ACT Opens New Segment of Santa Fe River Preserve

A new section of the 1,067-acre Santa Fe River Preserve is now officially open to the public! A small ceremony was held by ACT on December 16th at Santa Fe River Preserve South to celebrate the opening.

Santa Fe River Preserve is a multi-year, multi-tract conservation project that began in 2011 and continues today. The Santa Fe River South portion was acquired in 2017 with state funding from the Florida Communities Trust program that leveraged funding from previous acquisitions funded in large part by the Cofrin Family as well as generous individual and private foundation contributions. The Conservation Fund, a national conservation organization, provided bridge loan funding for the acquisition. 

Santa Fe River Preserve protects wildlife habitat and floodplain along the banks of the upper Santa Fe River near Worthington Springs. The preserve includes high bluffs along the river and an interesting tangle of floodplain forest where the New River converges with the Santa Fe River. The preserve has a fascinating mix of flora which in turn support a wide diversity of wildlife. Bears frequent the river corridor, and rare and endangered mussels persist along the river bottom. In 2021, ACT added an additional 133 acres to the North of the property, increasing the size of the preserve to over 1,000 acres.

With the opening of Santa Fe River Preserve South, ACT has added an additional 2 miles of hiking trails that follow along the banks of the river as it winds through the forest. Benches and a picnic area will allow visitors to rest and enjoy the beautiful surroundings of the preserve, which include wild azaleas, rain lilies, birch, cypress and tupelo, as well as longleaf pines and sand post oaks in the upland areas of the preserve.

“We are excited to welcome the public to this new part of Santa Fe River Preserve,” said ACT executive director Tom Kay. “Thanks to funding support from the Florida Communities Trust, as well as the Cofrin Family, Felburn Foundation and hundreds of individual donors, ACT was able to protect this land and make it available for passive public recreation along the Santa Fe River.”

Santa Fe River Preserve South is open from sunrise to sunset. There is a small parking area near the entrance gate that will lead visitors to the trail system. ACT is partnering with REI Co-op and the Florida Paddling Trails Association to install kayak take out points at both Santa Fe River Preserve and Santa Fe River Preserve South in the near future.  

Above Right: Photo of ribbon cutting ceremony by Tedd Greenwald. Above Left: Photo of black and white warbler at Santa Fe River Preserve South by Tedd Greenwald. Below: Trail Map. Click on the image to view larger map.

2023 Florida Wild for All Scholarship Applications Now Open

ACT is now accepting applications for the 2023 Florida Wild for All Scholarship. This scholarship seeks to amplify and celebrate the existing voices of Black, Indigenous, Latinx, and Multiracial People of Color interested in pursuing a career path in natural resources management or protection of the environment of Florida.

At least three recipients will be awarded $250-500 each for the 2023-2024 school year. These funds can be used for expenses as they relate to pursuing a career path in the environment and/or natural resource management fields.

Scholarship recipients will also have the opportunity to be featured in ACT’s biannual newsletter, extended an option to participate in an ACT internship, invited to an annual scholarship recipient gathering, and given tickets to attend the Conservation Stewards Awards with three guests of their choice. 

Applications will be accepted online or by mail from January 1st - March 1st. Award recipients will be notified by April 15th. The application may be completed online or by mail.

Above Right: Photo of 2021 scholarship recipient, Jess Moses, paddling the upper Santa Fe River by Will Parson.

Above: Photo of gopher tortoise by Kim Davidson.

Wildlands Conservation Gopher Tortoise License Plate Helping to Protect Florida Keystone Species

By Eric Sievers

Wildlands Conservation is now accepting orders for the specialty gopher tortoise license plate. In order to bring awareness to the plight of the gopher tortoise, we have created this specialty license plate and will use the generated funds for gopher tortoise habitat conservation, habitat management, education, and research. With your help, we can help protect gopher tortoises and their upland habitat!

Specialty license plates have been an essential part of the conservation strategy for other Florida species including the manatee, Florida panther, and sea turtles, and we wish to add the gopher tortoise to this list. The gopher tortoise is a threatened species in the state of Florida, primarily due to the loss of upland habitat. A keystone species, gopher tortoises dig burrows that are used by more than 360 other animal species, including some that live nowhere else.

Inspired by wildlife rehabber Chelsey Vowles, the idea for the plate formed after she witnessed countless gopher tortoises being killed and injured while trying to cross the road. Chelsey’s passion for healing and helping tortoises was the spark necessary to get the license plate started.

The annual use fees from the sale of the plate will be distributed to Wildlands Conservation to fund research, education, and conservation, as well as upland habitat protection, restoration, and management in Florida to benefit the gopher tortoise and other upland species. Up to 10 percent of the funds received by Wildlands Conservation may be used for marketing of the plate and costs directly associated with the administration of the gopher tortoise license plate program. Wildlands Conservation will use and distribute the funds to eligible Florida-based scientific, conservation, and educational organizations for gopher tortoise, commensal species, and upland habitat research, conservation, and management through a grants program (full bill text here).

The gopher tortoise plate, with artwork by Matt Patterson, will be produced as soon as 3,000 vouchers have been purchased. Vouchers cost $33 each, of which $25 will directly go towards gopher tortoise conservation. If you hold a valid Florida Driver’s License or have a Florida-registered vehicle, you are eligible to purchase vouchers for your car, truck, trailer, and RV! Vouchers can be purchased at any time–you do not need to wait until your registration renewal date to order one.

Wildlands Conservation and ACT are partners in the newly awarded Forest to Gulf Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). This RCPP, awarded by the Natural Resources Conservation Service, brings new conservation programs to landowners in Levy, Citrus, Marion and surrounding counties. 

Weekly Walk & Talk at Prairie Creek Preserve:

Friday, January 13th from 3 pm - 5 pm

Join ACT staff on a hike of our different nature preserves each week and learn about the ecology, history, and current and future restoration plans.

Volunteer Workday at Little Awesome Preserve:

Saturday, January 14th from 9 am - 12 pm

Join ACT for a cleanup event at Little Awesome Preserve. We will be removing debris from abandoned hunting sites. This is a great opportunity to volunteer and see the preserve before it opens to the public. Sign up here.

Florida Arbor Day Planting with Springs Artist Margaret Tolbert:

Friday, January 20th from 9 am - 12 pm

Join ACT and springs artist Margaret Tolbert for a tree planting event at Santa Fe Springs Preserve. During this event, we will talk about the importance of planting trees to help restore native landscapes. Sign up here.

Weekly Walk & Talk at Santa Fe River Preserve:

Friday, January 20th from 3 pm - 5 pm

Join ACT staff on a hike of our different nature preserves each week and learn about the ecology, history, and current and future restoration plans.

Weekly Walk & Talk at Tuscawilla Preserve:

Friday, January 27th from 3 pm - 5 pm

Join ACT staff on a hike of our different nature preserves each week and learn about the ecology, history, and current and future restoration plans.

SAVE THE DATE - Conservation Stewards Awards at Prairie Creek Lodge:

Saturday, March 25, 2023 from 5 pm - 9 pm

Save the date for the biggest conservation event of the year! Tickets on sale later this month.

You make conservation possible! 

Thank you for donating your time, money, and energy to making ACT's work a success.

Please donate today - or consider including ACT in your estate planning - to save wild spaces, train the next generation of land stewards, and open up new public preserves to your community.

THANK YOU!

Banner Image: ACT's Fox Pen Preserve by Alison Blakeslee.