ACT Directly Acquires Land Along the Santa Fe River in Columbia County

Following an influx of regional support, Alachua Conservation Trust (ACT) has acquired 429 acres of land along the Santa Fe River, increasing protection for North Central Florida’s local springs and surrounding upland and bottomland habitats. ACT purchased the Columbia County property with funding from private donors, the River Branch Foundation, the 1923 Fund, and The Nature Conservancy. Over a hundred individual donors contributed $82,000 in April 2025 during the Amazing Give towards the acquisition, along with over a hundred other donors who answered ACT’s call to action via direct mail and online.

The latest acquisition surrounds ACT's existing 139-acre Sawdust Spring Preserve, which is a third-magnitude spring protected in 2021 and part of the Devil’s Ear Spring Priority Area. This property features river frontage full of karst features, cypress trees, and rain lilies, while safeguarding critical recharge areas for the Floridan Aquifer. Once restored, ACT plans to invite the public to connect to the Santa Fe River through passive recreation as a public preserve. Its protection ensures cleaner water, healthier ecosystems, a corridor for wildlife, and open space for future generations in a region facing increasing development pressure.

Photo by Alison Blakeslee

“This acquisition would not have been possible without the generosity of our many donors and partners,” said ACT’s Executive Director, Tom Kay, “The protection of Sawdust Spring and its surrounding lands is part of a long-term goal of ACT to safeguard as much of the Santa Fe River as possible for future generations. We are also deeply grateful to the prior owners for patiently working with us to protect this beautiful landscape along the Santa Fe.”

ACT is currently recruiting for the following internship tracks:

Outreach & Events: Curate multimedia content for ACT’s social media platforms and website, draft cover stories for ACT events and projects, table at ACT and community events (includes some weekends), assist on special projects & mailings, etc.

Advocacy: Track federal, state, and local legislation and policy changes; generate legislative reports for partnership organizations; and assist in stakeholder engagement on important conservation issues.

Environmental Education: Become more familiar with the operations of ACT’s environmental education program (CrEEK), gain real working experience with underserved BIPOC elementary-age students, and develop marketable skills in science communication and outreach.

Natural Resources Management: Gain experience in land management activities and equipment, including invasive species management, preserve management, trail work, thinning, and prescribed fire.

Applications for the Outreach and Events, Advocacy, and Environmental Education tracks are open from November 1st to December 1st. For those who are interested in the Natural Resource Internship but not part of the UF Gulf Scholars Program, internship applications are due December 5th.

Interviews will be conducted during the first two weeks of December. Internships start the second week of January and finish at the end of April.

2025 Landowner Tours Highlight Private Lands Restoration Efforts

In early October, ACT, along with the North Florida Prescribed Burn Association (NFPBA), co-hosted the 2025 Landowner Tours, an annual event that welcomes private landowners, conservation professionals, and members of the public to tour private lands and learn about the benefits of prescribed fire and other land restoration activities.

Attendees participated in the tours across four days and at multiple properties throughout North Central Florida that are undergoing active land restoration.

This year, the event highlighted topics such as invasive species eradication and herbicide use, the Forest to Gulf Regional Conservation Partnership Program, and the effects of prescribed fire on a landscape.

Landowner Tours take place every fall; however, those interested in land management activities are encouraged to please contact ACT to discuss conservation options for their land.

Featured Event

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

Friday, November 7, 2025, 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM

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

Weekly Walk & Talk at Little Awesome Preserve

Friday, November 14, 2025, 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Join ACT staff and volunteers for a guided hike at Little Awesome Preserve.

Weekly Walk & Talk at Orange Lake Overlook

Friday, November 21, 2025, 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM
Join ACT staff and volunteers for a guided hike at Orange Lake Overlook.

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!