We Did Something Amazing Together We Did Something Amazing Together! You Helped Protect New Lands Along the Santa Fe River In just 12 hours, you raised $25,230 and counting for conservation efforts along the Santa Fe River! THANK YOU for donating yesterday during the annual Amazing Give campaign. The event raised over $1.1 million for 116 nonprofits across North Central Florida. See the final results here We couldn't do the important work of keeping Florida wild without your support! Photo by Tedd Greenwald. You Met the Matches! All ACT match challenges during The Amazing Give were met thanks to you and your love of the Santa Fe River! All donations that were made during The Amazing Give will go directly towards protecting new lands along the river, safeguarding water quality, preserving critical wildlife habitat, and providing public recreational opportunities for all. Your Donation Made an Impact for the River! A walk through the dynamic floodplain of our storied Santa Fe River can be an almost otherworldly step into primordial North Central Florida. This was once the realm of thousand-year-old bald cypress trees, the true giants of the southeastern swamps and rivers, with their roots locked together, towering in domes high above the lesser canopy. Black bears slept in their lofty bowers and ivory billed woodpeckers called to one another from their massive trunks. Red wolves and panthers prowled below amongst their knobby knees. Now, only a remnant few of these behemoths remain. Today, venerable oaks, tupelos and magnolias hug the soil of the floodplain, their long, rope-like roots spread in every direction, exposed by the swift moving waters of the sometimes-swollen river. The forest floor is alive with great carpets of bright yellow butter-weed and snow-white rain lilies. A barred owl watches from above, while a great blue heron slowly and gracefully removes herself downstream at the approach of early morning kayakers who paddle quietly in awe of the natural wonders that surround them. And all the while, the great Floridan aquifer below continues to bubble up through cracks and openings at the surface. Recognizing the Importance of Saving Our Fragile Watershed But these moments of peace and tranquility could be lost forever, much like the mature bald cypress trees and ivory billed woodpeckers. Development across North Central Florida has begun to rise up just like the river and if unchecked, could swallow these natural landscapes whole. During last year’s Amazing Give campaign your generous gifts helped to secure the protection of over 400 acres along this wondrous waterway, ensuring that its wetlands continue to filter and reduce pollutants and the freshwater flowing to its hundreds of springs grows stronger. These lands will forever provide excellent plant diversity and habitat for several endemic and listed species, as well as passive recreation for the public. Resiliency for the River! Santa Fe River preservation success stories can be told thanks in large part to the generosity of our community and people like you! ACT and its partners are actively engaged with landowners to protect larger tracts along the headwaters, swamps, and springs that feed into the Santa Fe River and your help is needed! Protecting these lands from development not only safeguards North Florida’s drinking water supply, it also protects the water quality of the river itself while creating a corridor of land for wildlife to roam freely. Your donation will go directly to ACT’s efforts to permanently protect critical lands along the Santa Fe River, safeguarding these invaluable ecological and recreational resources for present and future generations to enjoy forever. Thank you for rising up for the Santa Fe River! Photos by Alison Blakeslee and Kim Davidson. Alachua Conservation Trust Phone: 352-373-1078 Email: [log in to unmask] Website: https://urldefense.com/v3/__http://www.alachuaconservationtrust.org__;!!KOmxaIYkRmNA0A!TnPwhiBiv3fk2cKS-FPHf0S7jsPGdklCdiKHsDBCv7lH6_o3ilQ9sQopw_pzpJYcZ0fHsrQI8585GzRWTjJTXaG1ikms0g$ Banner image by Alison Blakeslee. Connect with us Alachua Conservation Trust | 7204 SE County Road 234, Gainesville, FL 32641 Unsubscribe [log in to unmask] Update Profile | Constant Contact Data Notice Sent by [log in to unmask] powered by Try email marketing for free today!
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