By Drew Dixon, FloridaPolitics.com
After a bullish year that saw thousands of acres of land turned into environmental preserves, the North Florida Land Trust (NFLT) got a big boost in its fundraising drive as 2025 nears its end.
The NFLT announced this week it received an unexpected $100,000 in donations. Much of that money came from Heather and Herve Devos, while two anonymous donors made up for the remaining portion.
The contribution to the NFLT comes at a critical time, as the environmental preservation organization is engaged in its end-of-year fundraising campaign. The nonprofit group is aiming to raise $500,000 in contributions by Dec. 31. The NFLT is also promising to match each dollar up to $100,000 for those donations, “amplifying the power of every gift to protect North Florida’s natural resources.”
The NFLT operates on donations to cover its operating costs. The year-end fundraising campaign helps the organization expand its land acquisitions.
Donations of $45 or more enroll supporters into the NFLT membership program, which is a community outreach program that keeps members up to date on the organization’s latest developments. The highest level of membership is for those who contribute $1,000 or more, offering benefits and access to NFLT events.
Land acquisitions often involve purchase prices that can soar into the millions of dollars.
“Without the support of our donors, our work to safeguard the salt marshes, pine forests and waterways that define North Florida would not be possible,” said Allison DeFoor, president and CEO of NFLT. “Our supporters fuel our work to plant, protect and preserve. We hope this $100,000 match will motivate others to donate to this campaign, because it is now or never. The Florida we save today is the Florida we will have tomorrow.”
The NFLT has had a productive 2025 in terms of land acquisitions. The organization has added thousands of acres to what’s called the Ocala to Osceola (O2O) wildlife corridor, which runs through several counties.
Much of that property is near the Camp Blanding military installation. The NFLT earlier this month received a $550,000 grant from the Defense Support Commission to help block any potential development on that preserved acreage.
One of the biggest scores of land preservation this year involving the NFLT was a land conservation deal that set aside a massive 78,000 acres of land that’s now part of the Florida Wildlife Corridor, spanning areas in Baker and Union counties and parts of Camp Blanding.
That acquisition was a complicated deal brokered between state agencies and multiple conservation organizations. Gov. Ron DeSantis credited the NFLT for the successful deal.
“By prioritizing conservation, we are not only supporting our natural resources, but also our rural economies and the future of our state,” DeSantis said.
Drew Dixon is a journalist of 40 years who has reported in print and broadcast throughout Florida, starting in Ohio in the 1980s. He is also an adjunct professor of philosophy and ethics at three colleges, Jacksonville University, University of North Florida and Florida State College at Jacksonville. You can reach him at drewdixonwriting@gmail.com.