Be a responsible Florida springs lover with these tips

In planning a recent trip to springs across the Big Bend and Panhandle, Facebook groups dedicated to Florida's natural paradises were invaluable in charting my course.

Yes, but: They also left me with some qualms when it came time to write about my trip .

• Combing through all those posts, I noticed a trend:
• One commenter asks for the location of the pictured spring, and someone else replies, saying not to give it up to the masses, who will overrun and ruin it.

Fun fact: It's such a prolific pattern that one Facebook user started " The non douchey springs group ."

• The sole rule for its 13,000 members: "You can't be a douche and not disclose the location."

Why it matters: While it's understandable to want a slice of Florida to yourself, keeping springs accessible to visitors is key to preserving them, springs advocates told me.

• "That's what encourages their love and their desire to protect them," Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute associate director Haley Moody said.

Here are some more tangible ways to help the springs than gatekeeping on the internet.

🌱 Don't trample the underwater plants. That goes for boaters and jet skiers, too. Aquatic vegetation like eelgrass, hydrilla and duckweed are crucial to the ecology of a spring.

• As springs advocate Ryan Worthington puts it: "Pretend the floor is lava."

🚦 Enter and exit in designated areas. Climbing or pulling your kayak up on the bank can contribute to erosion and hurt plant life.

• This is why you can no longer beach your boat on the Weeki Wachee River .

🚯 Don't litter. Bring an extra bag to carry out your trash.

🚿 At home, limit your water use and commit to keeping a springs-friendly yard .