FOWR Member Spotlight is the fabulous Nancy Prine!
Nancy is a Florida native, born and raised in Bradenton. As a child, she had the privilege of visiting natural and wild places in Florida and seeing Florida at a time when there was a lot of open space. She attended the University of Florida and has a degree in Landscape Architecture. She practiced in South Florida before moving to Orlando in the late 1970s. She is now enjoying retirement and being an stellar volunteer and advocate for the conservation world.
Nancy shared some of her background and hopes for the Wekiva Basin and answered a few other fun questions for us. Enjoy!
What’s your earliest memory of the Wekiva River? The first time I saw the Wekiva River was in the early 1970s. Neighbors had moved from Fort Lauderdale, where I lived at the time, to Orlando. I came to Orlando to visit them and on a beautiful Sunday in June we paddled down the river, leaving from Wekiva River State Park and headed down river. The water was clear, there was little if any algae, lots of wildlife and only a moderate number of other paddlers on the river. It was quiet and peaceful. Those in power boats where respectful of the paddlers. The experience was wonderful.
What’s your favorite animal and plant in the Wekiva Basin? I love all of the native animals and plants in the Wekiva Basin, it is difficult to choose one over the other. After all, I am a bird and butterfly nut and a landscape architect. The otters are fascinating to watch in the river and the Limpkin is really special. Bears, deer and Fox squirrels are always a delight when they appear in the uplands. The pickerelweed is my favorite in the river – it attracts butterflies! The flowers of the Carphephorus and Liatris genius are a favorite, they attract butterflies, also. Of course can’t forget the wonderful pines, saw palmetto, grasses, oaks and cypress that are found throughout the basin.
What do you wish people knew about the river? I wish that more people understood that the entire Wekiva basin and the river is a very fragile system and it needs to be treasured and protected.
What’s your favorite thing about the river? My favorite thing about the river is that it is there and that it is a testament is the real natural Florida.
Favorite memory on the river? I have many favorite memories of the river. One is an early morning a paddle years ago, the water was so clear that we could see the shells on the river bottom and it was very quiet, all of a sudden there was a squeal and lots of chatter as otters approached and showed us how much fun it can be to be an otter. The second is a work day on the Little Wekiva, a group of Friends got together to restore flow in an area of the river by removing tennis and soft balls, construction materials and a lot of debris from the river. Though the clear flow was short lived, we were able to restore the flow. The best part of the day was being in the river and working as a team with and as Friends.
Biggest hope for the river’s future? Biggest hope for the river is that Friends and other allied organizations can continue to advocate and achieve meaningful protection of the river basin.
How and why did you get involved with FOWR? When I joined the Orange Audubon Society Russ Fisher was president of that organization. Jim Thomas and Pat and Fred Harden where active members. Russ invited me to attend a meeting of the Friends and I became a member. The early members were a hardworking and dedicated group of individuals. Most of them lived in the area of the Little Wekiva.
Do you have any unusual skills or hobbies? I do not have any unusual skills or hobbies.
What do you like to do for fun? For fun I get out doors in natural areas. I participate in bird and butterfly surveys every month, the same folks have been doing the surveys for about 20 years. From spring to late fall I participate in butterfly surveys at various parks and wildlife management areas in central Florida.