Following a successful career in public health, international and women’s health, and grant writing, Randi Cameon charted a new path as an environmental educator and has positively impacted the lives of thousands of students in our community. Randi has been along-time volunteer with ACT, launching and guiding several environmental programs with the organization, including the Creekside Environmental Ed for Kids (CrEEK) Program, which provides immersive environmental instruction to over 800 underserved 4th grade students in Alachua and Putnam counties each year.

Richard Hamann was born in Gainesville but raised in the swamps of South Florida. He received both a B.A. (1971) and a J.D. (1976) from the University of Florida and was employed as an attorney, researcher and teacher at the UF College of Law’s Center for Governmental Responsibility. He has conducted research on a wide variety of environmental, land use and water management issues and has taught several courses and seminars on environmental law, water law and comparative environmental law before retiring in 2020 as an Emeritus Professor in Law. One of the founding board members of Alachua Conservation Trust, he has also served on the boards of Florida Defenders of the Environment, Florida Wildlife Federation, and the Everglades Law Center. He was Chairperson of the Environmental and Land Use Law Section of The Florida Bar in 2000-2001, and formerly served on the Governing Board of the St. Johns River Water Management District.

Vivian Filer is a long-time resident of Gainesville, Florida. Her professional career includes employment at Shands Teaching Hospital as both a Nursing Assistant and a Registered Nurse and at Santa Fe College as a professor of nursing. Vivian has served on a remarkably diverse number of committees, boards, and auxiliaries often as chair or president. She is also co-founder of the Springhill Neighborhood Association, and the Greater Gainesville Black Nurses Association. In her present role, she is founder and Chair of the Board of the Cotton Club Museum and Cultural Center. Vivian’s leadership role started and flourished at Mt. Olive AME Church where she has served all her adult life. Vivian enjoys singing with her sisters in the acapella trio known as the Washington Sisters and entertaining audiences of all ages with her storytelling skill. She is the widow of Delano Filer Sr. and the mother of two sons. She is the grandmother of four grandchildren, two boys and two girls.

Judy Smith of Gum Slough, aka the Swamp Otter, is an eco-warrior, guardian, and ambassador deeply in love with the spring-run swamp ecosystem engulfing Gum Slough Run. Judy was instrumental in her family donating conservation easements to protect their 1,000 beautiful acres with more than 12 springs in Marion and Sumter Counties that feed the Withlacoochee River. Swimming in these crystal-clear spring waters and roaming this vast landscape nurtured her innate connectedness, deep respect, and compassion for all wild creatures and nature itself.

Sara Eoff grew up in Florala, Alabama, spending lots of time in the woods and working on the farm with her grandfather, Mack Tyner. Because her grandfather refused to allow any logging on the property, Sara’s share of the acreage still has most of the native longleaf pines and their habitat. Later, Sara met physicist K.M. Eoff and they married. The Eoffs share a love in preserving longleaf pines and their habitat. In 2018, the Eoffs donated a conservation easement to ACT on Sara’s family land as well as their homestead on Newnan’s Lake. A life estate granted to ACT by the Eoffs for their Newnan’s Lake property will ensure that the land is protected forever and benefits conservation efforts. In 2021, Sara along with her cousin, Nell Tyner, donated a conservation easement on additional acreage in Okaloosa County, increasing the total land conserved there to over 900 acres.

Ian Kress was born in Gainesville in 1970, and grew up here, graduating from Eastside High School and Santa Fe Community College. In the mid-80’s, his family moved to the southwest side of town, and as a teenager he spent many an hour exploring the woods there, developing a love of the natural world. In the mid 2000’s, Ian began to wonder what the status and fate was of the woods that he walked in as a teen and began working to protect and conserve this beautiful section of native Florida. Thirteen years later, that land is protected conservation land, known now as Serenola Forest Preserve, due in no small part to Ian’s personal contributions and persistent advocacy.

Kate Lee has spent as much of her life outdoors as possible. As a child, she went on overnight fishing boat trips to Fort Jefferson in the Dry Tortugas, played on the C&O Canal path, and climbed the huge rocky slopes of Great Falls, Maryland. After completing her undergraduate and graduate degrees, Kate worked as a volunteer with the Florida Fish & Game Commission helping inventory the American crocodile population in Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge. An avid supporter of conservation, Kate donated a conservation easement on her land and a remainder interest in her homestead in the Serenola Forest area in 2007.

Dr. Willa H. Drummond came to Gainesville for a job interview in 1978 and immediately fell in love with the trees and open spaces. She joined the UF Department of Pediatrics and devoted herself to studying Primary Pulmonary Hypertension in newborns. Her seminal research led to the treatment and cure of this once lethal disease. Dr. Drummond has also dedicated herself to protecting the environment as a leader of the Serenola/ Idylwild Special Area Study Group and has donated 20 acres of her land to the Serenola Forest Preserve.

John McPherson is a sixth generation Floridian who grew up in Venice, Florida, where he witnessed what explosive growth could do to a sleepy coastal village. Dunes became condos, beaches eroded, and camping sites became inter- state highways. He left for college and then entered law school thinking that working for the protection of the environment would be a worthy lifetime ambition.
Since graduating from Rhodes College and then UF Law he has worked almost exclusively in the areas of land use, environmental, and local government law, and has put much time and effort into citizen environmental organizations. He was staff attorney with Southern Legal Counsel in Gainesville when it filed a major legal challenge to the way that Alachua County handled comprehensive planning at the time.
He represented a group of citizens in Gilchrist County that successfully challenged the failure of DEP to require intensive dairy operations to get industrial waste permits. He was the lead author on the Model Land Development Code for Florida Cities and Counties, which became the starting point for many city and county land development codes in Florida. But no doubt his most important environmental accomplishment was also the easiest: he sat down one day and filed the paperwork to create the Alachua Conservation Trust, Inc. (ACT). He had grown weary of participating in environmental organizations that never seemed to accomplish anything concrete.
He could not foresee, of course, how much positive, concrete action ACT would take over the coming years, but he is constantly amazed at what that little bit of paperwork filed with the state could turn into. He is ever so grateful for the many talented, energetic people that took that first step and ran with it to fantastic success.

LuAnne Wilson is a life-long resident of Florida, who has witnessed many changes in our landscape, particularly in the Orlando area, where both of her parents were born in the 1930’s, and where she spent her early years. Lu Anne remembers camping, canoeing, hiking and exploring the outdoors as a kid, and hopes that the descendants of her family will also have similar experiences.
So, in 1991 at the age of 35, even though her degrees from the University of Florida are in finance and law, Lu Anne changed careers from municipal bond finance to land conservation. Lu Anne began her 27-year career in land conservation with Alachua Conservation Trust (ACT), first as staff attorney and later as Executive Director. During her 6 years with ACT, Lu Anne was part of a team that worked to add public lands to Paynes Prairie, Watermelon Pond, San Felasco Hammock, Newnans Lake, the Suwannee River corridor, and the Hogtown Creek Greenway.
Next, working within the 18 counties of the St. Johns River Water Management District, Lu Anne spent 21 years acquiring conservation lands for projects such as establishing extensive public land corridors along the St. Johns River, water quality improvement programs, and enhancing wildlife corridors between large conservation areas like the Ocala National Forest and Seminole State Forest. Lu Anne also worked with many farmers and ranchers to buy conservation easements over their private lands to limit development and preserve special natural features of their lands. In addition, Lu Anne’s work at the District included developing and overseeing its 125,000-acre conservation easement program, maintaining and coordinating the District’s database that contains acquisition details of all of its 725,000 acres of conservation lands, and developing private, State and Federal partnerships to fund and manage conservation acquisitions.
Throughout her career, Lu Anne has been a team player and willing to participate in whatever way was needed, from writing grants for funding, drafting agreements and other legal documents for closings, developing acquisition procedures and programs, and, her favorite, meeting with land- owners to talk about their conservation goals and crafting ways to bring those goals to fruition.
Lu Anne says she feels very lucky to have had a career protecting Florida’s natural resources, including playing a key role in transactions that directly resulted in acquiring over 100,000 acres of conservation land.

