We're Expanding Orange Lake Overlook! Join us on February 28th!

You are invited to the opening of a new expansion of one of our preserves! On February 28th, at 10:30 AM at Marjorie A. Hoy Memorial Park at Orange Lake Overlook (OLO), join us for a small ceremony and light refreshments to celebrate.


In 2023, with donations and bridge loans, ACT purchased 86 acres to the north of OLO from the Sawallis Family. This land has more than doubled the size of the preserve to 155 acres. This new addition will feature additional hiking trails and water access to Orange Lake!

Get the Directions Here

Photo by Kim Davidson

ACT to Honor Freddie Johnson and the Greene Family of Lake City as Conservation Stewards on March 15th


The 2025 Conservation Steward Awards celebrates the conservation impacts and lasting legacies of Freddie Johnson and the Greene Family of Lake City.


Freddie Johnson, a founding member and past Executive Director of Conservation Burial, Inc., spent years nurturing the sacred connection that humans have with the land through his work establishing Prairie Creek Conservation Cemetery, a green burial and conservation cemetery located at Prairie Creek Preserve in Alachua County. 


The Greene Family have been dedicated stewards of their land near Lake City for over one hundred years. Their efforts to preserve their property under a Conservation Easement, as well as their implementation of prescribed fire, has resulted in the protection and restoration of 1,500 acres of natural pine forests, forested wetlands, and floodplains along the storied Suwannee River. 


Join ACT on Saturday, March 15, 2025, from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. for the Annual Conservation Stewards Awards at Prairie Creek Lodge. The event will include dinner, drinks, and a musical performance. All funds from the event will support Alachua Conservation Trust's work towards land conservation.

View More Information and Purchase Tickets 

Experience Prairie Creek Preserve at ACT

and FTA's Accessible Trail Event

Join Alachua Conservation Trust (ACT) and the Florida Trail Association (FTA) for a Trail Accessibility Event on February 22nd, at Prairie Creek Lodge to explore accessibility programs and disability organizations in the community. 


The event will feature two accessible trail devices, ACT's EcoRover chair and FTA's Joelette chair, which are now available for use in the North Central Florida community. Both devices will be available to take for trail rides at Prairie Creek Preserve. Registration secures a slot to ride but day of registrations will be accommodated as EcoRovers and Jolettes chairs become available. Registration for a time slot is HIGHLY encouraged.


For more details or to schedule a ride, please visit the link below.

More Details and Registration


Extra, Extra! Read all about it!

Check your mailboxes in the coming weeks for the Winter 2025 edition of the Gazetteer, ACT’s printed bi-annual newsletter!


Not on our mailing list? Join via our website and visit us at tabling events, where we usually have a couple of copies on hand.



2025 Florida Wild for All Scholarship Fund


ACT is seeking donations for the Florida Wild for All Scholarship Fund. This award supports individuals from underrepresented backgrounds who are interested in pursuing careers in natural resource management or the protection of Florida’s environment. Since 2021, ACT has awarded scholarships to over a dozen students.


You can help foster a broader range of voices in conservation by making a donation to ACT today towards the Florida Wild for All Scholarship Fund. 

Donate to the Fund

Upcoming Events

Featured Event


Full Moon Hike at Orange Lake Overlook

Wednesday, February 12, 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM

Join ACT staff for a hike under the full moon and starlit night sky. Spaces are limited so RSVP to reserve your spot.

Weekly Walk & Talk at Little Orange Creek Preserve

Friday, February 7, 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM

Join ACT staff for a guided hike at Little Orange Creek Preserve.


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

Friday, February 14, 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM

Join ACT staff for a guided hike at Santa Fe River Preserve (South Entrance).


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

Friday, February 21, 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM

Join ACT staff for a guided hike at Santa Fe River Preserve (Main Entrance).


ACT and FTA Accessible Trail Event at Prairie Creek Lodge

Saturday, February 22, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM

Join Alachua Conservation Trust and the Florida Trail Association for a Trail Accessibility Event showcasing trail accessibility programs and disability organizations in the community.


Weekly Walk & Talk at Tuscawilla Preserve

Friday, February 28, 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM

Join ACT staff for a guided hike at Tuscawilla Preserve.


Sawallis Expansion Opening at Orange Lake Overlook

Friday, February 28, 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM

Join us for a small ceremony and light refreshments to celebrate the new expansion of our OLO Preserve.


2025 Conservation Stewards Awards at Prairie Creek Lodge

Saturday, March 15, from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM

This event honors individuals in our community at one of the region's largest gatherings of leaders and supporters of wild Florida. It will include dinner, drinks, and a musical performance. Tickets are now available for purchase.

All Upcoming Events

A Warm Welcome

ACT recently welcomed Seth Hoholick as a Land Management Technician. After interning with ACT in Fall of 2024, he graduated from the University of Florida with a degree in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation.


He found his appreciation for nature at a young age from camping, hunting, and working on his father’s tree farm in Southern Ohio.


In his spare time, Seth enjoys hiking, paddling, biking, exercising, reading, and working on various art projects.



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 by Tedd Greenwald

Alachua Conservation Trust

Phone: 352-373-1078

Email: info@alachuaconservationtrust.org

Website: www.alachuaconservationtrust.org

Connect with us

Facebook  Instagram  Linkedin  Youtube