ACT Protects 40 Acres of Land

Near Ichetucknee Springs in Columbia County

Alachua Conservation Trust directly purchased 40 acres in Columbia County, Florida, north of Ichetucknee Springs. The acquisition will protect approximately 25 acres of hardwood forest and 15 acres of planted pine in an area of vital importance for local conservation efforts. Funding for the project was provided by Atira Conservation, as well as

individual donors and a private foundation.

The acres of hardwood feature live oaks, hickories, swamp white oaks, magnolias, and numerous karst features. The remaining acres of the property are old field and planted pine. According to historical aerial imagery dating back to at least the 1930s, the area was

historically longleaf pine sandhill. Big Tree 40 provides suitable habitat for numerous species, including the gopher tortoise, a keystone species in Florida.

The property is located within the Ichetucknee Trace, an area between Lake City and the Santa Fe River, where the Ichetucknee River once flowed. The property is also in the Ichetucknee Springs Priority Focus Area, the Santa Fe Basin Management Action Plan (BMAP), and the Ichetucknee Springs State Park Optimum Boundary

Join Our Upcoming Free Webinar: Financial Support for Landowners with RCPP

On July 8th at 1:00 PM EST, ACT is hosting a free virtual webinar to learn about the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP), which provides financial assistance for land management activities on private agricultural lands.

Featured Speakers:

• Susan Carr, PhD. - Strategic Conservation Manager, ACT
• George Johnson - Conservation Practices Specialist, ACT

The webinar will be recorded and posted online for those unable to attend.

Fall 2025 Internships

Applications are now open for ACT's Fall 2025 Internships.

There are three paths: Natural Resources Management (NRM), Events & Outreach, and Environmental Education.

Applications for the NRM path are due July 4th, all other paths close July 18th.

Young Leaders for Wild Florida Summit

Young Leaders for Wild Florida is a 3-day summit for 16–20 year olds that takes place from July 30 to August 1 in Rochelle and High Springs, FL. The program is donation-based, and no experience is necessary. Applications are due by July 1.

Featured Event

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!