Michael Drummond is well known around Alachua County and beyond for his impressive knowledge of flora and fauna, his passion for nature and the outdoors, and his lifelong dedication to protecting our local environment. A graduate of UF, Michael started working at the Alachua County Environmental Protection Department in 1990, and is one of the longest standing employees to date, providing invaluable mentorship to fellow staff. In 1992, Michael wrote the first wetland protection ordinance and was instrumental in ensuring its adoption, thus setting Alachua County as a leader in environmental protection across the state. He also single handedly introduced protection policies for archeological resources in our community and was recognized by the Florida Archaeological Council with a Heritage Preservation Award. Over the years, Michael has contributed to countless Comprehensive Plan and Land Development Code updates, most notably amongst them being the 2005 Comprehensive Plan, which expanded wetland buffer requirements and added protections for up-land communities such as significant habitat, listed species habitat, and strategic ecosystems. In his current role as a senior environmental planner, he reviews land use, zoning and development applications for compliance with the county's protection requirements, as well as supports the land conservation program in evaluating properties for conservation value. When Michael's interest in a topic is piqued, he will immerse himself until mastery is complete, which is largely how he has become the local expert in archeological resources, botany, birding, and local natural history, amongst many topics. He is also an accomplished nature photographer and an incredible cook!

The late John Hankinson, Jr. was one of Florida's greatest conservationists and a talented blues harmonica player with several bands including "Johnny Matanzas and the Hombres" and "The Non-Essentials." John's professional career revolved around the inter-relationship of land and water resources, protecting watersheds to assure there would be clean and abundant water in the future. Early in his career John was an analyst in the legislature with the House Committee on Regulatory Reform. His Chairman, Representative Bill Sadowski, a man of the highest integrity, was an important mentor to John. After seeing, from the inside, how laws were made, and the appalling influence special interests had in the relative vacuum of independent science being considered, John was persuaded by Marjorie Carr to be the Director of the Environmental Service Center. The purpose of the organization was to bring to the House and Senate committees qualified subject matter experts that could make presentations and answer questions regarding the legislation being considered. Marjorie believed if the Legislators knew better, they would do better, we just needed to provide them accurate information. Marjorie Carr was a person of incredible determination and perseverance. She was an inspiration to John all his life. During this time, one of John's greatest honors was to be selected by Governor Bob Graham to serve on the ELMS II committee to assist in developing the State Comprehensive Plan, which led to the passage of Chapter 163, the Local Government Comprehensive Planning and Land Development Act of 1985. Shortly thereafter, he served as the Director of Planning and Acquisition at the St Johns River Water Management District where he focused on the acquisition of critical watersheds such as the Upper St. Johns River Basin, Lake Apopka and the Ocklawaha River Basin. John often remarked that this was the best job he ever had, buying and protecting Florida's environmentally sensitive land. Working with public and private partners he participated in the acquisition of over 200,000 acres of environmentally important lands in Florida. In 1994 John was appointed by President Clinton as Regional Administrator of EPA's office in Atlanta, overseeing federal wetland regulation and state implementation of delegated Clean Water Act programs in eight southern states. John promoted comprehensive watershed and coastal aquatic ecosystem management including the Florida Everglades, National Estuary Programs, and efforts to establish a compact for the Apalachicola/Chattahoochee/ Flint (ACF) river system.

Following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in 2010, he was appointed by President Obama to serve as the executive director of the Gulf Coast Ecosystem Restoration Task Force where he worked with 11 federal agencies and five states to develop a strategy for restoration of the Gulf of Mexico. In his retirement, he refocused on Marjorie Carr and his shared goal to restore the Ocklawaha River to be a free-flowing system. John was a larger-than-life character whose generous spirit and infectious laughter will be sorely missed.

Pat Harden is a native Floridian whose involvement in conservation efforts spans nearly five decades. She is the coordinator of the protect Paynes Prairie Coalition (PPC), an active and vibrant group of representatives from several conservation organizations that deeply care about this unique local treasure. Pat also serves as Vice-President of the Florida Springs institute, and formerly served eight years on the St. John’s River Water Management District Governing Board, including two years as chair. Pat is a founding member of the Friends of the Wekiva River, Inc. and she has served on numerous advisory committees and boards at the federal, state, regional and local government levels, as well as in service to many nonprofit conservation organizations.

At every level Pat has worked diligently to keep conservation regulation strong throughout the state of Florida.

When people in Gainesville admire trees, they often think of Meg Niederhofer’s work as City Arborist. Among her many achievements, Meg made sure that the city of Gainesville had a comprehensive urban forestry program which included the review of development proposals, inspection of construction sites for compliance with regulations to protect and replant trees, and revision of the urban forestry portions of the Land Development Code. She also developed a planting program that established thousands of young trees throughout town and helped lead Gainesville to its thirty-three year designation as a “Tree City, USA” by the Arbor Day foundation.

In retirement Meg has returned her to her humanitarian roots as a volunteer for Helping Hands Women’s Clinic, Caring & Sharing Learning School, and NAMI’s upcoming Community Walk for the National Alliance of Mental Illness (NAMI) in October 2017 at Depot Park.

Mary and the late Pete Gregory founded the Retirement Home for Horses (RHH) in 1983 at their Mill Creek Farm in Alachua, Florida, and have been the guardians of hundreds of abused, starved and neglected horses ever since. RHH gives these noble creatures a better place to live out their remaining days, and the Gregorys’ 335-acre Mill Creek Farm of rolling green hills and woods is also permanently protected by a conservation easement that Mary and Peter donated to ACT. Peter, a founding board member of ACT, passed away in March 2014, but Mary and son Paul continue to carry on Peter’s legacy of ensuring that this sanctuary remain the forever home for these wonderful horses.

Guy Marwick is one of the most well-known conservationists in our region. As the driving force behind the creation of the Silver River Museum and Environmental Education Center in Silver Springs State Park, he has been instrumental to introducing Florida’s freshwater springs to thousands of school age children. He served as the director at the Museum & Environmental Education Center from 1987 through 2004. Many of the conservation projects throughout Florida over the last two decades have Guy’s fingerprints on them.
As Executive Director of the Felburn Foundation, Guy has helped to conserve tens of thousands of acres across Florida and the Southeast. Most recently, the Felburn Foundation has helped with three highly visible local projects: Santa Fe River Preserve, Little Orange Creek Preserve, and Silver Springs Forest. His advocacy for the springs, land conservation and water protection is second to none. We were honored to finally be able to recognize Guy for his incredible stewardship and dedication to furthering land conservation in our region. No doubt, Guy is going to continue to lead in this arena for many years to come.

