Protect Florida Springs

Florida is home to 700 freshwater springs – more than anywhere else on Earth. But many are being degraded by pollution, invasive non-native water plants and other threats. By purchasing our “scuba diver” plate online, you’re helping the Foundation and our partners research and test solutions to these problems, leading to the restoration of our most significant springs.

Process & Pricing

The cost of your new license plates is a new plate fee of $72.40, which includes your annual registration fee ($25.00 of this fee will go directly to the Foundation). You do not need to be a resident of Indian River County to submit your order.

order form

BENEFITS

Funded

$1,901,479 in conservation efforts.

Aided

over 100 springs in the sunshine state.

Generates

one of the largest sources of funding for springs protection in the state.

Under F.S. 668.6076, email addresses are public records. If you do not want your email address released in response to a public- records request, do not send electronic mail to this entity. Instead, contact us by phone or in writing.

Remember when you wore your heart not only on your sleeve, but on your rear bumper? And trunk? And rear window? Those days may be over, but...

Your car can still help save the planet.

Just purchase one of the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida’s conservation license plates or at your local tax collector’s office. For every plate sold, $25 is donated for conservation.

Each of our plates has a slightly different focus. Choose the one that best meets your passions. It’s not a small thing – we receive more than $1 million each year from these donations, funds that we and our partners use to conserve Florida black bears, wading birds, and many other species. We also use these monies to protect and manage new wildlife lands and waters and provide kids with formative outdoor experiences.

So, the next time you renew or order a plate at your local tax collector’s office, make it one of ours — even if you no longer drive a Beetle.

OVERVIEW

The non-profit Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida, Inc. is dedicated to the conservation, management, and sustainable enjoyment of Florida’s outstanding lands, waters, and wildlife.  Since 1994, the Foundation has raised and given away more than $71 million for conservation and outdoor recreation and education programs for adults, children, and families.

 

FOCUS OF GRANTS

The Foundation is seeking freshwater springs-focused projects in two areas; several needs within each area are noted.

  1. Research projects that lead to a better understanding of Florida’s springs and how to restore and maintain their long-term ecological health, including the development of effective strategies for addressing one or more principal threats facing Florida’s springs. Preference is given to research and adaptive management projects with the potential to benefit multiple springs. (Examples: projects that identify the sources of stress for a particular spring; an innovative method of reducing nutrient pollution or controlling invasive species in one or more springs; research to ensure the continued survival of imperiled or declining spring species.)

Current priorities:

  • Development of local and regional watershed maps for springs to foster better land-use planning and guide springs and aquifer-related environmental policy.
  • Development and testing of strategies to improve the water quality of springs, with an emphasis on reducing nutrient loads in springs.
  • Funding for communities and organizations working to preserve or restore springs.
  • Restoration projects that benefit key species (e.g., eelgrass restoration to improve habitat for manatees and other springs species) and/or contribute to our understanding of springs ecosystems and their conservation.
  1. Community education and other outreach activities that foster adoption of best practices in the restoration, management, and conservation of freshwater springs or alter public attitudes and practices detrimental to spring conservation. Examples: community education projects that encourage landowners to reduce non-point nutrient flow into springs via vegetative buffers, improved septic systems or sewage treatment, fostering and organizing community or interest-group (e.g., divers) springs clean ups, bank stabilization, exotic species removal, and similar on-the-ground stewardship work.

Current priorities:

  • Quantification of the long-term economic benefits of springs preservation and restoration; e. g., nature tourism, ecosystem services (health of aquifer/clean drinking water, water for wildlife, and agriculture, etc.).
  • Proposals that address the disconnect between an individual’s actions and the large-scale impacts on springs and the aquifer (for example, that dumping chemicals on the ground can show up in surrounding waters within weeks with little filtration and consequent impacts on human and wildlife health).
  • Creation of a best-practices manual of restoration and conservation strategies that have worked well at one or more springs.
  • Effective strategies based on current understanding of social behavior to change behaviors by Florida residents and tourists that degrade Florida’s springs.

The potential conservation impact of each proposal and its possible applicability to multiple springs will have strong bearing on the possibility of being funded. Questions to be answered in the springs grant application include:

  • Does the project have broad applicability? Could agencies and other communities take the results and apply them elsewhere?
  • Does the project have the potential to change minds and behaviors?
  • Are the anticipated results measurable or quantifiable? What is the grantee’s plan for publicizing the findings and having them influence work elsewhere?
  • Does the project or its anticipated results have the potential to attract new funding, partners, or on-the-ground conservation agreements?

