Conservation Florida’s CEO Traci Deen was elected president of the Alliance of Florida Land Trusts at their annual meeting held in April. She promises to bring to the group a spirit of collaboration and respect along with her background in advocacy, environmental law, and land conservation.

Conservation Florida, along with Tall Timbers and Alachua Conservation Trust, is partnering with local Audubon chapters, including West Volusia Audubon and Orange Audubon Society, to document declining bird species on private and land trust owned lands. Collectively, the three land trusts protect thousands of acres that, in many instances, have been birded infrequently, if ever.

"We are beyond grateful to have passionate and knowledgeable board members and allies who give so much to our organization because they believe in the importance of the work we are doing to protect Florida’s wild places,” said Traci Deen, CEO of Conservation Florida.

It is abundantly clear how much the wild beauty of our fabulous state is loved by its inhabitants. Thank you for using your voice to speak up for conservation.

“For me, land protection is incredibly rewarding because it allows me to help keep Florida wild while using the knowledge and skills I've acquired over the course of my real estate career,” said Reynolds.

“The office is going to dramatically enhance our work in the region to protect wild Florida and serve family farmers and ranchers,” said Adam Strang Bass, Conservation Florida’s Director of Conservation.

Lost Oak is a large piece in a very important conservation puzzle that, once permanently protected, will help form a continuous corridor of protected lands from the Disney Wilderness Preserve all the way to Lake Okeechobee – an area that spans over a hundred miles.

The purpose of this agreement is to protect land with significant conservation value near the Avon Park Air Force Range, and thereby limit encroachments of activities near the military installation that are incompatible with local communities and may interfere with military operations.

With your support, Conservation Florida is working to conserve landscapes that will provide long-term protection for Florida’s freshwater.

We’re working in the Northern Everglades from the Headwaters in Orlando to Lake Okeechobee. This vital and vibrant landscape spans Orange, Osceola, Highlands, Glades, St. Lucie, Martin, and Polk counties.

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.

Our goal is to share our love of kayaking and wildlife, one tour at a time. I want to make absolutely sure that we preserve our wilderness areas for generations to come.