Welcome to the Party!

Celebrating 35 Years of ACT Conservation

Here’s a curveball…What do dire predictions of global warming, chart topping Guns & Roses rock anthems and a .65 cent carton of eggs all have in common?

Well, if you turn back the clock to 1988 you’ll find they share a moment in history with Florida’s conservation movement. That’s right, the end of the eighties and a .65 cent carton of eggs! Talk about how the times have changed. But that’s not all. 1988 was also the year that ACT got its start conserving and preserving precious bits of North Central Florida.

You heard right, nearly 57,000 acres of conserved land and 16 counties later, ACT is turning 35 years old this month (we don’t feel 35, do we?)! At any rate, a big “Happy Birthday”! Because of you and your support, ACT has made it to this huge milestone and we hope you’re ready to continue celebrating many more conservation victories with us!

A Look Back

In 1920, the population of the State of Florida was just over 900,000 people. By 1988, that number had reached 12 million or nearly 14 times as large. Today, the number of folks living in the Sunshine State has topped 21 million and is growing by 1,200 new residents every day. In the three and a half decades that ACT has been in existence, the population has almost doubled and the realities of climate change are coming to fruition. Notice an alarming pattern? So did the founding board of ACT. They knew then that if you’re going to save land, you have to buy it and you have to do it NOW! If you’re going to save the pristine and fragile ecosystems of this most unique peninsula, you have to establish a mission that protects land through acquisition. Through these efforts, our partnerships and connections with the community have allowed us to create a legacy of land over the past 35 years.

Volunteers from Swamp Head Brewery, Solar Impact, and local sponsors plant trees at Little Orange Creek Preserve. Photo courtesy of Solar Impact.

Annual Tree Fest Event Raises a Glass to Plant 111,737 Trees

Eight years ago, local businesses Swamp Head Brewery and Solar Impact came together to find a way to support conservation in their community and the idea for Tree Fest was born. The event, which is held at Swamp Head Brewery in April each year, features specialty craft beers, food trucks, environmental organization tabling, and music throughout the day. The public is invited out to enjoy the festivities with proceeds donated to ACT to plant trees in restoration areas in Alachua County.

And if that is not amazing enough, the staff at Swamp Head and Solar Impact provide ACT with additional support by helping plant the trees themselves. Every January, volunteers from both businesses as well as other local sponsors come together at Little Orange Creek Preserve in Hawthorne to plant 1-year-old longleaf pine seedlings. These seedlings are planted in an area that ACT is actively working to restore back to native sandhill and will help provide habitat for threatened and endangered species such as gopher tortoise and the red-cockaded woodpecker.

Tree Fest has become a favorite gathering for many over the years and we are so thankful to Solar Impact and Swamp Head for brewing up this great event with a big impact many years ago. We can't wait for Tree Fest 2024!

Photo courtesy of Swamp Head Brewery.

Follow us below for the latest updates & announcements!

Photo by Sean Dowie.

Help Restore a Piece of Old Florida History During Give4Marion from September 19th-20th

If you have ever doubted the dramatic impact an empowered and fully engaged community can make, go and stand atop Orange Lake Overlook (OLO) on U.S. 441 in Marion County and imagine NOT being able to lay your eyes upon the Florida sunrise from one of this state’s finest vistas. Can you imagine streetlights instead of cabbage palm clusters? Can you imagine rooftops instead of sandhill crane runways? Plain and simple, people will do all they can to save what they love. And with your generous support, this community saved OLO in perpetuity! A bit of “Old Florida” will remain forever and for all to enjoy, because you cared enough to ACT!

And, because you continue to support the work that ACT does, earlier this year we were pleased to announce the 86-acre expansion of OLO. Your Give4Marion donations in 2022 went directly towards the purchase of the property immediately to the North of the existing nature park. 

The Florida Division of Historical Resources has just awarded ACT a $157,000 grant towards the restoration of the Ollie Huff Citrus Shop at OLO, the first phase in a two-part restoration of the two historic structures on the property. Now we have to match that figure and we need you! Will you be the perfect match for OLO?

