Two Ways to Make a Difference This Fall:

Give4Marion and the University of Florida's Campaign for Charities

As we head into fall, Alachua Conservation Trust is preparing for two major fundraisers: Give4Marion and the University of Florida's Campaign for Charities (UFCC).

Give4Marion

From midnight on September 16th through 9 PM on September 17th, ACT is proud to participate in Give4Marion, a 33-hour online giving event hosted by the Community Foundation of Ocala/Marion County.

This year, we're raising $30,000 to expand and enhance our stunning Orange Lake Overlook (OLO) preserve. Since opening the 86-acre Sawallis family addition to the public in February, OLO has doubled in size since its first acquisition in 2019. Visitors can explore soaring live oak hammocks and gaze at breathtaking lakefront views, all while listening to the vibrant wildlife that calls this slice of Old Florida home.

With your help, we can continue to add on to this preserve and work to restore the historic citrus shop and packing house located on-site.

UFCC

Since the program's inception in 2009, ACT has received over $370,000 through UFCC, the University of Florida's employee giving program. Starting in September, UF employees can support local nonprofits like ACT through payroll deductions, cash, checks, or stock donations.

Programs like these are powerful reminders of how deeply UF and Gainesville value the community. Please consider choosing ACT as your UFCC charity this fall. Your support helps protect Florida's wild spaces and ensures our work continues to thrive.

We Want to Hear From You! OLO Photos & Stories Needed

Before it became our beloved public preserve, Orange Lake Overlook in McIntosh was a vibrant orange grove and tourist destination full of stories, snapshots, and special moments.

As we move towards Give4Marion, we’re inviting you to help tell the story! Do you have photos, postcards, or personal memories from visits to OLO before Alachua Conservation Trust took stewardship of the property?

Whether it’s a family picnic, a roadside stop, or a favorite view of Orange Lake, email us at info@alachuaconservationtrust.org. We’d love to see and hear it.

Featured Event

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

Friday, September 5, 2025, 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM

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

Volunteer Work Day: Santa Fe Springs Preserve

Saturday, September 6, 2025, 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM

Join ACT for a cleanup event at Santa Fe Springs Preserve. This is a great opportunity to volunteer and see the preserve before it opens to the public.

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

Friday, September 12, 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM

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

Weekly Walk & Talk at Fox Pen Preserve

Friday, September 19, 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM

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

Volunteer Work Day: Bubbe's Secret Garden

Saturday, September 20, 2025, 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM

Join ACT for a volunteer workday of weeding and projects around the property.

Weekly Walk & Talk at Tuscawilla Preserve

Friday, September 26, 2025, 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM

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

Morning Bug Walk at Tuscawilla Preserve

Friday, September 28, 2025, 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM

Join Dr. Jiri Hulcr and Dr. Andrea Lucky for this family-friendly bug ID event at Tuscawilla Preserve!

Cover Photo by Alison Blakeslee

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!