By Traci Deen, Conservation Florida’s executive director and CEO

Floridians get it. We know that getting out in nature does the body and mind good.

We’re seeing this in action now. As people search for ways to cope with stress and heartache, as we try to stay healthy and active and look for safe ways to connect with loved ones, Floridians are turning to nature and local family farms like never before.

We’ve been getting outside and soaking up the Wild Florida Rx and have found nature to be a source of comfort. I think many of us have gained a deeper appreciation for the benefits provided by our natural ecosystems and a better understanding of what we have to lose.

This difficult year has made Conservation Florida’s mission even more relevant, and it has added a new urgency to our motto: Saving Land. For Nature. For People. Forever.

But what hit us during this year is recognizing that while we are working every day to save land, this year, the land saved us.

While we don’t know how current challenges will play out, there is one thing we can promise you: the land we conserve together will still be here tomorrow, next year, and 100 years from now. That’s permanence. That’s something you can count on.

…and nature is always there for us when we need it most.

Imagine if earlier generations didn’t protect the special places on which we now depend? Where would we be today?

We swim, eyes open and breath held, in crisp, turquoise Florida springs. We explore, vacation, and fish our coasts. We paddle and kayak waterways alongside the manatee and dolphin. We enjoy an endless variety of recreational activities on the best public lands in the nation. We eat Florida-grown, Florida-raised food. We love it here. Who wouldn’t? This is home, and it’s iconic. It’s Florida.

Now, it’s our turn to continue that legacy and save Florida’s natural and agricultural landscapes for future generations.

We have work to do!

We watch as our coasts battle the tides of a rising sea and as our estuaries experience algal blooms that destroy entire ecosystems. We ache as panther after panther is struck down on our roads. We lament the loss of green space as another piece of paradise is paved, and another ranch is lost to rooftops. We see what’s coming: more of us, more roads, more rooftops.

Protecting Florida’s natural and agricultural landscapes has never been more important than it is today as we face a growing population, an extraordinary rate of habitat loss and fragmentation, and reduced funding for land conservation.

Florida is the third-most populous state in the nation, growing by nearly 1,000 newcomers each day. We’re projected to exceed 30 million residents by 2060. With this comes a greater demand for water and the development of rural and natural lands for urban use. How we manage our natural resources over the next 10 years – what we save and what we pave – will undoubtedly determine Florida’s conservation future and the future of Florida as a whole.

So, this is it. This is the last great push for land conservation in our state.

Conservation Florida will be your partner as we protect critical lands, advocate for meaningful and consistent conservation funding, and serve as a steady voice for the long-term prioritization of Florida’s wild and working landscapes.

My heartfelt invitation to make a difference for Wild Florida

Because of you, Conservation Florida has permanently conserved over 25,000 acres of land over the last 21 years. But we must do more, and soon.

We know that Florida’s land and water should be defended with unyielding boldness and Florida’s biodiversity must be cherished.

So, as a friend to nature, please take a look at your values, your priorities, and your budget and join us: support our work with a meaningful gift, volunteer as we explore and document wild Florida, or call your state lawmakers and tell them that conservation matters to you. Just know that we will be here alongside you as together, we save land, for nature, for people, forever.

Nature is a precious gift, and we have a chance, right here, right now, to save enough of it in Florida to make a lasting difference … a forever difference. Land conservation deals in forever.

Remember, it all starts with the land. Clean air, fresh drinking water, nutritious food, recreation, physical health, and mental wellbeing.

We are all tied to the land and part of nature. Nature saves us…now we save nature. We’re working for and with you to protect Florida’s natural and agricultural landscapes — to preserve wild, wonderful Florida.

This is my heartfelt invitation to join us as we continue to make strides toward our conservation goals, for the love of Florida and for her future.

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