Outdoors & Nature Insider

Paddlers on the Silver River Credit: Kevin Mims

I love lists. Sometimes I sit around making lists of all the outdoor activities I have done over a certain time period, and ones that I'd like to get to as time permits. List making is a part of my planning process, and my desk is littered with all these handwritten and printed notes with titles like 'Outdoor Trips for Summer 2009' or 'Leaf Samples to Obtain for the 4-H Club'. I bet you are wondering if I make lists of lists to write, and yes, I do that as well. It's crazy, I know.

With all that in mind, you can imagine my excitement when I learned of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's list, 'Rediscover Florida - 100 Ways in 100 Days'. This initiative serves as a way to help people know what historical, cultural and natural opportunities exist on Florida's public lands. I'm wondering how they got this list down to just 100 things!

Let me give you a few examples of what kind of activities the '100 Ways in 100 Days' list includes:

#4 - Pitch a tent. More than 50 state parks offer camping. Set up camp and enjoy the great outdoors.

#41 - Watch the water fall. Huge trees and fern covered sinkholes line Sink Hole Trail, the boardwalk that leads visitors to Florida's highest waterfall at Falling Waters State Park.

#74 - Dive into the world of corals. The Florida Keys is the third largest barrier reef in the world and the only living reef in the continental USA.

Pretty cool list, huh? I encourage all of you to check out the outstanding opportunities that await on Florida's public lands. You'll be glad you did!

For the complete list, and more information about the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's 'Redisover Florida - 100 Ways in 100 Days' initiative, go to:  www.floridastateparks.org/rediscoverfl.