Jeri Baldwin is a true native of Marion County and developed her passion for conservation early on a small, struggling farm north of Ocala. She shared this environmental ethic as a camp director for many years with programs that taught youngsters about tracking and identifying wildlife, camping, and sustainable living. For decades, Jeri has been spearheading efforts in Marion County to keep urban sprawl and development in check and has served as an officer in several conservation organizations. For the past 30 years, her work has focused on developing Crones’ Cradle Conserve Foundation, a 756-acre ecological preserve, education center, and organic farm in north Marion County near her beloved Ocklawaha River.

Doug Hornbeck has been a steady volunteer for local conservation causes for decades. An, environmental engineer by training, he was crucial in engineering the Alachua County Forever ballot initiative in 2000, and the Wild Spaces Public Places campaign in 2008. In the past decade, he has become one of the area’s strongest advocates for land restoration activities. that involve intensive replanting of natives, the careful use of prescribed fire and the relentless removal of invasive exotics; his most recent project is the Sweetwater Bouleware Springs, Flamingo Hammock multi-agency restoration effort along the north rim of Paynes prairie. Doug and his wife Sue made a gift to ACTR of a state-of-the-art off-road fire truck last year , and he continues to be a steady volunteer at Prairie Creek Conservation Cemetery, where his mother and aunt are buried; he makes all the grave markers in his shop, and is leading a painstaking effort to introduce wildflowers into the meadows.

Former U.S. Senator and Florida Governor Bob Graham understood Florida’s environment having grown up in a South Florida ranching family. During his two terms as Florida’s Governor, his administration added more acres of conservation land to the state's inventory than had been preserved in Florida’s entire history prior to that. In the U.S. Senate, he served on the Environment Committee during a time when progress was actually made on major environmental issues at the National level. Senator Graham co-chaired the committee investigating the Gulf Horizon oil spill disaster. He was famous for his hundreds of “work days” where he worked every conceivable job that a Floridian might have, including many in the environmental fields. He also launched and co-chaired the Florida Conservation Coalition, which has led discussions about major state environmental issues including springs protection and the Water and Land Legacy constitutional amendment. In 2006, the University of Florida established the Graham Center for Public Service where students participate in leadership building activities that often include environmental policy issues. Senator Graham resided in Gainesville until his passing in 2024.

Jack Hughes was the executive director of the Gainesville Sports Commission for 16 years and a driving force in bringing numerous sporting events to Gainesville. He was a co-chair of the Wild Spaces & Public Places campaign, which helped gain voter approval in 2008 of a half-cent sales tax that ran for two years. The sales tax generated $32 million for parks and the purchase of conservation lands throughout Alachua County.

Robert Christianson has worked in land conservation and water management pro- grams for the last 30 years. Since 1993 he has headed up the land acquisition and land management programs at the St. Johns River Water Management District. During that time, Robert has overseen the acquisition of approximately 450,000 acres of land, 40,000 acres of which are in Alachua County. In addition to overseeing this investment of $1 billion, he has developed the District’s land management program from its infancy.

Charlie Houder, a University of Florida graduate with a BS in forestry, has served with the Suwannee River Water Management District since 1989. During that time, Charlie has overseen the acquisition and management of over 300,000 acres of land and conservation easements for the protection of the region’s water resources. Charlie also served as the Director of Land Acquisition at St. Johns River Water Management District, and Branch Manager for F & W Forestry Services, Inc.

Eleanor Blair, a graduate of The Cooper Union for Advancement of Science and Art, moved to Gainesville in 1971. Since her arrival she has been painting native Florida landscapes attesting to the significance of conservation. She is a well-known member of the art community in Gainesville, exhibiting her work in local art festivals, performing on stage with the Gainesville Chamber Orchestra and working in her studio/gallery downtown.

Robert Knight is an environmental scientist who has a passion for conserving Florida’s springs. For over 30 years, he has forged a path in ecosystem assessment, water quality examination, and education. Dr. Knight has founded both the Howard T. Odum Florida Springs Institute, a program dedicated to springs science and education, and Wetland Solutions, Inc., an environmental consulting service with a focus on water quality improvement.

Sally Morrison retired after decades as the chief interpreter of tow of Alachua County’s historic sites, the Marjorie K. Rawlings House and the Dudley Farm. She immersed herself in the knowledge and culture of these places, restoring buildings, growing traditional crops, and keeping alive the way of life of these local pioneers.

Dale Crider is Florida’s environmental troubadour. He’s toured the state for four decades performing original songs about Florida’s natural history, ecology and lore. Dale worked for the Florida Game Commission for many years, and lives at Anhinga Roost deep in the swamp around Pithlachoco (aka Newnan’s Lake).

Jack Hauptman worked for decades with the National Park Service including roles as superintendent of Fire Island National Seashore and then park director of Acadia National Park. After retiring to Gainesville, he became chair of the Land Conservation Board, and together as a Board worked to protect environmentally sensitive lands recommending the properties to purchase with $90 million in Alachua County Forever matching funds.

Bill Andrews has been a Florida boy all his life. Bill finished law school at UF and began practicing law in Gainesville in 1959. He was a member of the Florida House of Representatives from 1966 to 1978, where he served on the Committee on Elections, Committee on Business Regulation, and Subcommittee III (Education) of the Appropriations Committee. He has been a member of the Florida Commission on Ethics, the Florida Education Council, the Gainesville Downtown Redevelopment Agency, and the Alachua County Consolidated Charter Commission. In addition to his political work, Bill helped establish the Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings House as the first state park in Alachua County, and Devil’s Millhopper as the second. Bill began serving on the Board of Directors of Friends of Paynes Prairie in 2006 and was elected president in 2011.

John Hintermister was a lifetime birder who was born and raised in Gainesville. As a small boy, he was introduced to birding at Lake Tuscawilla, Lake Alice, and Paynes Prairie-then still a cattle ranch owned by the Camp family. John and his brother grew up birding at Lake Alice and at the age of sixteen he was one of the charter members of the Alachua Audubon Society. In the early 1970s, John worked to standardize the Alachua County Christmas Bird County; his system dramatically increased participation and is still used today. John is one of the founders of the Florida Ornithological Society and taught birding at Santa Fe Community College. John later worked at Morningside Nature Center and brought his birding classes to a new audience, leading trips as far north as the mountains of North Carolina. John served as President and Board member of Alachua Audubon and mentored countless Florida birders.

Margaret Tolbert is an internationally acclaimed artist with a studio in Gainesville or wherever the setting inspires – France, Turkey, or the great outdoors. She studied painting at UF where she received both her BFA and MFA, minoring in linguistics. Her paintings of North Florida springs capture the sense of paradise destination and the exotic in the here-and-now, contrasted with the timeless origins and journeys of water. Last year she published AQUIFERious: 12 Florida Springs with Art and Narrative, blending photography, painting, and writing with the message of conservation of springs and the aquifers that feed them. All of us will be inspired to help save the springs after experiencing her art, writing, and passionate advocacy.

