Hansen Preserve

Phyllis Hansen (on left), recipient of a Land Conservation Award, was introduced by her long-time friend and fellow Cross Creek resident Kate Barnes. Photo by Ed Geers.

Cross Creek is a special place with a unique rural character, immortalized by Pulitzer Prize winner Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings. CTF was happy to accept a conservation easement on Phyllis Hansen’s 25-acre property on the shore of Orange Lake. The easement will protect the wildlife, waterfront, and water quality, as well as the dense forest on the property.

Phyllis wanted to protect the scenic beauty of the tupelo swamp on her property. “When I found this spot of land I knew I would never go anywhere else,” she wrote. “The beauty was more than I had ever imagined could exist in one place. I worried about what would happen to it when I was no longer around. After a number of efforts, trials, and errors, the Conservation Trust for Florida solved my problem and I thank them earnestly from the bottom of my heart.”

“I worried about what would happen to it when I was no longer around. After a number of efforts, trials, and errors, the Conservation Trust for Florida solved my problem… Phyllis Hansen, landowner