Together, we have the unique opportunity to save, restore, and preserve this historic building while providing our community with the chance to explore new areas around Orange Lake. Be one of the first to donate to the preservation of the Ollie Huff Citrus Shop at Orange Lake Overlook during Give4Marion, a 33-hour online fundraising event starting at 10am on September 19th and ending at 7pm on September 20th. 

Video by Barbara Hooper.

Click on the video image above to learn about ACT's efforts to protect this historic property.

More info about how you can donate can be found by clicking on the button above. And if you prefer to donate offline, give us a call at (352) 373-1078 and our staff can assist you with your donation.

Donations Needed for a Field Vehicle

As ACT continues to expand its work across Florida, we find ourselves in need of a reliable field vehicle for our interns to be able to travel to work sites as well as our field staff to conduct site visits at potential conservation lands. With your support, we are hoping to purchase or accept the donation of a gently used truck or all wheel drive SUV to help support our staff as they work to conserve as much land as possible!

Walk & Talk at Santa Fe River Preserve (Main Entrance)

Friday, September 8th from 3-4 p.m.

Join our guest guide for a hike at Santa Fe River Preserve. During this hike you will learn about the flora and fauna at the preserve.

Volunteer Workday at Santa Fe Springs Preserve

Saturday, September 9th from 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

Join ACT for a cleanup event at Santa Fe Springs Preserve. This is a great opportunity to volunteer and see the preserve before it opens to the public. R.S.V.P here.

Walk & Talk at Blues Creek Ravine Preserve

Friday, September 15th from 3-4 p.m.

Join ACT staff for a guided hike at Blues Creek Ravine Preserve.

Stewardship Saturdays at Serenola Forest Preserve

Saturday, September 16th from 8:30-11:30 a.m.

Join us on the first and third Saturday of the month for a special volunteer-led workday at Serenola Forest Preserve. No R.S.V.P. required.

World Cleanup Day Workday at Little Orange Creek Preserve

Saturday, September 16th from 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

Join ACT for a volunteer workday in celebration of World Cleanup Day at Little Orange Creek Preserve. Be prepared to get get a bit muddy and soggy at this one as we are removing invasive aquatic vegetation. R.S.V.P here.

Give4Marion

September 19th-20th

Join us for this 33-hour online giving day supporting non-profits working on community projects in Marion County. Your donation to ACT during Give4Marion will support restoration of the former Orange Shop at Marjorie A. Hoy Memorial Park at Orange Lake Overlook. Learn more here.

Walk & Talk at Santa Fe River Preserve (Main Entrance)

Friday, September 22nd from 3-4 p.m.

Join ACT staff for a guided hike at Santa Fe River Preserve.

National Public Lands Day Picnic at Rockwood Park

Saturday, September 23rd from 11 a.m.-2 p.m.

Come on out and celebrate National Public Lands day at Rockwood Park! Bring a picnic lunch, blanket, chair, and enjoy the afternoon at this 1-acre pocket park managed by ACT.

Visit ACT's Booth at the UFCC Kick-off Luncheon

Thursday, September 28th from 12-1 p.m.

Stop by ACT's booth at the Reitz Student Union to learn about land protection efforts, current conservation projects, upcoming events, and how you can support our work through the UF employee payroll deduction program. Click here for more info about the UFCC.

Walk & Talk at Fox Pen Preserve

Friday, September 29th from 3-4 p.m.

Join ACT staff for a guided hike at Fox Pen Preserve. During this hike you will learn about plants and prescribed fire at the preserve.

Young Leaders for Wild Florida Fall Fest at 4th Ave Food Park

Saturday, September 30th from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

Join us for a afternoon of learning and fun at 4th Ave Food Park! The Young Leaders for Wild Florida are hosting a Fall Fest with games, live animal demonstrations, community organizations and more!

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: Monarch butterfly by Alison Blakeslee.