James Douglas Henry was born and raised in Live Oak, Florida. He is the great grandson of Charles Evans Haile, one of the four Haile brothers who moved to Alachua County in the mid-1850s. Thomas Evans Haile, the elder brother of Charles Evans Haile, and his wife Serena Chesnut Haile, built the home they called Kanapaha. Today, that home is called the Haile Homestead. The Henrys were instrumental in having “Gal Young ‘Un,” a movie directed in 1979 by Victor Nunez, filmed at the Haile Homestead. The filming ultimately led to the restoration of the Homestead in 1993 and its registration on the National Register of Historic Places. J.D. is still actively involved in history and genealogy and serves on the Board of Directors for Historic Hail Homestead.

Thomas Walker was raised on a family farm in West Tennessee. He and his late wife Jane Walker, co-founder of ACT, had two children, Rose Ann and Thomas William. Tom is a distinguished entomologist and an authority on crickets and katydids. His family followed him on research trips to the Everglades, the Outer Banks, and the southwestern deserts. Tom was hired as a full professor at UF in 1968, where he stayed for 33 years. He organized a proposal to create UF’s Natural Area Teaching Laboratory, which is now used by at least eight departments in five different colleges. Tom has also developed a user-friendly identification website for North American crickets, katydids, and cicadas and can tell the outside temperature simply by listening to which insects are sounding off.

Gladys Lane was born in Pennsylvania, but has spent most of her life in the Southern hemisphere. She entered the US Foreign Service in 1975 and was assigned to Panama. Her four children were raised in Fort Lauderdale. Even Gainesville proved too far North for Gladys to settle in full time; short term assignments took her to Honduras, Costa Rica, India, El Salvador. In Alachua County, Gladys is involved with the Sierra Inner City Outdoors (ICO) program. She encourages second graders to explore the natural resources of the County and fight against activities harmful to wildlife. She also serves on the County Land Conservation Board. She helped found Women for Wise Growth, a group focused on sustainable development in Gainesville

Al Krause has been involved with cave conservation since the early 1960s. He has served as Director of the Florida Cave Survey several times since 1964. He is a Fellow and past Conservation Chair of the National Speleological Society, and a long-time member of Florida's Society. Al has led hundreds of spelunking expeditions, training participants in both safety and sensitivity to the environment.

Each cave is a unique, beautiful, and delicate ecosystem that is often threatened by the unwitting activities of surface-dwellers, and Al has devoted nearly five decades to their conservation. He has managed ACT's Herzog Cave Preserve as a volunteer for more than a decade. Since 1996 he has provided cave and karst-related consulting services through his firm, Cave and Karst Resource, based in Gainesville.

Al's surface work includes serving as the University of Florida’s Solid Waste and Recycling Coordinator for nearly twenty years until 2006. Al is a founding member and past Director of the Friends of Dudley Farm State Historical Site and has been a long-time volunteer with the Florida Park Service. For his career and volunteer work in seeking practical ways to meet the conflicting needs of both Nature and Man, Al Krause is one of ACT's Conservation Stewards for 2009.

Dominick Martino, Paynes Prairie’s volunteer Photographer in Residence, was born in Brooklyn, New York. His father was a photographer, and inspired young Dominick to follow in his footsteps, teaching him how to work in a darkroom developing pictures.
He attended the New York Institute of Photography, and in 1962 started a career as a photographer doing weddings on the weekends, and crime scenes during the week. In 1972 he became a photojournalist for a communications news group in New Jersey.
In 2003 Dom retired, and he and his wife Maureen headed south to Gainesville. He soon discovered the beauty and always changing nature of Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park, and a new calling. On the Prairie he captured countless stunning photographs that helped visitors and locals understand the importance of the Preserve and its 21,000 acres of wilderness. His pictures of Paynes Prairie have been published nationally, bringing fame and admiration to Alachua County. His work raised significant funds for projects at the Preserve and attracted many new members of the Friends of Paynes Prairie, Inc. A self-taught naturalist, Dom generously gave his knowledge to the public as a volunteer interpreter on the Prairie’s trails, at the visitor center, weekly at the downtown Farmers Market, and at numerous outreach events and festivals throughout the region.
Dom exemplified the patience and observational acuity that nature and wildlife photography demands. His motto was “When you slow down and open your eyes and ears, nature puts on quite a show”.

Earl M. Starnes was Professor Emeritus of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Florida. He earned his Bachelor of Architecture from UF, and a PhD from FSU. He practiced architecture and planning for 40 years.

Earl served as Miami-Dade County Commissioner in the 1960s, during which he helped create Bill Baggs State Park and Biscayne National Park. He moved to Tallahassee and served as Director of the Mass Transit Operations in FDOT, and Director of State Planning. During his tenure as Florida's chief planner, the state's first planning legislation was adopted, and areas of critical state concern were established.

In 1975, he moved to the University of Florida and served as Chair of Urban and Regional Planning, and Director of the College of Architecture’s doctoral program before "retiring" to Cedar Key. He was president of The Nature Coast Conservancy, a local land trust, and served on the Florida Greenways Commission, Suwannee River Water Management District Board, and other advisory groups.

Earl was a fellow in both the American Institute of Architects and the American Institute of Certified Planners, and in 2008, he co-authored "Lessons Learned? The History of Planning in Florida", published by Sentry Press. He and Dorothy Jean had been been married for 59 years at the time he was named A Conservation Steward. For his long career as Florida's pre-eminent planner, teacher, and intrepid conservationist, ACT recognized Earl Starnes as a 2009 Conservation Steward.

Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings described the nature and people of Cross Creek in vivid terms that have inspired artists and nature-lovers to cherish this place. One of Cross Creek's resident artists, Kate Barnes, attended a small neighborhood gathering in Rawlings' house in 1982 where she heard of plans that would forever change Cross Creek and the Lochloosa and Orange Lakes.

Much of the land surrounding Cross Creek has historically been owned by a succession of timber companies – in the early 1980s, this was the Owens-Illinois Corporation. The company drew up plans to develop "Lochloosa New Town", a city of up to 200,000 people. Included in the proposal were golf courses, marinas on both lakes, hotel and restaurant complexes, a regional shopping center, a utility company and landfill, and tens of thousands of houses and apartments.

Kate Barnes formed and became the president of The Friends of Cross Creek, a citizens group that opposed this development and proposed how Cross Creek could maintain its natural and cultural resources. In the mid-1980s, they engaged as citizen planners with Alachua County staff and officials and created the Cross Creek Special Area Study. Adopted unanimously by the County Commission, it became the basis for the protections built into our comprehensive plan and became a state-wide model for how to balance development interests with the protection of sensitive environmental and historical features.

In Cross Creek and beyond, this was not without controversy and animosity that split families and neighbors. In 1984, the "Wilderness Village of Cross Creek" and other development proposals for the creek and lakefronts were also submitted. Increased tourism after the 1983 release of the film "Cross Creek" may have encouraged this period of land speculation. In May 1988, a trial where 18 property owners sued Alachua County over the provisions of the Cross Creek Special Area Study culminated with a verdict from Circuit Judge Chester Chance which upheld the County's plan.

