A Florida family has donated 113 acres of ranchland between Hastings and East Palatka to a preservation trust, saying they want to help keep a piece of “Old Florida” intact.
Michael, Daria, Tyler and Alex Boles announced in a press release that they are donating the Boles West Run ranch, a property reportedly valued at more than $3 million. The donation is being made in cooperation with the St. Johns River Water Management District.
“Protecting lands like West Run Ranch is critical to sustaining water resources, wildlife habitat, and the natural systems that define Florida,” said Mike Register, executive director of the St. Johns River Water Management District, in the release.
The family said the conservation effort has two main goals.
One is to restore native bobwhite quail habitat on the property and support the birds’ spread into nearby areas. The Northern Bobwhite Conservation Initiative says Florida’s bobwhite quail population has fallen 70 percent since 1980, after once being common around the ranch.
The other is to work with wetlands conservation group Ducks Unlimited on West Run Cracker Creek. That work includes removing invasive plants through water impoundments, with the aim of improving habitat for ducks and other wetland species.
“Our goal is not to save the world, but to make a difference in the land and surroundings we pass by every day,” the family said.
“We hope future generations will have the opportunity to see at least a portion of the beauty of ‘Old Florida,'” the family’s statement said.
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