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS AND PROJECTS

Eligible applicants include federal, state, or local government agencies; public and private colleges and universities; and 501(c)(3) non-profit organizations, including all-volunteer organizations (e.g., “Friends of…” groups). The Foundation may also, at its sole discretion, consider proposals that benefit the public from private, for-profit organizations.

HISTORY

The Florida Legislature established the Protect Florida Springs specialty license plate in 2007 to fund competitive grants for community-based springs research and conservation not currently available for state funding, as well as funding of community outreach programs aimed at implementing such research findings. The competitive grants are administered and approved by the board of directors of the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida, with input from a Springs Advisory Committee made up of springs experts and community members.  A list of past grants can be found below for guidance.

GRANT SIZE

Grant requests up to $30,000 will be considered. The applicant’s ability to procure matching funds from other sources may have bearing on the possibility of being funded but is not a prerequisite. Multi-year projects will be considered, but funding is generally awarded for 12-month intervals. The next Request for Proposals is March 2025.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Contact the Foundation’s Grant Programs Administrator via email.

PAST GRANTS

Quantifying the Economic Benefits of Springs in the Lower Suwannee and Santa Fe River Basins of North-Central Florida 2025 Alachua County $25,000
From the Swamp to the Springs: A Campaign to Educate the University of Florida Community about Florida’s Important and Imperiled Freshwater Resources. 2025 UF Florida Museum of Natural History $10,000
Characterizing and Monitoring Manatee Winter Use of the Springs Along the Rivers of North Central Florida 2025 Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute $17,629
Current Problems - Florida Springsheds Cleanup 2025 Current Problems $10,000
Critical Habitat: Mapping Eel Grass within the Wekiva Wild and Scenic River System 2025 Friends of the Wekiva River, Inc. $50,000
Interactive “Florida Springs Map” Exhibit for the Florida Springs Welcome Center in High Springs, Florida 2025 Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute $5,874
The Crystal River Bull Shark Project: A Tool for Establishment of Top Predator Nursery and Thermal Refuge Habitat, and Augmented Springs System Health and Quality Monitoring 2025 The Crystal River Bull Shark Project $25,830
Quantifying Differences in Primary Productivity and Herbivory Control Among Native Versus Non-native Water Lettuce (Pistia stratiotes) in Spring Runs of the St. Johns River 2025 Stetson University Institute for Water and Environmental Resilience $49,890
Business in the Springs Heartland: Collaboration with Recreational Outfitters and Vacation Rentals for Responsible Recreation and Manatee Protection 2025 Alachua County $9,185
Enhance and Monitor Habitat Restoration Efforts in Silver Glen Springs to Increase Foraging Resources 2024 Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute $22,440
Springs Celebration and Longleaf Pine Restoration Project 2024 Alachua County $5,000
Lower Santa Fe River Basin Groundwater Nitrate Assessment 2024 Alachua County $8,140
Ecological Model for Effective Restoration of Submerged Aquatic Vegetation: a Mesocosm-based Approach 2024 University of Florida Ecohydrology Lab $12,100
Lower Santa Fe River Springs Herbicide and Pesticide Study 2024 Alachua County $20,000
Filling the Data Gaps: Purchasing New Springswatch Equipment 2024 Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute $6,120
Acquisition of Spectrofluorometer to Support Florida Springs Dye Tracing and Other Research 2024 University of South Florida $25,009
Florida Springs Summit 2024 Florida Springs Council $10,000
Is Your Water Well? Private Well Test Awareness and Nitrate Monitoring in the Springs Heartland 2024 AquiferWatch $23,716
Evaluation of Bull Shark Movement and Habitat Use in Crystal River/Kings Bay: Categorizing Critical Nursery Habitat, Effective Juvenile Habitat and Thermal Refugia 2024 The Crystal River Bull Shark Project $10,000
Monitoring Manatee Use and Developing a Manatee Observer Program in Salt and Silver Glen Springs 2023 Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute $19,927
Is Your Water Well? Private Well Test Awareness and Nitrate Monitoring in the Suwanee Valley 2023 Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute $20,000
Swaying New Home Buyers Mindsets Towards Sustainable Landscapes 2023 The Nature Conservancy $11,000
“Freedom Lawns” Social Marketing Behavior Change Campaign 2023 Alachua County $15,000
Altering Public Attitudes and Practices That Harm Florida Springs 2023 Florida Springs Council $8,400
Springs Project Funding Analysis 2023 Florida Springs Council $4,000
Florida Springsheds Cleanups 2023 Current Problems $13,400