Kate Barnes spearheaded an effort by The Friends of Cross Creek in preparing an extensive application to the Florida Conservation and Recreation Lands program with assistance from University of Florida faculty and Alachua Conservation Trust, Inc. On the strength of the application, the St. Johns River Water Management District purchased 10,000 acres of lakefront property and protected another 15,000 acres of forest in cooperation with the Georgia Pacific corporation in the state's largest conservation easement to date. Additional lands in the watershed continue to be conserved, and today Cross Creek retains much of its historic landscape and character because of the efforts of the Friends of Cross Creek.

Kate Barnes was elected in 1988, to the Alachua County Commission and served two terms as a county commissioner.

Bruce is the former Executive Director of the Florida Natural Resources Leadership Institute at the University of Florida. He led efforts to save Cross Creek and Lochloosa Forest, as well as efforts to protect Gainesville’s well-field. Bruce has also served on the Gainesville City Commission and as Gainesville Mayor. He served on the board of Alachua Conservation Trust from 2003-2006.

After taking early retirement from Keene State College in New Hampshire, Harold Nugent moved to the Florida Keys where he began volunteering for the National Key Deer Refuge and The Nature Conservancy. Harold's work included educating tourists about Blue Hole, a freshwater hole providing drinking water for Key deer and serving as home to American alligators. While in the Keys, Harold worked closely with the Project Leader of the four national wildlife refuges there to found and develop a Friends Group. He was awarded the Florida State Conservation Colleague Award by The Nature Conservancy as well as the National Volunteer of the Year Award for the National Wildlife Refuges. Upon moving to Gainesville, Harold started volunteering both for Cedar Key and the Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuges as well as for Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park. His experience in the Keys helped in the founding of a friends group for Cedar Key and Lower Suwannee National Wildlife Refuges. His interest in alligators and education led to his role at Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park as volunteer educator. In 2003, Harold was awarded Volunteer of the Year for the Florida Park Service. Under the auspices of PPPSP, Harold took live alligators and crocodiles into classrooms throughout Alachua County and North Central Florida. He helped students understand the important role alligators play in our shared ecosystem and thus the reasons they deserve our respect and symbiotic care. Harold divided his time between making presentations in public schools and civic organizations and as a docent at LaChua Trail and Alachua Sink.

Ken and Linda McGurn have been in Gainesville for 35 years. They both graduated from the University of Florida, Linda with accounting and law degrees and Ken with a Ph.D. Ken is also a Viet Nam veteran. They are best known for their pioneering work in redeveloping downtown Gainesville including Sun Center, The Opera House and Union Street Station. Their work has garnered over 50 local, state and national awards including many for their energy efficient buildings. They have volunteered their time serving on the boards of many organizations to make the community a better place. Linda currently serves as the vice chair of the University of Florida Foundation Board and is a director and chair of the audit committee of Florida Capital Bank. Ken has been president of a number of boards including the Florida Museum of Natural History and the UF Center for Real Estate Studies Advisory Board. He is currently chair of the Better Jobs Committee for the Alachua/Bradford County Workforce Board. In 2006, the McGurns created ACT's Tuscawilla Preserve with a substantial land donation that resulted in more than $2 million in benefits to the Florida Museum of Natural History, the UF Business school, and ACT.

Motivated by an obsession with birds and reptiles that stopped just about an inch shy of requiring a tranquilizer dart, Rex Rowan moved to Gainesville in 1988 to study wildlife biology. This goal was eventually abandoned in favor of domestic tranquility, and his enthusiasm was re-channeled into leading field trips, serving on the Alachua Audubon Society’s board of directors, and of course spending an absurdly large portion of his time roaming the area with binoculars.

A friendly competition for the highest annual Alachua County bird list led him to focus increasingly on bird life within the county lines, a preoccupation that bore fruit in 1995 when he and Mike Manetz published A Birdwatcher’s Guide to Alachua County, Florida (a greatly expanded and improved second edition came out in 2006). At about the same time he began a second book, on historical aspects of the county’s bird life, based on research in the Florida Museum; it is currently at 300 pages and swelling like an inflamed limb.

Rex’s philosophy is pretty much reducible to, “Wow! Look at this!”

Al Burt, in his half century of writing, celebrated and lamented his favorite subject: Florida, as she was transformed from sub-tropical paradise into fodder for soul-less land speculation and suburban homogeneity. His sense of place in Melrose since 1975, is distilled in every story from his 40 years of writing for the Miami Herald and other papers. His several books, including “The Tropic of Cracker,” are lyrical, and his essays raucous with folk humor alternating with the bittersweet poignancy of true love that is lost. A UF graduate 1949, Al received four of journalism’s highest awards (Ernie Pyle award, Scripps-Howard award, Overseas Press Club award, and the Penny Paul Myrhe award). For his long and continuing career that gives voice and purpose for those who are protecting and cultural heritage, ACT was pleased to recognize Al Burt as a Conservation Stewart.

Murray Laurie is a historian and historic preservation consultant. Even before receiving her MA in history from UF in 1986, she was investigating and documenting Alachua County’s history. She has authored or co-authored five books, including “Museums and More: A Guide to Florida’s Cultural and Heritage Attractions, with Doris Bardon. Murray did the research that enabled ACT to acquire and restore the Historic Haile Homestead, and documented the Dudley Farm, the Cotton Club, Marjorie Kinnan Rawling’s house and many other historic sites, locally and throughout Florida and beyond. She was a founding board member of the Matheson Historic Museum and has nominated over thirty sites to the National Historic Register or to a historic district. For her tireless delving into our history and work to preserve our cultural heritage, ACT is pleased to recognize Murray Laurie as a Conservation Steward.

The late Fritzi Olson lived, worked, and played with water. During her time as executive director of Current Problems, Inc., she oversaw the Adopt-a-River and Restore-a-Shore programs. Since 1993, these programs have coordinated 6600 volunteers who have removed 260,000 pounds of trash from the water bodies of five north Florida counties. After receiving her BSR degree from UF, Fritzi was an aquatics director in Gainesville for 22 years, and enjoyed teaching swimming. Her MFA in sculpture also from UF, provided her with the tools to create art that was also inspired by water. For Fritzi Olson’s inspiration to others and the results of her efforts to restore our waterways and educate waterfront landowners, she was selected by Fine, Farkash and Parlapiano, Attorneys-at-Law for their “Environmental Eagle” award and by ACT to be recognized as a Conservation Steward.

