Conservation Florida Brings on New Staff to Save More Land in the Florida Wildlife Corridor
Orlando, Fla. (January 11, 2022) - Conservation Florida, a nonprofit land conservancy, is expanding its land protection team and its ability to serve more landowners throughout the state of Florida, with a focus on saving natural and agricultural land in the Florida Wildlife Corridor.
In 2021, the Florida legislature passed the landmark Florida Wildlife Corridor Act, which recognizes the value of connecting conservation lands to support healthy and sustainable wildlife populations and water resources. Conservation Florida has prioritized land protection within the boundaries of the Florida Wildlife Corridor for over a decade and is rapidly ramping up its pace.
The land conservancy hired Tanja Hall and Luis Tirado to help manage Conservation Florida’s existing portfolio of land protection projects totaling over 100,000 acres and to add to it as the conservancy strategically targets critical lands to protect across the state.
“Tanja and Luis’ skillset will amplify our ability to save land and overall conservation impact,” said Traci Deen, CEO of Conservation Florida. “We’re thrilled to have them join the team as our conservancy doubles down on its strategic land conservation goals.”
Investing in mission-critical employees is a key step to ensuring the protection of Florida’s wild and agricultural lands.
Tanja Hall, the organization’s real estate coordinator, will administer current land protection projects and assist in the acquisition of new projects. Conservation Florida’s statewide land protection projects protect a variety of habitats and rare and endangered species.
Photo by Vince Brown
Tanja graduated from Florida State University and brings years of experience working for the Florida Department of Environmental Protection's Office of Ecosystem Projects and the Division of State Land's Title and Records Section. As Conservation Florida’s real estate coordinator, she will use her background to coordinate land transactions and manage the administrative process related to saving land.
Tanja grew up as a military child and had the opportunity to explore many different regions of the world, which is where she gets her love of the outdoors and passion for wildlife conservation. Although not originally from Florida, Tanja has resided in Tallahassee for almost 30 years.
Living in the Big Bend area has given Tanja many opportunities to experience the natural beauty and wonder that Florida has to offer. In her spare time, she and her husband love to explore the wonderful state and local parks, trails, and beaches with their three dogs.
“Florida has one of the most unique ecosystems in the world. I'm honored to work for an organization that recognizes the importance of preserving this beautiful state not only for future generations, but also for the future of our diverse landscapes and wildlife,” said Tanja.
Conservation Florida hired Luis Tirado as its Stewardship & GIS Manager to advance its in-house expertise in scientific and strategic analysis of conservation priorities.
This new position will increase the organization’s ability to strategically add land protection projects to its portfolio and manage and monitor its conservation easements and conservation land holdings. Additionally, Luis will oversee mapping, geographic analysis, and the documentation of ecological, physical, agricultural, and historical features of properties the conservancy is working to protect, bringing needed experience and expertise to the land protection team as its portfolio expands.
Luis is a second-generation Floridian with a master’s degree in wildlife, aquatic, and wildlands science and management. He also has a graduate certificate in geographic information science and technology, and is currently finishing up an associate’s degree in programming and analysis.
Luis is interested in the conservation of all of Florida’s native flora and fauna, but has specialized in reptiles and amphibians. He has worked with several imperiled species, including the frosted flatwoods salamander. He enjoys hiking, kayaking, and traveling.
“As a field biologist, I’ve had the opportunity to work with some of Florida’s rare and endemic species. Those interactions, coupled with an appreciation for this state’s unique ecosystems, sparked my interest in conserving Florida for generations to come,” said Luis.
The addition of Tanja and Luis to Conservation Florida’s land protection team will increase the organization’s impact on conservation in Florida, especially within the Florida Wildlife Corridor.
About Conservation Florida:
Conservation Florida is a statewide accredited land conservancy working to conserve Florida’s water, wildlife, wild places, and protect the Florida Wildlife Corridor. Our conservation projects support Florida’s native plants and wildlife, fresh water, wildlife corridors, family farms and ranches, the economy, and nature-based recreation. Since its founding in 1999, Conservation Florida has prioritized strategic and evidence-based land protection and has saved over 30,000 acres of critical habitat.