Ecological Health Assessment of the Silver Springs System 2023 Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute $31,000
Springswatch Training Workshop 2023 Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute $15,121
Fertilizer and Aquifer Actions Behavior Change Campaign 2022 Alachua County $20,000
Educating the Public About Conservation and a Major Restoration of the Blue Spring State Park Headspring and Run 2022 Friends of Blue Spring State Park $5,500
Evaluating and Analyzing Microplastics in Florida Springs 2022 University of Central Florida $35,000
Evaluation of Common Snook Movement Patterns Associated with Thermal Refugia in Crystal River, Florida 2022 Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission $34,099
Determining Changes in Utilization of Ocklawaha River System By Manatees in Response to Environmental Declination in Other Manatee Use Areas 2022 Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute $23,439
Florida Springs Field School 2022 2022 Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute $14,000
Monitoring Manatee and Recreational Use of the Silver River 2022 Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute $16,388
Kings Bay Springswatch 2022 Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute $10,200
Ecological Health and Recreation Assessment of the Rainbow Springs System 2022 Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute $40,000
Florida Springs Friendly Yards 2022 Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute $7,000
Springs Protection and Manatee-monitoring Through Citizen Science and Educational Outreach in the Springs Heartland 2022 Alachua County $8,300
Simple Things for Our Springs Phase III 2022 Alachua Conservation Trust $20,794
Identifying Sources of Changing Water Chemistry in the Upper Floridan Aquifer 2022 University of South Florida $22,143
Santa Fe Springshed Troglobitic Surveys 2022 Alachua County $14,000
All Accessible Glass Bottom Boat for Silver Springs State Park 2021 FLORIDA STATE PARKS FOUNDATION INC. $20,000
Simple Things for Our Springs Phase II 2021 Alachua Conservation Trust $10,000
Springs Protection Behavior Change Videos 2021 Alachua County $12,000
Ecological Health Assessment At Seven Outstanding Florida Springs on the Suwannee River 2021 Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute $40,000
West Panhandle Springswatch Tag Grant Proposal 2021 Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute $10,200
Creating a Better Santa Fe BMAP 2021 Florida Springs Council $4,940
The Story of Florida Water: A Permanent Exhibition At the State's Natural History Museum 2021 University of Florida Foundation/Florida Museum of Natural History $20,000
Interactive Florida Springs Atlas 2021 Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute $10,000
Healthy Underwater Forest Signage at Ruth B. Kirby Gilchrist Blue Springs State Park 2021 Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute $3,500
Florida Springs Summit 2021 2021 Florida Springs Council $9,000
Jackson Blue Springswatch Tag Grant Proposal 2021 Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute $10,200
Santa Fe River Springs Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Project 2021 Alachua County $14,000
Year Ii: Evaluation of Thermal Refuge Habitat for Fish (Snook) in Springs of the Lower Suwannee River 2021 University of Florida $35,880
Determining Habitat Preference, Seasonal Use Trends and the Resighting Frequency of Manatees in the Silver River 2021 Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute $16,351
Assessing Manatee Use of Regional Springs and Habitat Selection Utilizing Gps Telemetry in the Ocklawaha River System 2021 Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute $23,619
Simple Things for Our Springs 2020 Alachua Conservation Trust $22,000
Nitrate Concentrations in Groundwater of the Santa Fe River Basin and Outreach 2020 Alachua County $9,400
Florida’s Magic Waters 2020 Explica Media $40,000
Determining Annual Use Trends, Return Rates, and Habitat Preferences of Manatees in the Silver River 2020 Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute $17,098
Irrigation-free Residential Landscapes in Florida’s Springs Region: Making the Case 2020 The Nature Conservancy $49,900
Herbivory and Recreational Exclusion Device Study 2020 Alachua County $8,400
Aquifer Awareness Education Campaign 2020 Alachua County $10,000
Modeling Nutrient Transport in Karst Aquifer for Florida Springs Water Quality Management 2020 University of Central Florida $59,441
Springs Field School 2020 Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute $10,555
Florida Springs Conservation Prioritization Tool and Web Application 2020 Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission $29,740
Blue Spring Alliance Community Plan for Springshed Resilience 2020 Blue Spring Alliance $10,000
Surveying for Endemic Cave Crayfish Species At Alexander and Silver Glen Springs 2020 Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission $4,300
Evaluation of Thermal Refuge Habitat for Snook in Springs of the Lower Suwannee River 2020 University of Florida $37,078
