FOWR Member Spotlight, Natalia Rodriguez!
Natalia has been a nature lover her entire life. She currently resides on a 40 acres property with her husband and two young daughters. They also live with 15 stubborn goats, 42 wild chickens, 6 grumpy geese, 4 trouble making ducks, 2 majestic livestock dogs and 2 entitled cats. She’s hoping to add an apiary to the property as well as become a certified wildlife sanctuary for gopher tortoises and other endangered Florida wildlife.
Natalia 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?
I have very fond memories from my early teen years at Wekiva Springs. My parents or my friends' parents were always piling kids into their cars and dropping us off for hours. I remember feeling so free and happy swimming under the bright florida sun.
What's your favorite animal and plant in the Wekiva Basin? I'm partial to the sun bathing Anhinga. I feel she often gets overlooked as she doesnt present as colorful and as grand as her other river counterparts. I have a deep appreciation and respect for the fact that she needs to take time to air out her sleek dark wings.
What do you wish people knew about the river? I wish more people understood how our relationship with water has a far greater reach beyond our own homes and lawns and how the choices we make at home can impact the life of the river and all that call it home.
What's your favorite thing about the river? Whenever I am either on the river or near it, I feel a deep sense of calm and peace. It's a beautiful place to connect with nature and one's self.
Favorite memory on the river? That's a tricky question as I am always making unforgettable memories out there. I have met some of my best friends on that river and I will always cherish that. One particular memory that comes to mind however, was on a crisp cool November morning at Rock Springs. I woke up with the sun and felt a deep need to be amongst nature and the river. I knew it was cold and I knew it would require some serious bribery on my end to coax my young kids and husband to make the trek out to the river with me. It turns out, Ice cream for breakfast is a great motivator. We happened to be the first visitors to the park on that nippy morning. After several complaints over the weather and their crazy mom, we finally made it to the misty spring head. The four of us grunted our way into our tubes in an effort to not get too wet and were finally on our way. As we rounded the first turn, that is where we all stopped speechless. Indifferent to the cold water, I quickly but quietly sank into the river in an effort to slow our tubes down. Before us, dappled in golden morning sunlight enveloped in the morning mist were three large elegant white tailed Does crossing the river. They had not seemed to notice us quite yet, so the four of us stayed motionless and in complete awe. These beauties were stunning as the fog swirled around them with only the rush of the river and chirps of the early birds to be heard. It's a beautiful reminder that the river belongs to not just us two legged beings.
Biggest hope for the river's future? I hope that more people fall in love with the river and create a culture of pride and protection around it. I would like to see more people actively pick up trash when they see it or actively participate more in its restoration.
Do you have any unusual skills or hobbies? Reading. I love to learn new things and when I find a new topic of interest, I full immerse myself in it, until I know everything I possibly can about that subject. I'm currently fully immersed in the study of mediinal plants.
What do you like to do for fun? I like to be in nature. I could hike or kayak just about any day and in any weather. To do those things with the people I love, make it even sweeter.