We Did Something Amazing Together!

You Helped Protect New Lands Along the Santa Fe River

In just 12 hours, you raised $25,230 and counting for conservation efforts along the Santa Fe River! THANK YOU for donating yesterday during the annual Amazing Give campaign. The event raised over $1.1 million for 116 nonprofits across North Central Florida.

All ACT match challenges during The Amazing Give were met thanks to you and your love of the Santa Fe River!

All donations that were made during The Amazing Give will go directly towards protecting new lands along the river, safeguarding water quality, preserving critical wildlife habitat, and providing public recreational opportunities for all. 



We couldn't do the important work of keeping Florida wild without your support!

Photos: Above right photo by Alison Blakeslee; below left photo by Tedd Greenwald.

Photo: ACT Conservation Easement on the Santa Fe River by Alison Blakeslee.

Conservation Permanence Matters in Florida

By Tom Kay, Christine P. Johnson, and Shane Wellendorf

Recent articles claim that Florida’s conservation easements are not perpetual, but when Florida land trusts conserve land forever, we mean it!

Florida’s nonprofit land trusts have conserved nearly 2 million of the 10.7 million acres protected in the Sunshine State according to the Land Trust Alliance’s 2020 National Land Trust Census. These lands are both privately and publicly owned, generating myriad benefits to residents and visitors alike.

As more people continue to move into our state and more rural land and open spaces are lost to development, Florida land trusts are accelerating their work of partnering with willing landowners to protect the land that is so important to our way of life, clean drinking water, farming and ranching communities, diverse wildlife, recreational opportunities, and iconic scenery. One critical tool for this important work is conservation easements.

Conservation easements are voluntary legal agreements between a landowner and a land trust or government entity. When a property is conserved with a conservation easement, the landowner is choosing to permanently limit the uses of the land to protect its conservation values. There are direct landowner benefits, as well as public benefits like flood protection, clean drinking water, wildlife habitat, scenic views, outdoor recreation, cultural and historic preservation, and protected agricultural land that produces local sustainable food.

Whether a conservation easement is held by a government entity or a not-for-profit land trust, it is the easement holder’s legal and ethical responsibility to ensure the easement terms are met and that the public will always receive the benefits guaranteed by the easement.

Tom Kay

Executive Director

Alachua Conservation Trust

Christine P. Johnson

President

Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast

Shane Wellendorf

Land Conservancy Director

Tall Timbers Research Station & Land Conservancy

Farewell Spring Natural Resource Interns!

ACT’s Natural Resource Management Interns have completed their spring semester! Our hard-working interns - Maylen, Molly, Lilly, Ashley, Thomas, Logan, Taylor, Rebecca, and Ally - collectively contributed over 1,500 hours of work to ACT over the past four months. Throughout the semester, interns learned how to use a variety of hand and power tools, learned about flora and fauna in North Central Florida, and worked tirelessly on land management projects on our preserves. They assisted with invasive species treatment, hardwood reduction, trail maintenance, ground cover restoration, Gopher tortoise surveys, and prescribed fire at several ACT preserves including Little Orange Creek, Fox Pen, Orange Lake Overlook, Santa Fe River, and Santa Fe Springs. They also rerouted part of the Blue Trail at Prairie Creek Preserve and built kiosks for some of the ACT preserves opening later this year!

Spring interns also had the chance to learn from ACT staff and external partners about different areas of conservation and non-profits, which contributed to a more well-rounded natural resource experience. They learned how to write prescriptions for prescribed fire, learned about forestry concepts and participated on a timber cruise, participated in pre- and post-fire photo-monitoring and bird surveys, learned about grant writing, and were able to look at cave crayfish with an FWC biologist. Additionally, three interns lead invasive removal work parties for Gainesville’s Great Invader Raider Rally, removing invasive coral ardisia at Serenola Preserve and Caesar weed at Prairie Creek Preserve.

Upcoming Events

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

Friday, May 3rd from 3-4 p.m.

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

Guided Upper Santa Fe River Paddle with Lars Andersen (Sold Out)

Saturday, May 4th from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Join us for a guided paddle on the Upper Santa Fe River to ACT’s Santa Fe Springs Preserve.

Walk & Talk at Prairie Creek Preserve

Friday, May 10th from 3-4 p.m.

Join ACT and the U.S. Geological Survey for a guided hike on the trails of Prairie Creek Preserve during Amphibian Week.

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

Friday, May 17th from 3-4 p.m.

Join ACT for a guided hike on the Santa Fe River Basin beginning at the Santa Fe River Preserve - Main Entrance.

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

Friday, May 24th from 3-4 p.m.

Join ACT for a guided hike beginning at the Santa Fe River Preserve - South Entrance.

Walk & Talk at Tuscawilla Preserve

Friday, May 31st from 3-4 p.m.

Join ACT for a guided hike on birds and wetlands at Tuscawilla Preserve in Micanopy. This will be the last Walk & Talk until the fall!

Creek Family Days at Tuscawilla Preserve

Saturday, June 1st from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

Join ACT for a free, family-friendly day of environmental education activities along the trails at Tuscawilla Preserve. Activities will include terrestrial bug catching, bird watching, arts and crafts activities, and local conservation organizations.

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: River Styx by Kim Davidson.