Sediment History of Florida Springs: Determining Baseline Spring State and Subsequent Human Impacts 2020 Stetson University $17,667
Monitoring the Silver River for Manatees While Increasing Public Awareness on Best Practices for Viewing 2019 Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute $15,952
Movement Patterns of the Florida Peninsula Cooter and the Florida Red-bellied Turtle in Wekiwa Springs 2019 Marine Science Graduate Program at Jacksonville University $9,052
Assessing Temporal and Spatial Trends in Fish Assemblages Within Spring Runs of the St. Johns River Basin 2019 Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission $42,500
Wakulla Springswatch 2019 Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute $10,695
Wekiva River Springswatch 2019 Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute $10,695
Investigating Drivers of Winter Shifts in Fish Abundance in the Homosassa River System 2019 Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission $75,000
Poe Springs Aquatic Habitat Enhancement & Outreach 2019 Alachua County $12,500
Do the Sediments of St. Johns River Springs Contain Higher Organic Content Than Springs on Other River Systems? 2018 Stetson University $18,377
Santa Fe River Springs Submerged Aquatic Vegetation Project 2018 Alachua County $12,000
Florida Springs Conservation Plan and Executive Summary 2018 Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute $16,500
Monitoring the Silver River and Characterizing Springs in the Upper Ocklawaha River for Manatee Utilization 2018 Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute $15,015
Hornsby Springs Dissolved Oxygen and Faunal Study 2018 Alachua County $14,000
Why Is Flow in Silver Springs Declining? 2018 University of Florida - Howard T. Odum Center for Wetlands $49,369
Lower Santa Fe River Springswatch 2018 Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute $10,000
Weeki Wachee Springswatch 2018 Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute $10,000
Wakulla Spring Dark Waters: Pinpointing Sources 2018 Wakulla Springs Alliance $33,912
Protect Weeki Wachee Spring / Lyngbya Removal 2018 The Friends of Weeki Wachee Springs State Park (CSO) $40,000
Inspiring Behavior Change Through Experiencing the Santa Fe River and Springs 2018 Alachua County $5,700
Fish Identification Guide for Florida Springs 2018 Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute $7,500
Florida Springs Restoration Summit 2018 Florida Springs Council $12,000
Santa Fe River and Springs Signage Project 2018 Alachua County $11,230
Out of Sight but Not Out of Mind: Developing a Septic Systems Education Toolbox for Homeowners in Florida’s Springsheds 2018 University of Florida/IFAS $28,509
Blue Water Audit Interactive Website 2018 Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute $15,000
Rainbow Springs Springswatch 2017 Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute $10,215
Volusia Blue Spring Restoration Action Plan and Executive Summary 2017 Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute $16,500
Wakulla Springs Water Quality Restoration 2017 Florida State University $15,000
Hernando County Fertilizer Ordinance Survey and Results Outreach 2017 Hernando County Cooperative Extension Service $14,511
Springs Protection Outreach Campaign 2017 Alachua County $9,000
Characterizing and Monitoring Environmental Parameters As Springs in the Lower Oklawaha River 2017 Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute $20,000
The Water Festival: Celebrating Water Through Art 2017 City of Deland $17,000
Wakulla Spring Dark Waters: Causes and Sources Phase II 2017 Wakulla Springs Alliance $32,900
Following the Water to Wakulla Spring Video 2016   $6,900
Lake and Sinkhole Seepage Nitrogen Loading to Wakulla Springs 2016 Wakulla Springs Alliance $4,500
Monitoring Environmental Parameters and Use By a Keystone Species in Central Florida’s Salt and Silver Glen Springs 2016 Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute $12,924
Ichetucknee Springs Baseline Assessment - a Citizen-science Project 2016 Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute $15,000
Wakulla Spring Dark Water: Causes and Sources 2016 Wakulla Springs Alliance $6,200
Agriculture and Springs Protection High School Curriculum, Field Trip, and Educator Short Course 2016 Alachua County $5,000
Wekiwa Springs and River Restoration Plan 2016 Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute $16,000
Rainbow Springs Baseline Assessment - a Citizen-science Project 2016 Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute $15,000
Wakulla Spring Baseline Assessment - a Citizen-science Project 2016 Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute $15,000
Trophic Dynamics in Blue Spring, Volusia County, Florida 2016 Stetson University $4,290
Blue Spring Adventurers Program 2016 Save the Manatee Club $10,000
Monitoring Re-colonization At Ulele Spring Post-restoration 2016 Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute $13,528
Septic to Sewer Conversion Study 2016 Hernando County Utilities Dept. $45,000
Springs Protection Landscaping Behavior Campaign 2015 Alachua County $5,000
