ALACHUA CONSERVATION TRUST INC
7204 SE COUNTY ROAD 234, GAINESVILLE, FL 32641 www.alachuaconservationtrust.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: THE MISSION OF ALACHUA CONSERVATION TRUST (ACT) IS TO PROTECT THE NATURAL, HISTORIC, SCENIC AND RECREATIONAL RESOURCES IN AND AROUND ALACHUA COUNTY, FLORIDA. ACT PROTECTS LAND THROUGH PURCHASE, DONATION, AND CONSERVATION EASEMENTS.

LAND PROTECTION: IN 2018, ACT PARTNERED WITH ALACHUA COUNTY TO ACQUIRE THE LONG SOUGHT-AFTER 111 ACRE SERENOLA PRESERVE PROPERTY ON THE NORTHERN RIM OF PAYNES PRAIRIE STATE PARK. UTILIZING ITS WILD SPACES & PUBLIC PLACES (WSPP) SALES TAX FUNDING, ALACHUA COUNTY PURCHASED 103 ACRES; ACT FUNDRAISED PRIVATELY TO PURCHASE THE ADDITIONAL 7.75 ACRES, AND WILL SERVE AS THE PRESERVE MANAGER FOR THIS JOINTLY-OWNED PROJECT. ACT ANTICIPATES THAT THIS ACQUISITION WILL ULTIMATELY BE REIMBURSED IN PART WITH A SIGNIFICANT FLORIDA COMMUNITIES TRUST GRANT, WHICH WILL RETURN 1M TO THE WSPP PROGRAM FOR ADDITIONAL CONSERVATION LANDS ACQUISITIONS. ALACHUA CONSERVATION TRUST CONTINUED ITS ROLE FOR ALACHUA COUNTY TO PROVIDE LAND ACQUISITION NEGOTIATION SERVICES UTILIZING A PROJECTED 130 MILLION OVER THE REMAINING 7 YEARS THROUGH THE WSPP PROGRAM, WITH THE SHARED GOAL TO PROTECT AS MUCH OF THE REMAINING ENVIRONMENTALLY SENSITIVE LANDS IN THE COUNTY AS POSSIBLE. ALACHUA CONSERVATION TRUST RECEIVED A PRIVATE DONATION OF 5 ACRES IN GILCHRIST COUNTY ON THE SANTA FE RIVER, AND ALSO RECEIVED AN ADDITIONAL 3 NEW CONSERVATION EASEMENTS FOR PROPERTIES IN DIVERSE AREAS OF NORTH CENTRAL FLORIDA TOTALING NEARLY 1000 ACRES.

PROPERTY MANAGEMENT: ACT CONTINUED ITS MANAGEMENT OF SIX MAJOR PRESERVES ALONG WITH SEVERAL SMALLER CONSERVATION PROPERTIES AROUND ALACHUA COUNTY AND NORTH CENTRAL FLORIDA, ENTERED INTO A MANAGEMENT AGREEMENT WITH ALACHUA COUNTY FOR THE JOINTLY-OWNED SERENOLA PRESERVE, AND INITIATED NEGOTIATIONS FOR MANAGEMENT OF THE SUWANNEE RIVER WATER MANAGEMENT DISTRICT'S J.H. ANDERSON JR. MEMORIAL PARK AT ROCK BLUFF SPRINGS, WITH MANAGEMENT OF THAT PRESERVE SET TO COMMENCE IN EARLY 2019. ACT'S LAND MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES INCLUDE FOREST, GROUNDCOVER, AND WETLANDS RESTORATION, CREATING AND MAINTAINING PUBLIC TRAILS AND INFORMATIONAL KIOSKS, THE APPLICATION OF PRESCRIBED FIRE, AND EXOTICS CONTROL. ACT BENEFITTED FROM THE USE OF HUNDREDS OF VOLUNTEERS FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, SANTA FE COLLEGE, LOCAL BUSINESSES, AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE, WHO PROVIDED SIGNIFICANT ADDITIONAL STAFFING FOR THESE ACTIVITIES. IN 2018, ACT CONTINUED AND EXPANDED IT HIGHLY-SUCCESSFUL WOMEN IN THE WOODS PROGRAM - A NEW, WOMEN- CENTRIC RESOURCE MANAGEMENT INTERNSHIP PROGRAM, DESIGNED TO TRAIN PARTICIPANTS IN ALL PHASES OF CONSERVATION LAND MANAGEMENT WHILE INCREASING DIVERSITY IN AN EMPLOYMENT CATEGORY IN WHICH WOMEN ARE HIGHLY UNDER- REPRESENTED. IN TOTAL, THE PROGRAM SERVED 23 YOUNG WOMEN AND MEN IN ITS SECOND FULL YEAR OF OPERATIONS. IN TOTAL, INTERNS AND VOLUNTEERS CONTRIBUTED MORE THAN 4600 HOURS OF SERVICE TO THE ORGANIZATION. IN 2018 ALONE, ACT PLANTED OVER 180,000 TREES ON ITS VARIOUS PRESERVES DUE IN LARGE PART TO THE ANNUAL TREE FEST EVENT ORGANIZED BY SWAMP HEAD BREWERY & SOLAR IMPACT, INC., ALONG WITH CONTRIBUTIONS FROM PUBLIX SUPERMARKETS THROUGH THE ARBOR DAY FOUNDATION. ACT UTILIZED PRESCRIBED FIRE TO BURN HUNDREDS OF ACRES IN FURTHERANCE OF ITS LONG-TERM HABITAT RESTORATION GOALS, AND INSTALLED AN ADDITIONAL 1.2 MILES OF HIKING TRAILS AT THE SERENOLA RIVER PRESERVE AND OTHER AMENITITIES TO ENHANCE RECREATIONAL ENJOYMENT FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC FROM ALL ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL FLORIDA.

