North Florida Land Trust (NFLT) is celebrating 25 years and looking forward to the future with an event at its Smith Lake Preserve and the launch of its end-of-year campaign. On Saturday, Nov. 9, NFLT invites the community to the preserve at 5525 Christian Camp Rd. in Keystone Heights to celebrate its 25 years of land conservation.
The party will be from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. It is free and open to the public, but the nonprofit asks people to register at nflt.org/2024/09/05/nflts-25th-anniversary-celebration/ to allow planning for food, drinks and trail rides.
NFLT’s 25th Anniversary Celebration, sponsored by The Roberts Companies and Heidja and Michel Kruse, will include trail rides through Smith Lake Preserve on the nonprofit’s new trail buggy. Food from Mission BBQ will be served, and guests can enjoy live music by The Remedy Tree. The event is rain or shine, and there will be a large, covered area if it does rain. The terrain at Smith Lake Preserve can be varied and uneven. Those needing special accommodations should contact NFLT at [email protected] or (904) 559-4157.
As NFLT celebrates 25 years of conservation, it is looking ahead to special places that still need protecting with the launch of its end-of-the-year fundraising campaign, which has a goal of $525,000. NFLT’s board of directors has offered a match for the first $25,000 of donations received. The nonprofit land conservation organization depends 100 percent on community contributions for its operating costs. To contribute to the campaign and become a part of the mission to save natural spaces, visit nflt.org/take-action/.
