Manatee Springs Cave System Protected with State Park Expansion

An extensive cave system connected to Manatee Springs State Park is now under public ownership after a 288–acre acquisition in Levy County completed by Alachua Conservation Trust (ACT) was transferred to the State of Florida last month. The Manatee Springs Addition was purchased by ACT in the final days of 2021 following a major public appeal and hundreds of thousands of dollars incurred by the non-profit land trust to keep it from being sold to developers.

The addition, which buffers existing state park lands along the southeast boundary, features multiple sinkholes that directly connect to one of the largest known cave systems in Florida with over 20,000 feet of explored and mapped underground conduits. The first-magnitude Manatee Springs is a popular destination for local swimmers, tourists, and cave divers. The spring also serves as a refuge for manatees in the winter months when temperatures in the Suwannee River become too cold for the wildly popular Florida fauna and they pile into the spring for warmth.

With the help of donations, loans and financing from the landowners themselves, ACT was able to secure the property with a long-term plan in place to sell the tract to the State. ACT held the property for more than two years, incurring hefty interest fees on the loans, while working to incorporate this important natural area into the existing park boundary. While the sale was finalized in January, ACT will continue to raise funds towards paying off the remaining loans not covered by the state acquisition.

Photos: Top left - Swimmers at Manatee Springs by Alison Blakeslee; Middle right - Manatee Springs Addition bordering state park lands to the left by Kim Davidson

Photo: Courtesy of EcoRover Chairs

Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation Awards $15k Grant to Increase Accessibility at ACT's Preserves

ACT is proud to announce that it has been awarded $15,000 as part of the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation National Paralysis Resource Center (NPRC) 2023 Direct Effect 2nd Cycle Quality of Life grants.

Fifty-nine grants totaling $1,271,125 were awarded. The Quality of Life Grants Program supports non-profit organizations that empower individuals living with paralysis. Since the Quality of Life Grants Program’s inception, more than 3,770 grants totaling $43 million have been awarded. Funding for this program was made possible through a cooperative agreement with the Administration for Community Living.

ACT will use the grant to purchase a trail-adapted wheelchair to increase access to our 13 public preserves with nearly 20 miles of trails through the unique protected North Central Florida habitat. We will be rolling out our new all-terrain wheelchair program in the fall of this year.

ACT is also working to raise an additional $15,000 to cover the cost of a trailer to transport the all-terrain wheelchair between preserves and to make additional improvements to our trails to allow for greater access to visitors. If you would like to support this important accessibility project on ACT's preserves, please contact us!

Photo: CSA Silent Auction by Thomas Niemi.

Ticket Prices for the 2024 Conservation Stewards Awards Increase on March 4th!

This weekend is the last chance to get your tickets for the 2024 Conservation Stewards Awards (CSAs) at the lowest price! Ticket prices will increase from $100 to $125 on Monday, March 4th.

The CSAs event will take place on Saturday, March 23rd from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. at Prairie Creek Lodge in Gainesville. This event honors individuals in our community who are influential in a wide variety of ways – the arts, historic preservation, and particularly, in protecting our wildlife and natural resources.

This event has sold out quickly in the past few years, so don't wait to purchase tickets!

The 2024 event will celebrate the first 35 years of ACT’s conservation journey and honor several individuals who have helped make saving special places possible along the way. Conserving land is no small endeavor and ACT could not have accomplished so much over the last 35 years without support from so many. Our theme invites you to reflect on the moments that have defined a legacy of conservation across North Central Florida.

This year's honorees are the Gary Family and Anne & John Shermyen!

The event will include a happy hour, catered dinner, awards ceremony, silent auction, and a musical performance from The Savants of Soul. All funds from the event will support Alachua Conservation Trust's work towards land conservation.

Learn more about the event and this year's honorees here.

Photo by Kim Davidson.

We're Hiring!

Applications will be reviewed beginning on March 11th. Positions will remain open until filled.

Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP) Coordinator (Gainesville, FL)

We are seeking an organized person to coordinate and manage three Regional Conservation Partnership Programs (RCPP) led by ACT.

here

Rangeland Specialist (Okeechobee County, FL)

The Rangeland Specialist will provide professional services in range management and soil and water conservation activities while assisting in the planning of conservation practices on ranches and farms.

Upcoming Events

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

Friday, March 1st from 3-4 p.m.

Join us for a guided silent hike at Santa Fe River Preserve.

Walk & Talk at Tuscawilla Preserve

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

Join us for a guided hike and talk about wetlands and birds at Tuscawilla Preserve in Micanopy.

Guided Lower Santa Fe River Paddle with Lars Andersen

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

Join ACT for a guided paddle on the Lower Santa Fe River. We will paddle by one of ACT’s newest acquisitions, Little Awesome Preserve.

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

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

Join us for a guided hike and talk about the Santa Fe River Basin at Santa Fe River Preserve - South Entrance.

Walk & Talk at Marjorie A. Hoy Memorial Park at Orange Lake Overlook

Friday, March 22nd from 5:30-6:30 p.m. (evening hike)

Join us for a guided sunset hike on the trails of Orange Lake Overlook in McIntosh.

Walk & Talk at Tuscawilla Preserve

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

Join us for a guided hike and talk about wetlands and birds at Tuscawilla Preserve in Micanopy.

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!

Alachua Conservation Trust

Phone: 352-373-1078

Email: info@alachuaconservationtrust.org

Website: www.alachuaconservationtrust.org

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Banner image: Paddlers on the Silver River by Alison Blakeslee.