ACT Celebrates North Central Florida Community Members on March 15th as Conservation Stewards

March 11, 2025

Gainesville, Florida – Alachua Conservation Trust (ACT) will host its annual Conservation Stewards Awards (CSAs) on Saturday, March 15th. The event will take place at Prairie Creek Lodge in Gainesville from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Members of the press are invited to attend.

The CSAs honor individuals in the community who are influential in ways, such as the arts, historic preservation, and particularly, in protecting our wildlife and natural resources. Previous CSAs have been the largest gatherings of community leaders and supporters of wild Florida in the region.

The theme of this year’s event is “Return to Nature: Honoring Life & Conserving Land.” Our honorees are committed to renewing the land through conservation as well as facilitating a meaningful and lasting impact for those who are no longer with us. These honorees represent the varied and meaningful ways in which we interact with the natural world over time. They have shown us that in both life and death, a brighter future for Florida’s environment is possible.

This year, ACT will recognize the Greene Family of Lake City and Freddie Johnson as 2025 Conservation Stewards.

The Greene Family have been dedicated stewards of their land near Lake City for over one hundred years. The first 300 acres of the modern-day 1,500-acre property was purchased in 1925. The property was originally purchased for turpentining, saw milling, and farming. When turpentining was no longer a viable product and saw milling and farming ended, the family enjoyed the recreational aspects of the land while also working to actively restore its natural ecosystems through prescribed fire. In 2024, the Greene Family worked with ACT and the State of Florida to place a conservation easement over the property, ensuring that it will be protected from development.

Johnson is one of the founders of Conservation Burial Inc. (CBI), the non-profit 501(c)3 that manages Prairie Creek Conservation Cemetery (PCCC). He served as CBI’s Board President for three years prior to being PCCC’s Executive Director from 2011 to late 2021. Johnson was also instrumental in the founding of Conservation Burial Alliance (CBA) in 2017, a national non-profit that oversees and establishes standards for a collective of conservation burial grounds around the country. Freddie currently serves on the Board of Directors of CBI/PCCC and CBA.

“This year’s Conservation Stewards re-envision how humans connect with nature,” said ACT Executive Director Tom Kay. “We look forward to welcoming the community on March 15th to celebrate their achievements and to share the successes of conservation in North Central Florida.”

In addition to an awards ceremony, the CSAs event will include a cocktail hour, catered dinner, silent auction, and a live musical performance from The Wire Birds. The silent auction will feature donated artwork, collectibles, and gift vouchers to local businesses. Proceeds from the silent auction and CSA event will support ACT’s mission to protect the natural, historic, scenic and recreational resources in and around North Central Florida.

Tickets for the event are currently sold out. Prairie Creek Lodge is located at 7204 SE County Road 234, Gainesville, FL 32641. Press are invited to attend this event. Members of the press, please contact Sophie Szymula at sophie@alachuaconservationtrust.org or (352) 373-1078 if you plan to attend.