Mark and Mary Barrow have dedicated their working lives to preserving historic Alachua County. Mary is a pioneer in preserving Gainesville’s neighborhoods and has restored more than twenty homes in the Duck Pond and Historic Southeast districts. She was one of the founders of Historic Gainesville, Inc., and a board member of the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation. While working with the Trust, she reached beyond Alachua County to help with the acquisition of the 1920’s Bonnett House in Ft. Lauderdale. A retired cardiologist, Mark was a founder of the Matheson Museum, where he was instrumental in the purchase of their current. He helped secure the donation of the 1867 Matheson House, Gainesville’s 2nd oldest residence, and spearheaded the creation of Sweetwater Park, an outdoor, native plant museum in the heart of the City containing mor than 150 native plant species. In recent years, Mark has been active with Historic Melrose, Inc. where he has helped preserve an 1870’s cemetery near Lake Santa Fe. The work of the Barrows speaks to the historic preservation role of ACT’s mission

A filmmaker and environmental explorer, Wes’s work spanned the globe from the deepest caves to the wilds of the African savanna. An expert with both motion and still photography, he worked on assignment for PBS and National Geographic Magazine. His primary goal was to produce entertaining, educational films on the earth’s most important resource - water. On the local level, Wes was deeply involved in the study and protection of Florida’s springs. He was a founding member of the Florida Springs Task Force and served as its education chairman. His award-winning film, “Water’s Journey - The Hidden Rivers of Florida,” was the first in a series and was broadcast on PBS stations across the country. The 2nd film in the series, “Water’s Journey – The River Returns” is a study of the majestic St. John’s River and was released following the Conservation Stewards Awards. Wes worked with multiple partners to develop a curriculum around the Water’s Journey Films to be used in Florida schools.

A volunteer for more that 25 years, Judy changed the course of Florida’s environmental history. She co-founded the Columbia County Environmental Council, which prevented phosphate mining in the Osceola National Forest. She helped form the Suwannee River Coalition which resulted in the river being designated an Outstanding Florida Water and helped bring about the purchase of 11,000 acres in the Suwannee River National Wildlife Refuge. Until her last days she worked to realize her vision for a wildlife corridor from the Osceola National Forest to Okefenokee Swamp. Judy stands among Florida’s greatest environmental advocates.

A world-renowned physicist, Dr. Dwight Adams played a major role in protecting Alachua County’s natural resources. A longtime Sierra Club activist, he was a leader in promoting the recycling of solid waste on national, state, and local levels. Dr. Adams was active in local comprehensive planning for over two decades, and in 1990, received the award for “Land Conservationist of the Year” from the Florida and National Wildlife Federations.

Dr. Larry D. Harris, a professor emeritus with the University of Florida Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, was internationally recognized for his work in landscape ecology and conservation biology. Since becoming a UF professor in 1975, his contributions included the identification of habitat fragmentation and potential solutions to deal with it, including the re-establishment of connectivity in corridors and greenways. His pioneering work laid the groundwork for many of the land conservation programs that currently exist and were an inspiration to conservationists worldwide. In 1998, the Florida Chapter of The Wildlife Society presented Harris with the inaugural Herbert W. Kale award for his commitment to natural resource protection. He advised governments in Botswana, Costa Rica, Sweden, and the United States on conservation issues, and served on advisory councils representing the National Academy of Sciences, Defenders of Wildlife, the Society for Conservation Biology and the U.S. National Park Service.

An 18-year volunteer for the Florida Defenders of the Environment, Mrs. Helen Hood was a tireless advocate to protect natural Florida. As Chair of Florida Defenders of the Environment’s Endangered Lands Committee, Mrs. Hood organized the effort to protect San Felasco Hammock State Preserve. As an organizer of the Suwannee River Coalition, she was instrumental in preventing phosphate mining on Suwannee River. Mrs. Hood donated countless hours to protect natural treasures such as River Rise State Park, Little St. George Islands, Cayo Costa, and Tosahatchee State Park.

Dr. Pamela Zaber has been a major volunteer and contributor toward saving land in Alachua County. She was a spokesperson and coordinator for the “Alachua County Forever” bond issue, which was approved by more than 62% of the voters in 2001. As a member and former Chair of the Land Conservation Board, Dr. Zaber worked to have a say in the type of land the County would protect. Dr. Zaber was an active member of Women for Wise Growth and worked as a relief veterinarian.

Following a 23-year career as a photographer, writer and editor for the Gainesville Sun, John Moran left the world of daily journalism in 2003 to photograph the best of dwindling natural Florida full-time. A University of Florida journalism graduate, Moran’s photography has appeared in numerous books and magazines, including National Geographic, Life, Time, Newsweek, Smithsonian, Outside, Sierra, the New York Times Magazine and on the cover of the National Audubon Society Field Guide to Florida. On photographing natural Florida, Moran says, "Truly a universal language, photography can help us better understand and appreciate for many gifts of nature bestowed upon this great state we call home.”

Howard Thomas “H. T.” Odom was a university of Florida graduate research professor emeritus in the Department of Environmental Engineering Sciences. He founded the fields of ecological economics and ecological engineering. In 1987, Dr. Odom and his brother Eugene received the Crafoord Prize – the equivalent of the Nobel prize in ecological sciences – from the royal Swedish Academy. During his six–decade career he pioneered ecosystems research and helped integrate ecology and economics. In the 1960s, he developed the concepts for using natural systems for wastewater treatment. His "South, Florida Study" included many of the Everglades restoration alternatives that are currently underway. Dr. Odom’s research was at the center of many crossroads in Florida’s environmental history, including the Cross-Florida Barge canal and the Fenholloway River management plans. He started the Center for Wetlands and the Center for Environmental Policy at UF. A central idea throughout his research was that natural and human systems must be considered together for mutual benefit. Dr. Odom wrote more than 300 scientific papers and authored 15 books. His most recent book, “A Prosperous Way Down,” was co-written with his wife, Elizabeth C. Odom. It discusses societies plan to maintain a prosperous future as supplies of fossil fuels decrease. Dr. Odom influenced thousands of students worldwide and continues to do so through his numerous publications and those he inspired.

Since his arrival in Florida over 50 years ago, Bob Simons has been instrumental in land conservation in North Central Florida. A graduate of the University of Florida School of Forestry, Mr. Simons work documenting natural communities in North Central Florida helped establish one of the region’s most successful land conservation initiatives, the Alachua County Forever program. He is largely responsible for the field work and write-up of the 1987 and 1996 KBN reports, which cataloged and ranked the natural communities in Alachua County and became the building block for the county’s Alachua County Forever program, one of North Central Florida’s most successful land conservation initiatives. One of the projects of Simon’s career was a proposal to protect a massive tract of land in northern Alachua County from sprawl and growth. That effort led to the state purchase of the San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park in 1074, 6900 acres that includes at least 18 biological communities, including sandhill, hydric hammock, upland pine, and swamp. Mr. Simmons also serves as a current member of the Alachua County land conservation board.

Kathy Cantwell was a retired physician who fully dedicated herself to protecting the air, water and land of our area. As a long-time leader of the Suwanee-St. Johns Group Sierra Club and Women or Wise Growth, and as a member of the County’s Air Quality Commission, she involved herself in the ongoing fight against poorly planned development and in initiatives to keep the region’s air clean and water bodies unpolluted. She served as chair of the Clean Air and Water Political Action Committee which successfully advocated for passage of ballot measures to protect against pollution. In addition, she was an active member of the Alachua County Land Conservation Board, the citizen’s panel charged with recommending lands for public purchase under the Alachua County Forever program. She was instrumental in helping to bring sensitive areas of land into conservation. In 2000, Dr. Cantwell was awarded the Florida Chapter of the Sierra Club’s “Panther Award” for her conservation work. And she accomplished all of this despite being confined to a wheelchair following a tragic bicycling accident, a true testimony of her incredible spirit.

