BIG Waters Land Trust Inc

BIG Waters Land Trust protects land and water for the benefit of people and nature. A nationally accredited land trust, we partner with landowners, businesses, government, and the community to identify critical land parcels and protect them in perpetuity. Over our 22 years, we've protected 20,070 acres across 69 properties. Our urgent work is accomplished by purchasing natural areas, holding voluntary land conservation agreements, creating, and restoring Native habitats, and educating for responsible land and water stewardship. We continue to steward natural areas on thirty-two different properties totaling over 3,100 acres. This includes pine flatwoods restoration on Pine Island in Lee County, Myakka River restoration in Manatee and Sarasota Counties, and scrub restoration in Myakka City. Our work contributes to water quality, flood prevention, wildlife corridor connectivity, habitat protection, and unique public access, benefiting all those who call our region home. This year, we protected critical burrowing owl habitat in Cape Coral by partnering with the City of Cape Coral, the Fish and Wildlife Foundation of Florida, and Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife. We also partnered to preserve rare coastal habitat and Native American history. After years of collaborations and negotiations, we protected 14.5 acres of the Elling Eide Center on Little Sarasota Bay using Sarasota County's ESLP. In Englewood, we conserved 34 acres on Sandpiper Key, the property protects the mangroves and seagrass beds that keep Lemon Bay clean and was added to the Charlotte Harbor Aquatic Preserve for the public to enjoy forever. We also permanently protected 13 acres of wetlands and wildlife habitat adjacent to Crane Park on the Myakka River in Manatee County. We worked with the landowner to use Manatee County's Environmental Land Fund to expand this community green space, providing more public access to nature. A true win-win for both people and wildlife. And earlier this year, together with our partner Sarasota Audubon Society, we broke ground on Rewilding the Quads at the Celery Fields! Our community education, youth education, outreach events, speaking engagements, and volunteer programs continue to grow, increasing the number of community members engaged to 6,748. This Fiscal Year we rolled out our first ever Conservation Plan which informed our next five-year Strategic Plan: A Promise to Protect.