services to make this project a possibility. We extend our deepest gratitude to all individuals, affiliates, and institutions who provide any form of support, no matter how small,  that allow our scientific pursuits to reach their greatest heights.   

Mapping Projects

A Wakulla III Grant, Mysterious Waters, was awarded by DOH State of Florida. This grant began in the Fall of 2017 and will run through June of 2019. The grant will provide bathymetric LiDAR of the Wakulla River from Sally Ward Springs to the river mouth. The Wakulla Bone Room will be video mapped. A proposed coring project (still under review for permitting) proposes to collect environmental proxies of past habitats and paleoenviroment conditions for this region of Florida. There will be a remote sensing survey of the Wakulla river that is aimed at identifying submerged prehistoric and historic sites. Finally the  Vickery Mastodon and two other submerged megafauna sites will be investigated to determine if any evidence of Paleoindian hunting and butchering is present. (Jim Dunbar, Ed Green, Tom Harmon, George Cole and Associate Scholars, Andy Hemmings and Willet Boyer)
Using LiDAR imaging, a graphic showing the entirety of Wakulla Springs State Park’s archaeologically active sites or potential sites was created. This image represents the rich cultural history surrounding many springs throughout Florida. 

First Floridians
Inspired by the First Floridian several speakers and community leaders formed a committee to create a local institute to support scholarly study of the Aucilla Basin. The new Aucilla Research Institute (ARI) provides logistical and research support for visiting scientists. ARI founders expect the Institute’s plans to establish the Institute, with a museum and educational facility on a site in Monticello, leading an economic resurgence of the area.
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Boarderland Conferences                   Spanish Missions

​Old Stories and New Discoveries

'Lost and future worlds: Marine palaeolandscapes and the historic impact of long-term climate change'

​ARI’s LiDAR study was presented to the Royal Society of London Discussion Meeting 'Lost and future worlds: Marine palaeolandscapes and the historic impact of long-term climate change'.  (Associate Scholar Jessica Hale, George Cole and FSU student Zach Joanos)

Spanish Missions

​Inspired by the First Floridian several speakers and community leaders formed a committee to create a local institute to support scholarly study of the Aucilla Basin.  The Aucilla Research Institute (ARI) provides logistical and research support for visiting scientists.  ARI founders expect the Institute’s plans to establish the Institute, with a museum and educational facility on a site in Monticello, leading an economic resurgence of the area.