23 weeks until our 25th birthday!
We are solidly into the count down to the anniversary date of our founding—December 27—and we hope you are enjoying the stroll down memory lane as much as we are. Every week until December 27, we will feature a short story, profile, or highlight from the past 25 years. We kicked off these 25 weeks of memories with a focus on our origins—how we started, who made it happen, and the genesis of our mission. Last week we recognized Cheryl Cummer and the Cummer Family Land Trust and their pivotal role in NFLT’s early years. This week we will take a look at Bogey Creek, NFLT’s first publicly accessible property, and the Spencer Family, who made Bogey Creek Preserve a reality.
Bogey Creek Preserve encompasses more than 85-acres of maritime hammock forest, cypress swamp, mixed pine-oak forest, and salt marsh. It is surrounded on all sides by protected land: the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve and the Pumpkin Hill Creek Preserve State Park. Bogey Creek Preserve as we know it today is the result of three separate acquisitions, the first being in March 2006 when 6.5 acres were acquired from Robert Spencer. In 2017 the NFLT Board of Directors approved the purchase of an additional 67.5 acres—also from the Spencer family—to expand the Preserve. More recently, in 2021, 11.6 acres were acquired from the neighboring McGehee family increasing Bogey Creek Preserve to its current size.
The two Spencer family properties, affectionately known as “Bugtussle,” had been owned by the family since 1952. Back then, the land that is now Bogey Creek Preserve was still wild and totally undeveloped. The term “Bugtussle” came from Sue Spencer’s roots in Alabama. Sue’s great grandfather was a circuit preacher and these circuit rider preachers of the late 1700s and 1800s would ride on horseback to minister to a collection of rural churches. The final stop and most remote church on the circuit after the traveling clergy’s long journey was called, “Bugtussle.” When Sue moved to what was then 100 acres of wilderness far on the north side of Jacksonville, it seemed fitting to name the land and the homestead that would soon be on it in recognition of her family history.
NFLT worked for more than a decade with Sue and her descendants to make Bogey Creek Preserve a reality. If the Spencer’s steadfast commitment to seeing their beloved land protected in perpetuity and their willingness to stay with NFLT as the land trust worked to secure funding was one half of the equation—funding was the other half. NFLT secured a State of Florida matching grant and launched a campaign to meet the match. The community’s response was enthusiastic and thanks to seven dedicated and generous North Floridians who collectively donated more than $1.28 million, NFLT secured the match and made Bogey Creek Preserve a reality.
Everyone knows that as a land trust we work to conserve land and protect it from over-development and resource depletion. We restore that land so that the flora and fauna that depend on it can thrive because each plays an integral role in the health of our region’s ecosystems. But we cannot acquire land and protect it, we cannot steward the land and restore it, without the support of our community. Having a publicly accessible property that the community can visit and enjoy, where they can catch a glimpse of wildlife and the way North Florida used to be, is a critical piece of engaging that community support. Showcasing why conservation is important, why saving land and restoring it to its native state matters, is a necessity and the best way to do that is through a real-life example, such as Bogey Creek Preserve.
Do you have a story about how NFLT has touched you, or was there an acquisition or specific impact we made that resonated with you? We would love to hear it! Please email our Communications Officer, Sarah Hande, at shande@nflt.org with anything you want to share. It is our followers, readers, members, and supporters who make all of this possible – it’s now or never!