Nkwanda Jah has committed herself to providing African American children and teenagers with the opportunity to learn about pollution and cherish the natural environment. As Founder and Director of the Cultural Arts Coalition, Ms. Jah has conceived and implemented successful programs such as the Environmental Ambassadors, Girls Power, and the Fifth Avenue Arts Festival. NKwanda has given of her time as a member of citizen advisory groups including the Northeast Park Task Force, the Public Recreation Board, and numerous other community efforts. She has been lauded for her outstanding contributions by the Library of Congress, the Gainesville Sun and numerous other organizations. Ms. Jah’s years of environmental work with teens was recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Environmental Justice Through Pollution Prevention Program in 2000. The EPA’s support provided environmental education and work opportunities for over 20 African American teenagers.

Mickey Singer is perhaps best known to Alachua County residents as the Founder and CEO of Medical Manager and the donor of the Harn Museum’s Champ d’avione (Oat Fields), a painting by 19th-century French impressionist master Claude Monet. However, Mr. Singer has built an impressive record as a great supporter of numerous conservation causes. In 2000, Mickey personally pledged a substantial match to enable pursuit of Blues Creek Ravine though the Florid Communities Trust, which was crucial in its pending acquisition by Alachua Conservation Trust. As founder and director of the Temple of the Universe, Mr. singer helps others to find their own deep connection to the world around them. Through efforts of the newly formed Santa Fe Land Trust, the Temple’s 100 acres of land may form part of a wildlife corridor between San Felasco State Preserve and the Santa Fe River.

Gladys Cofrin’s bio will soon be available.

Robert Hutchinson grew up in the wilds of eastern Alachua County, with Pithlachocco and Prairie Creek being where he messed around in boats, chased and dodged reptiles, and galloped horses. His first involvement in environmental work was energy policy planning for a series of agencies, then moved into advocacy by producing numerous video documentaries about conservation issues. In 1988, he became Alachua Conservation Trust's first Executive Director (and later its sixth).

Early projects of ACT included acquiring several thousand acres to add to Paynes Prairie State Preserve. He authored the Hogtown Creek Greenway proposal to Florida Communities Trust that ultimately conserved hundreds of acres inside Gainesville. He also sought the funds and negotiated for purchase of lands that created, or added to, Tuscawilla Preserve, Watermelon Pond Preserve, Hogtown Headwaters Park, Little Orange Creek Preserve, San Felasco Hammock, Lochloosa Forest, Prairie Creek Preserve, and others.

Hutch was instrumental in the Alachua County Forever citizen's initiative that passed overwhelmingly in 2000. Later, he worked on the campaigns for three successful Wild Spaces & Public Places referendums which will result in three decades of nearly continuous local funding for land protection and parks.

Hutch was active in comprehensive planning, animal welfare, mental health, racial justice, homelessness, and other issues as a three-term Alachua County Commissioner. His wife, Meg Niederhofer (also a Conservation Steward) was Gainesville's first City Arborist for 23 years, and they live in the intentional community of Flamingo Hammock, loving the land, making music, and spoiling dogs.

David "Mo" Morris’s bio will soon be available.

Arthur & Phyllis Saarinen’s bio will soon be available.

One of the inaugural recipients, Doris Bardon, had been a personal role model for ACT’s newlyy appointed Executive Director and Gainesville City Commissioner Pegeen Hanrahan. "If I could be half the woman Doris is, I would be doing well," said Hanrahan.

Doris Bardon very nearly moved to Chapel Hill, North Carolina, rather than Gainesville. In 1978, following lung surgery, doctors suggested she seek a warmer climate. For many years Doris had run art galleries, a concert hall and an inn for 40 guests located in Lenox, Massachusetts.

She’d been much involved in civic and cultural life in Lenox, even serving as the Vice President of the Chamber of Commerce there. It was this commitment to public engagement that made Doris choose Gainesville over Chapel Hill. "I wanted to become involved in the life of the community," she said, "and Gainesville seemed more open to newcomers."

Ms. Bardon’s list of civic accomplishments since that time was both long and diverse. She served on the City’s Human Relations Advisory Board and the Art in Public Places Trust, the Democratic Executive Committee and the Arts Alliance of Alachua County.

But the service that has perhaps most distinguished Bardon was her dedication to preserving the land and water of our area. She served on nearly every major environmental committee in the region.

"I’d become interested in environmental issues while in Lenox," Doris said. "The property of my inn abutted the Audubon Preserve, so I’d seen the value of land conservation." "I’d also had to manage several water problems associated with a lack of municipal sanitary sewers and inadequate water supply wells at the inn."

Doris served as the Chair of the local League of Women Voters’ Natural Resources Committee for many years. In that capacity she spearheaded numerous educational field trips and public forums related to land and water conservation. She also served on a coalition of area Leagues to monitor the progress of the St. Johns River Water Management District.

In 1998 Bardon and her longtime colleague Gladys Lane led a group of over 50 women to establish Women for Wise Growth. Because of the non-partisan policies of the League of Women Voters, Bardon said "you can’t be a board member of the League and still have an active political life." Women for Wise Growth has developed "a galloping life of its own," said Bardon. "Twice I’ve been asked ‘Where is the national headquarters of this organization?’ from those who wish to establish their own chapters," she said, laughing.

Women for Wise Growth has sponsored numerous political forums, endorsed candidates, and monitored activities of city and county governments. Early un 2000, they hosted a standing-room-only forum on land conservation that included County Manager Randy Reid and other experts from around the state.

Doris at the time of the Conservation Stewards Awards was finalizing plans for an April 27th forum to bring together top representatives from the Suwannee and St. Johns River Water Management Districts to explore land conservation and other district activities in Alachua County.

"The meaningful thing to me is that the door is open here. Whatever skills you have, there is an opportunity to be involved," said Bardon.

Courtland Collier was an inaugural recipient of the Conservation Stewards Award. As a six-term City Commissioner, Collier's career spanned many changes in Gainesville. But of all the investments the City was involved in, he was quick to point out that it is parks and green spaces which seem in retrospect to be the smartest of investments.

Collier played instrumental roles in acquiring 22 parcels of land in and around Gainesville, ranging from Westside Park in 1967 to the Gumroot Conservation Area in 1994. While the City had a green space acquisition fund for several years, many of these properties were acquired through donation, swap, or grant funds.

After service in WWII in the Naval Air Corps, Collier received his Bachelors in Engineering from Yale in 1949. As an engineer, he worked on a number of large projects through the 1950s: airports, seaports, oil platforms and refineries, and highways. These projects ranged throughout the western hemisphere, including Venezuela, Cuba, and Canada.

In the early 1960s, Collier received his Masters of Structural Engineering from the University of Florida, where he taught ever since. His long list of publications and two textbooks include the results of beachfront construction research and engineering cost analysis. He taught 25 different engineering courses, and at the time of the Conservation Stewards Awards held the position of Associate Professor Emeritus.

"Court and I have shared a number of eco-adventures," said Robert Hutchinson. "Once, he and I explored the largest cave-room in Florida, which Court thought the Alachua Conservation Trust should acquire. The only problem was, the cave could only be accessed by dropping 70 feet down a rope, then climbing out on that same rope. Court never blinked an eye, and in his late 60s scrambled up that rope as fast as anybody." He also rode the length of the Gainesville-Hawthorne Rail-Trail before the trail was developed, and has paddled a canoe through most of the wet spots in Alachua County.