EDUCATION AND OUTREACH: ACT CONDUCTED OVER TWO DOZEN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CLASSES/WORKSHOPS AND EIGHT PUBLIC CONCERTS AT PRAIRIE CREEK PRESERVE & LODGE, AND AN ADDITIONAL TWO DOZEN CLASSES/WORKSHOPS AT ITS TUSCAWILLA, BLUES CREEK RAVINE, LITTLE ORANGE CREEK AND SANTA FE RIVER PRESERVES AND ROCKWOOD PARK. ACT RECOGNIZED ITS 30TH ANNIVERSARY IN SEPTEMBER 2018 WITH AN ALL-AGES CELEBRATION AT PRAIRIE CREEK THAT WAS ATTENDED BY NEARLY 150 PEOPLE AND WAS COVERED AT LENGTH BY SEVERAL LOCAL MEDIA OUTLETS. ACT HOSTED AT ITS PRAIRIE CREEK LODGE FACILITY, AS WELL AS ON SEVERAL OTHER OF ITS OTHER CONSERVATION PROPERTIES, DOZENS OF MEETINGS AND SPECIAL EVENTS, MANY OF WHICH WERE CONDUCTED BY OR IN PARTNERSHIP WITH OTHER NON-PROFITS AND GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, INCLUDING THE SEA TURTLE CONSERVANCY, CONSERVATION BURIAL, INC., THE OCALA LONGLEAF IMPLEMENTATION TEAM, THE CONSERVATION CLINIC AT THE UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA, COLLEGE OF LAW, THE ALLIANCE OF FLORIDA LAND TRUSTS, THE HOGTOWN BREWERS' ASSOCIATION, AND VARIOUS OTHER LOCAL AND STATE AGENCIES. ACT ALSO PARTICIPATED IN A VARIETY OF COMMUNITY-WIDE EVENTS AND FESTIVALS, SENT OUT TWO SEMIANNUAL PRINT NEWSLETTERS, UPDATED AND MAINTAINED A COMPREHENSIVE WEBSITE, COMPLETED AND IMPLEMENTED A FREE LOCAL TRAILS APP FOR ALACHUA COUNTY, FLORIDA, AND HAD A STRONG AND ONGOING PRESENCE IN SOCIAL MEDIA WHERE WE ENGAGE MORE THAN 5,000 REGULAR FOLLOWERS ON SUCH TOPICS AS ECOLOGY, WILDLIFE, ORGANIZATIONAL ACTIVITIES, STAFF NOTES FROM THE FIELD, NATURAL HISTORY, AND UPCOMING ACT EVENTS. ACT'S ANNUAL CONSERVATION STEWARDS AWARDS WAS ATTENDED BY MORE THAN 450 CONSERVATIONISTS FROM ACROSS NORTH CENTRAL FLORIDA IN THE SPRING, AND ITS HALLOWEEN BALL WAS ATTENDED BY MORE THAN 300 PEOPLE IN THE FALL. AT BOTH EVENTS, ACT RAISED AWARENESS AND FUNDS FOR ITS EFFORTS TO CONSERVE THE REMAINING LANDS IN PRIVATE OWNERSHIP ALONG THE SANTA FE RIVER. AS A COMPONENT OF ITS ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION EFFORTS, ACT PARTNERED WITH THE LITTLE ORANGE CREEK ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION CENTER IN HAWTHORNE, FLORIDA, TO SERVE MORE THAN 600 ELEMENTARY SCHOOL CHILDREN AS IT CONTINUED TO STRENGTHEN RELATIONSHIPS WITH LOCAL SCHOOLS IN THE EAST GAINESVILLE, MELROSE, AND HAWTHORNE AREAS.

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