The Wandering Disciple

Tucked away beneath the shady oaks of Gainesville, Florida, the Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo offers one of the most unique wildlife experiences in the state. It’s not your typical zoo — it’s a working classroom, where students in Santa Fe College’s Zoo Animal Technology Program learn hands-on animal care while educating the public. For visitors, that means an up-close, intimate encounter with animals and the people who care for them. A Zoo That Teaches — and Inspires The Santa Fe College Teaching Zoo was established in the 1970s as part of the college’s acclaimed Zoo Animal Technology Program, one of only a few in the nation. Here, students gain real-world experience managing and maintaining the zoo, ensuring animal welfare, and interacting with guests. Every exhibit and encounter reflects this educational mission — the keepers you meet aren’t just zookeepers, they’re students mastering their craft. The zoo’s 10-acre shaded trail winds through a peaceful forest setting, making it...

As you descend the staircase at Devil's Millhopper, it feels like you're taking a journey to the center of the Earth. But you're not, your embarking on an trip to the bottom of an ancient sinkhole filled with dense foliage, native wildlife and trickling waterfalls.  132 stairs lead you to the bottom of this 500 foot wide, 120 feet deep sinkhole near Gainesville, Florida. As you head to the bottom of the limestone sinkhole, you are surrounded by a tropical rainforest right in the middle of a bustling city. The walls of the sinkhole give glimpse into millions of years of rock layers giving a look into the geological make-up of the area throughout the years.  Taken: November 9, 2013 at Devil's Millhopper Geological State Park (Gainesville, FL)

Welcome to the Swamp.... you're in gator country now! As you pass through the tunnel and emerge into the stadium, you enter into one of the most prestigious stadiums in college football. Ben Hill Griffin Stadium is home to the Florida Gators and 88,543 screaming fans on game day.  The stadium opened as Florida Field in 1930 and underwent multiple renovations throughout the years to become the facility we know today as the swamp. The stadium is the largest college football stadium in Florida and is consistently rated as one of the toughest stadiums to play in for opponents of the Gators.  Taken: November 10, 2013 at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at University of Florida (Gainesville, FL)

There is beauty all around in nature. One of nature's masterpieces are the elegant colors and designs of butterflies. Each fluttering butterfly is like a flying work of art.  The Florida Museum of Natural History at the University is home to a large collection of butterfly specimens and a free flight butterfly rainforest. The rainforest features up to 50 species at a time with over 700 butterflies immersing you as you stroll through the dense foliage of the rainforest. When you complete your journey through the rainforest you can marvel at the wall of wings featuring some of the museum's 10 million specimen collection.  Taken: November 9, 2013 at Florida Museum of Natural History (Gainesville, FL)

Descending 120 feet into the ground, Devil's Millhopper is a sinkhole that is now the centerpiece of a geological state park. It gets its name for its resemblance to the hopper of a mill and the fact that the bones of numerous animals were found at the bottom perhaps on the way to meet the devil. Today a boardwalk takes visitors to the bottom of the sinkhole and along the way a glimpse into layers upon layers of geological history. (Photo: November 9, 2013)

Deep in the swamp lurks the Florida Gator. This place roars to life on Saturday afternoons during the Fall when the Florida Gators take to the field to defend the swamp in front of over 91,000 fans. Ben Hill Griffin Stadium is the largest college football stadium in the Sunshine State and the 12th largest in the NCAA. (Photo: November 10, 2013)

Long before the Spanish founded St Augustine or De Soto landed on the west coast, Florida was home to indigenous tribes for over 12,000 years. From the Paleoindians through the Archaic and beyond, Florida has a rich history of life before European settles. In fact there were over forty tribes in existence during the time of the Spanish missions. Today only two tribes remain in the Sunshine State, the Miccosukee and Seminole tribes. Some of the culture is on display at Florida Museum of Natural History on the campus of the University of Florida. (Photo: November 9, 2013)

The sight of a spider is enough to send shivers up the spines of most people. But for as terrifying they are to some people, others find the fascinating. Their attention to detail in their webs is pretty spectacular like that of this Golden Silk Orbweaver encountered on a hike at Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park outside of Gainesville. (Photo: November 9, 2013)

These stairs lead you on a journey to the center of the Earth.  Well not really, but in the usually flat topography of Florida it sure feels that way.  Here at the Devil''s Millhopper State Park, 212 stairs descend into a 120 foot sinkhole.  Once you reach the bottom, the surface of the park seems to disappear above you, leaving you with a surreal tropical experience complete with trickling waterfalls all around.  (Photo: November 9, 2013)

Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, commonly known as The Swamp, is one of the toughest college football stadiums for a visiting team to play in the nation.  Home to the Florida Gators, the Swamp can hold over 88,000 screaming Gators fans on game day. (Photo: November 10, 2013)

A bobcat lies in wait for its next meal in a diorama at the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville.  The distinct ecosystems of Florida are created in dioramas at this free museum on the campus of the University of Florida.  (Photo: November 9, 2013)

Climb these stairs on a journey to the center of the Earth.  Well not really the center of the Earth but the center of  a former sinkhole turned geological landmark.  At Devil's Millhopper State Park, hikers can climb 120 feet into the tropical oasis of the crater caused by a sinkhole.  (Photo: November 9, 2013)

It may be quiet and empty now but on Saturday afternoons in the fall, Ben Hill Griffin Stadium comes to life with thousands of screaming Gators fans. More commonly known as the “The Swamp” the stadium is rated as one of the toughest places to place because of the crowd noise. (Photo: November 10, 2013)

An Indian boy carries a shark over his shoulder, demonstrating early hunting techniques of Florida’s earliest residents. The Florida Museum of Natural History has an extensive collection of Indian History as well as other exhibits showcasing the natural history of the state. (Photo: November 9, 2013)

Just outside of downtown Gainesville lies a wide open prairie resembling the vast open plains of the Midwest. But we are not in the Midwest, we are in the heart of Gator Country. And this plain is home to wild bison, horse, gator and much more. (Photo: November 10, 2013)

236 wooden steps take visitors over 120 feet into a prehistoric sinkhole. You can take a trip down to the bottom to enjoy the cascading springs and the dense foliage or you can marvel at the sinkhole from the half mile hiking trail that surrounds the rim. (Photo: November 9, 2013)

Saturday’s roar to life at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium when almost 90,000 fans pack the stands to watch the Florida Gators take the field. The stadium, also known as the Swamp, is the twelfth largest stadium in college football and is consistently rated as one of the best college game day experiences. (Photo: November 10, 2013)

A political ceremony is recreated inside the Calusa Leader's House at the Florida Natural History Museum on the campus of the University of Florida.  The home is one of the many scenes depicted in the museum's South Florida People and Environment exhibit.  (Photo: November 9, 2013)

The prairie stretches to the horizon from the observation tower at Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park. The 21,000 acre park outside Gainesville is home to many animals including a herd of wild bison. (Photo: November 10, 2013)

Over 230 stairs take you on a 120 foot descent into the base of an ancient sinkhole at Devil’s Millhopper State Geological Park. The sinkhole is the highlight of the 67 acre state in Gainesville. (Photo: November 9, 2013)