Collier, who served on the committee which organized the Alachua Conservation Trust, looked at greenspace protection as an investment in the community. "What we pay for a property today, which may stretch our resources, will always seem like an incredible bargain tomorrow when we look at the value of what we have preserved."

Courtland Collier, a six-term City Commissioner, came to Gainesville to study engineering at the University of Florida in the 1960’s. He went on to teach at UF and became an associate professor emeritus, recognized for his research and writing. As a commissioner, Collier played a key role in acquiring 22 acres of green space in the area, including Westside Park in 1967.

John Mahon was one of the foremost historians of the Seminole wars, a series of conflicts that few know much about today, but which raged in north central Florida on and off for the first half of the 19th century. As a Professor of History at the University of Florida, he has taught many classes over the years.

Mahon's contributions to land conservation were primarily through his service on many citizens organizations and environmental groups. At the time of the Conservation Stewards Awards he had been a thirty year member of the local Audubon and Sierra Club chapters, serving in numerous leadership positions for both. He was proud of the role that these groups played in the acquisition of the Ichetucknee River State Park and in the protection of Palm Point.

As a board member of the Alachua Conservation Trust, first appointed in 1990, Mahon supported the acquisition of numerous properties around Paynes Prairie, San Felasco Hammock, Newnans Lake, and Watermelon Pond.

Mahon was also co-founder of the Conservation Planning Coalition of Alachua County in the 1960s. This group advocated for better planning and litigated against the County over exceptions to the Comprehensive Plan. He co-founded Tree Watch in the mid-1980s with Francine Robinson. This group advocated for trees and performed tree-planting ceremonies for donors in public places.

Mahon was a hiker, and in his memorabilia are hundreds of photos of places he hiked across North America. He walked the trails in Alachua County, occasionally writing short articles to help people find the great hikes and understand what to look for. As a member of the Friends of San Felasco Hammock, he raised funds for much needed park equipment in support of the Preserve's trail program for horseback riders, cyclists, and hikers.

Professor Mahon's crusade at the time of the Conservation Stewards Awards was to protect the site of Ft. King, one of the most important historical sites from Florida's early history. It was threatened by development in Marion County, and he worked with a group to find the additional funds to purchase the site to add to a public park.

A real estate expert may not fit the traditional image of a land conservationist. But it was his knowledge of property values that first led Alfred A. Ring to have a passion for protecting natural areas. Ring spent over 20 years as a professor at UF, ten as chair of the Department of Real Estate and Land Studies. He was recruited to UF by Dean Walter Matherly in 1947, shortly after the Florida Legislature passed a bill calling for a formal educational program in Real Estate. This was back in the days when "buying swampland in Florida" was gaining reputation as a stereotypical real estate swindle.

Although he came to Gainesville by way of New York University, Al Ring's childhood was spent in Beuthen, Ober Schlesien, a town in the southeastern part of Germany. Born in 1905, the youngest of five children, Ring worked at his father's bottled water plant from the age of nine. He helped his mother with the business while his older brothers and father served in World War I.

After the war, Ring described his homeland as "a defeated and exhausted people." Despite a lifetime of hard work, his parents' savings were rendered valueless by rampant inflation. At the age of 20, speaking almost no English, Ring immigrated to America on the steamer "Deutschland, " with the encouragement of his parents and an aunt.

Upon arrival in the U.S., Ring worked at his aunt's boardwalk concession in Orchard Beach, near New York City. When the concession closed for the summer he felt lucky to find a probationary job as a tree trimmer for the Westchester Lighting Company in Mount Vernon, New York. He worked there for 16 years in a variety of labor and then professional capacities. At the same time, he earned his high school equivalency, bachelor's, master's and Ph.D. degrees in night school at NYU. This occurred over a period of 15 years (from 1932 to 1947), with the assistance of his wife, Elsie, who also cared for their two daughters, Georgia and Katharine, during this time.

While in graduate school and after receiving his doctorate in Public Utilities and Land Economics, Ring taught courses and completed research and writing at NYU. From early on, Ring mixed humor and discipline into his teaching, earning affection and gratitude from his students. In 1946 and 1947 Ring received letters offering employment as an associate professor at UF. The first offer he declined, but the second he chose to pursue with a visit to Gainesville. Impressed with the hospitality he was shown and the beauty of this place, he accepted a Senior Associate Professor position in spring of 1947, at a salary of $4,800 per year.

Ring quickly became involved in community affairs, often representing "the underdog" against Gainesville's "old boy" establishment. The Alachua County Teachers Association convinced Ring to help them uncover numerous under-assessments by the property appraiser's office for land owned by prominent and powerful residents. Ring spoke to civic groups about these unethical practices and the negative impacts on the tax base needed to support the schools. Within weeks, pressure was applied to University of Florida leaders, suggesting that Ring be muzzled, fired, or discredited. Then-president J. Hillis Miller refused, although the dean of the business college convinced Ring to curtail his activism by explaining that his activities would hurt the school at budget time.

Similarly, Ring was asked to serve as the real estate appraiser for the Veteran's Administration, as the VA was having problems in the Gainesville area with home mortgages that were too high for the value of the homes. When Ring determined that six homes the banks wished to have evaluated at $38,000 were in fact only worth $34,500, "Hell, again, broke loose," he says. "The powerful few in Gainesville again tried to get me fired or at least made ineligible to 'moonlight' because of my full-time teaching job." This time members of Congress from Florida intervened, and Ring's role with the VA continued for over ten years.

Arguably, Ring's greatest success came as a co-author of "Real Estate Principles and Practice," for Prentice-Hall. It was in its 12th Edition, and was the second-oldest textbook in continuous publication in the U.S. at the time he was awarded as a Conservation Steward. Over one million copies had been sold, and it was then the standard text in over 130 professional schools throughout the nation and the world. Ring's great financial success developed from textbook royalties, in combination with a distinguished consulting career and numerous lucrative real estate transactions that Ring completed for himself and others.

By the time of the awards ceremony, Ring had made more than $5.5 million worth of charitable contributions. These included the University's Ring Tennis Pavilion, and two chapels (one named for each of his widows) at the Miles Health Care Center in Damarscotta, Maine, near his summer home. He also has made a generous gift to Gainesville's Holy Trinity Episcopal Church. Known for his popular teaching and thinking on ethics, over the years Ring made a few attempts to establish a permanent program in this subject at UF. The university, however, did not meet Ring's standards for how the funds should be used.

Ring's lifelong focus on land values, ethics and civic involvement were key factors in his contributions toward conservation. In Gainesville, Ring may be best known for his donation of Ring Park, a 20 acre city nature park put into public ownership in 1986. Within the park he created a wildflower garden named for his second wife and widow, Emily. In 1998, in partnership with the City, he endowed and formed "Friends of Ring Park," a private organization dedicated to overseeing the maintenance and improvement of the Park. He also helped found and was a lifetime member of the Alachua Conservation Trust, the organization that honored him by naming him a Conservation Steward in 2000.

After a lifetime of thinking about real estate, Ring said, "About 20% of a community should be open space. Our cities should not be over-developed."

"Every parcel of property in a community has a potential highest and best use," according to Ring, "and sometimes that best use is as a park or open space."