ACT's May Field Notes

Record-breaking support for the Santa Fe River during the Amazing Give!

All of us at Alachua Conservation Trust thank you so much for donating and sharing our Amazing Give campaign. With your help, $82,321 was raised to expand protection for the Santa Fe River.

Here’s what your support will help acquire and protect:

423 acres of pine uplands at Sawdust Springs
55 acres connecting Union County conservation lands
20 acres expanding the Santa Fe River Preserve

ACT has participated in the Amazing Give, hosted by the Junior League of Gainesville, for the last eleven years. This year, ACT came in 1st for total donations out of 118 participating organizations and won a $500 prize for best peer-to-peer fundraising.

Thank you for being a part of our mission to protect natural, historic, scenic, and recreational resources in and around North Central Florida.

There's a new baby in town!

Prairie Creek Preserve is home to two bonded sandhill crane pairs, one of which has recently welcomed a colt! Depending on who at ACT you ask, the lucky parents' names are either Gregory and Eloise or Eduardo and Edwina.

Help us choose a name for the chick! ACT Staff will pick their favorite suggestions and run a poll to decide the winner via social media. Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Instagram!

Spring 2025 Internship Program Wraps Up

ACT is saying goodbye to our Spring 2025 interns. We had three cohorts focusing on events and outreach, environmental education, and natural resource management.

Among their accomplishments, they participated in 10 prescribed burns, wrote a K-12 science curriculum evaluation, assisted with the 2025 Conservation Stewards Awards, and much more!

Ella G., an environmental education intern, shared her experience, "This experience has been incredibly rewarding as I was able to be a part of a project that works to ensure that all students have the opportunity to connect and learn about the natural world...Through my time as an intern, I gained vital skills in science communication and learned effective strategies to foster curiosity and creativity in students."

Upcoming Events

Featured Event

CrEEK Family Fest at Tuscawilla Preserve

Saturday, May 31st, 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM

ACT's Creekside Environmental Ed for Kids (CrEEK) Program has worked to provide fun, free environmental education field trips to schools since 2016. We're excited to host a family-friendly event open to the public with aquatic insects, crafts, birding activities, and more!

Get Directions and More Information

Weekly Walk & Talk at Prairie Creek Preserve

Friday, May 2, 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM

Join ACT staff and volunteers for a guided hike at Prairie Creek Preserve.

Weekly Walk & Talk at Blues Creek Ravine Preserve

Friday, May 9, 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM

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

Weekly Walk & Talk at Tuscawilla Preserve

Friday, May 16, 8:00 AM to 9:00 AM

Join ACT staff and volunteers for a guided hike at Tuscawilla Preserve.

Rock Bluff Springs Volunteer Planting Day

Friday, May 16, 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM

Join ACT for a volunteer workday at Rock Bluff Springs. Volunteers will be planting vegetation along the spring.

Ice Cream in the Park

Saturday, May 17, 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM

Join ACT for an ice cream social at Rockwood Park in central Gainesville.

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

Friday, May 23, 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM

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

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

Friday, May 30, 9:00 AM to 10:00 AM

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

All Upcoming Events

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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