Another wonderfully written entry for Florida's Special Places 53 Parks in 53 Days campaign  from Audubon supporter Lucy Tobias. This entry comes from Devil's Millhopper Geological State Park in Gainesville, Florida:

As we walk small delights are revealed. A delicate violet blooms by the walkway. Hillside ferns are winter brown and shrunken, their absence revealing

small rivers of water gurgling down the sinkhole sides. Green moss hugs limestone rocks.  Bare tree branches reach for a winter blue sky.

"I saw the only Junco I have ever seen in Alachua County right here at Devil's Milllhopper," said Bob Simons, an Alachua Audubon member and Gainesville resident for 60 years.

In 1974 the state bought the most famous sinkhole in Florida (people have been coming here since the 1880s) and named it Devil's Millhopper Geological State Park.

A boardwalk with 232 steps zigzags to the bottom of the 120-foot deep sinkhole. Visitors to Devil's Millhopper are a delightfully diverse, even surprising, group of people.

"We here to do visual geocaching," said Lois Hart of Milford, Delaware, walking the stairs on Wednesday, Feb. 9 with her husband Bob and Shelby, their pound dog. Dogs on hand-held six-foot leads are welcome.

Jalisa Cannaday, a Santa Fe College student arrived Wednesday with her boyfriend Michael Brown. "I have to do a paper on a place, record what I see, interview people and ask them why they like it."

Cannaday promptly started interviewing three Alachua County Audubon members - Martha King, Helen Warren (President, Alachua Audubon), Bob Simons plus Jacqui Sulek of Fort White, chapter conservation manager for Audubon of Florida.

They came to support Florida Audubon's "53 Parks in 53 Days Campaign" highlighting parks like Devil's Millhopper on DEP's proposed budget cuts.

"This park has many hidden uses we don't hear about like weddings and visual geocaching and exercise," said Sulek.

"I come once a week to walk the stairs (three times up and down!), said Sandy Fisher of Gainesville. "It beautiful here, peaceful and this location is convenient. It would be horrible if they close it. I'd miss it."

Governor Rick Scott said he'd like to see park attendance go up three percent this year. No problem. Pass this blog on to everyone you know and ask - Have you visited Devil's Millhopper? Take your friends and go, $4 a carload. Bring binoculars. You might see a Junco.

Read the Gainesville Sun's coverage of Audubon's visit to Devil's Millhopper here!