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This part of the state has been called "The Real Florida" or "The Forgotten Coast" to distinguish it from the rest of the over-developed state. The problem with bragging about how beautiful this part of Florida is that there's a chance we'll start finding more discarded diapers and fewer dunes on our beaches. What we hope instead is that the ecotourism movement will bring tourists who already have a mindset of conservation, preservation and appreciation. And, for visitors who don't come with that mindset pre-installed, maybe some time with a certified "green guide" will help develop that sort of kinder, gentler environmental attitude.

To that end, our local community college developed The Ecotourism Institute. Whether your interest is boats, birds or bats, hiking or biking, canoeing or kayaking, history, pre-history, archaeology or geology, you can find a local guide who can show you "The Real Florida" and a good time.

Click here for a list of our freshly-minted green guides. And if you'd like to take a look at some of North Florida's natural treasures, I hope you'll find these links helpful:

Wakulla County Rivers

The Beaches

Dog Island

Apalachicola

Thanks for this post! I've lived here less than two years and have been wondering where to find some great places to visit. I love being outdoors and seeing what this area's natural habitat offers. I also have friends coming to visit soon and this will give me some good ideas for day trips. I think more of these types of site links and recommendations would be a great help to others as well.

Oh don't worry, these are the first of many. We will be covering a vast wealth of Florida's natural treasures and posting articles about them.

The beauty of eco-tourism is that it not only attracts tourists to Florida, but it encourages our state to preserve and protect our natural resources. I used to work for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Its goal is to preserve our pristine wildlife and habitats. It's funded largely by the influx of eco-tourists and this gives it the power to buy and protect more and more land for conservation. While people do inevitably leave diapers and soda cans in their wake, they're a lot less detrimental to the environment than shopping malls and parking lots. As long as it's profitable to protect our environment, we can rest assured that at least some of the most beautiful parts of Florida will remain for our children to see.

As long as the diapers and soda cans are tossed by the time my children are around to see the wildlife, I'm a happy camper. ;-)