Champions for Conservation: David and Peggy Carr
David and Peggy Carr with their furry companions at the historic Carr Cabin in Micanopy.
David and Peggy Carr have a passion for conservation that runs deep. In fact, David co-founded Conservation Florida, and Peggy was instrumental in creating the Florida Ecological Greenways Network map, which is the science and mapping foundation that makes up the Florida Wildlife Corridor.
In addition to being long-time conservationists, David and Peggy Carr are twenty-year owners of Pearl Country Store and Barbecue in Micanopy. David grew up in Micanopy on his family’s farm and has always had a fondness for the community. After the high school sweethearts married, they both went on to graduate school and began their careers, each with a conservation orientation.
David worked as a staff member on the Florida House of Representatives’ Natural Resources Committee, for Florida Defenders of the Environment’s Environmental Service Center, and as the first Executive Director for the Sea Turtle Conservancy (nee Caribbean Conservation Corporation.)
Peggy, a landscape architect, worked for park systems in Florida, North Carolina, and Costa Rica before becoming a professor at the University of Florida. There she worked with colleagues on the Marjorie Harris Carr Cross Florida Greenway, the Florida Greenways Network, early versions of the Florida Ecological Network and 1000 Friends of Florida’s Florida 2060 and Florida 2070 reports.
They were both heavily influenced by David’s famous parents, Archie and Marjorie Carr. Archie was a charismatic teacher (and a gifted writer and naturalist) bringing his love for and knowledge about nature and people to life through his numerous books. He received many accolades, and on his death, he became the first recipient of the Ecological Society of America’s Eminent Ecologist Award. Marjorie founded Florida Defenders of the Environment, a group of scientists that successfully stopped the Cross Florida Barge Canal.
Conservation Florida staff met with the couple at their family’s historic cabin in Micanopy to learn more about their longstanding support of Conservation Florida’s mission.
WHY DID YOU GIVE?
David: It takes money to run an organization. We hope more land can be protected, and it’s a long, slow process. It’s accomplished in bits and pieces. This parcel, then that parcel. Over time, it starts to come together.
Peggy: Another reason is that Florida is not a lost cause. There have been so many land conservation successes in Florida. We have a framework to build upon. There’s reason to be hopeful.
WHAT ACTION WOULD YOU ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO TAKE TO SUPPORT CONSERVATION IN OUR STATE?
Peggy: Give! I would also encourage you to support politicians with a conservation ethic. Vote for ballot initiatives that fund land conservation. And, most importantly, enjoy it! Enjoy all that Florida nature offers.
David: I’d like to share a quote from my father’s book, A Naturalist in Florida: A Celebration of Eden. “In listing some reasons for optimism over the state of nature and man in Florida, one favorable development outweighs all the rest. It is not another species on the mend, or a new park or preserve or sanctuary established. It is rather a change in the heart of the people. … The rise of this new stewardship gives heart to opponents of ecologic ruin everywhere and brings promise of better times for man and nature in Florida.”
David’s parents purchased their historic farm in Micanopy in 1950, where they lived until Archie’s death in 1987. Since, David and his siblings and their offspring continue to take great pleasure in the place, most recently celebrating Thanksgiving there all together.
David and Peggy continue to work to see the farm and its environs permanently protected through Florida Forever and Alachua County Forever.
Feeling inspired by David and Peggy Carr?
Make an Impact with Monthly Donations
Anyone can become a champion for conservation by choosing to make a donation to Conservation Florida. While there are many ways to give, from conservation easements to one-time gifts, donors often find the simplicity of monthly giving to be most ideal. Many, including the Carrs, prefer to make recurring donations each month because it spreads the financial impact of giving across the entire year. It also helps Conservation Florida facilitate better long-term planning and map out future preservation efforts. Any amount makes a difference. Even $5 can support land conservation by purchasing native plants for habitat restoration. For more information about monthly recurring gifts, as well as additional opportunities to give, please contact Sarah Collins at sarah@conserveflorida.org or (352) 376-4770.