Lower Santa Fe River Basin Springs and Groundwater Synoptic Nitrate Sampling and Outreach 2015 Alachua County $4,000
Springs Protection Education Model 2015 Alachua County $6,000
Monitoring Recolonization At Ulele Spring Following Restoration 2015 Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute $11,549
Enhancement of Water Chemistry Monitoring - Exisiting Cave Fauna Survey - Wes Skiles Peacock Springs, Lafayette & Ichetucknee Springs St. Park 2015 North Florida Springs Alliance $8,538
Homosassa Springs Springswatch Project 2015 Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute $7,750
Kings Bay Springs Restoration Action Plan 2015 Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute $16,000
Poe Springs and Lower Santa Fe River Hydrologic Investigation and Outreach 2015 Alachua County $7,000
Promoting Springs Conservation in the Classroom and Beyond 2015 Save the Manatee Club $10,000
Monitoring Environmental Parameters and Use By a Keystone Species in Central Florida’s Salt and Silver Glen Springs 2015 Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute $11,328
Blue Spring Alliance Springshed Academy 2014 Save the Manatee Club and Blue Spring Alliance $8,440
Wekiva Springs Fertilizer Education 2014 Orange County Environmental Management Division $9,088
Alachua County Poe and Hornby Nitrate Source Investigation 2014 Alachua County $5,000
Economic Impact of Springs in the Santa Fe Basin 2014 Alachua County $5,000
Wekiva Eco Program 2014 Wekiva Wildnerness Trust $10,000
Monitoring Recolonization At Ulele Spring Following Restoration 2014 Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute $9,668
Monitoring Environmental Parameters and Determining Use By a Keystone Species in Central Florida's Salt and Silver Glen Springs 2014 Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute $12,134
Springs Protection Through Longleaf Pine Restoration and Outreach in the Santa Fe River Springs Basin 2014 Alachua County $3,800
Wakulla Springs Restoration Action Plan and Executive Summary 2014 Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute $6,500
Silver Spring Restoration Action Plan and Executive Summary 2014 Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute $15,000
Determining Messages That Will Encourage Springs Protection 2014 Normandeau Associates $7,200
Rhodes Spring Environmental Assessment 2014 The Magnolia School - Tallahassee, FL $3,525
Springs Protection Stakeholder Research Phase II 2013 Alachua County $5,000
Ichetucknee Springswatch 2013 Audubon of Florida $5,000
Watermelon Spring Run and Water Conservation and Springs Friendly Landscaping Outreach 2013 Alachua County $4,500
Long-term Turtle Study 2013 Central Florida Freshwater Turtle Research Group $4,965
The Addition of Water Quality Monitoring to Long-term Cave Fauna Surveys of Wes Skiles Peacock Springs and Ichetucknee State Parks 2013 North Florida Springs Alliance $5,000
Santa Fe Springs Restoration Action Plan 2013 Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute $5,000
Monitoring Environmental Changes in Deleon, Salt, and Silver Glen Springs in Central Florida 2013 Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute $5,000
Glen Spring Restoration Action Plan 2013 Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute $2,500
What Is the Impact of Pterygoplichthys Disjunctivus Feces on Volusia Blue Spring Nutrient Dynamics? 2013 Stetson University $5,000
Biodiversity Background Research for Springs Education 2012 Conway Conservation $2,000
Springs Protection Stakeholder Research 2012 Alachua County $5,000
Encouraging Conservation Easements on Farmland 2012 Rainbow and Silver Springs Basin Working Groups $3,050
Training Volunteers to Educate About Springs Protection 2012 Rainbow and Silver Springs Basin Working Groups $3,300
Ichetucknee Partnership Mascot 2012 The Ichectucknee Partnership $4,000
Ft. White Stormwater Filtering with Ecological Engineered Native Plantings 2012 UF/IFAS Extension, Columbia County $2,870
Tarpon Springs Manatee Conservation Day 2011 2011 City of Tarpon Springs $3,117
Florida Springswatch: a Prototype Project At Silver Springs 2011 Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute $5,000
Santa Fe River Springs Interpretive Signs 2011 Current Problems $5,000
Ichetucknee Springshed Interpretive Kiosk At Alligator Lake 2011 The Ichectucknee Partnership $2,250
Silver Glen Springs Fish Cam 2011 US Forest Service $5,000
Basin Posters for Rainbow/Silver Springs 2011 Pandion Systems, Inc. $2,184
Best Management Practices Posters for Horse Farms 2011 Marion County Extension $1,633
Best Management Practices Educational Tour for Horse Farm Owners 2011 Marion County Extension $400
Video Monitors for Vegetation Protection Video 2011 Rainbow River Conservation $1,500
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Protecting Wild Florida Begins With You.

Protecting wild Florida begins with you. From Pensacola Bay to Key West, our Foundation is working to protect Florida’s natural lands and waters and the wildlife they harbor.

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