North Florida Land Trust (NFLT) has expanded Bogey Creek Preserve with the purchase of four acres from Spencer Engineering and Exploration Co., Inc. The company’s owners are family members of the original landowners who sold much of the existing preserve to NFLT.
Beaches Go Green, which concluded operations in April, contributed $60,000 of its remaining funds toward the acquisition. Several generous community donors provided the additional support needed to complete the purchase.
“We have been playing a long game in this part of Jacksonville, and this is another piece of the puzzle,” said Allison DeFoor, NFLT president and CEO. “We remain very grateful to the family for this opportunity to acquire an undeveloped parcel. Stay tuned.”
The new land, in the preserve’s northwest section, increases Bogey Creek Preserve to 89 acres. NFLT began assembling the preserve in 2006 with the purchase of 6.5 acres from the Spencer family. It added another 67.5 acres from the Spencer family in 2017, opened the preserve to the public in 2019 and expanded it again in 2021 with land purchased from the neighboring McGehee family. With these additional acres, NFLT is exploring ways to enhance Bogey Creek Preserve, including an outdoor learning center. The nonprofit will seek community input at a future date.
Located at 5500 Cedar Point Road in North Jacksonville, Bogey Creek Preserve is open daily from sunrise to sunset. It protects nearly one mile of critical marsh front on Clapboard and Bogey creeks and features trails through maritime hammock, mixed pine-oak forest and seep-fed cypress swamps, along with picnic areas and a kayak landing. The preserve is one of two NFLT properties in the 7 Creeks Recreation Area, a network of city, state and national parks.
About North Florida Land Trust
North Florida Land Trust is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to preserving and enhancing the quality of life by protecting North Florida’s irreplaceable natural environment. Founded in 1999, NFLT has preserved tens of thousands of acres of land through the donation or purchase of land and conservation easements. NFLT is funded largely by private and corporate contributions and works closely with willing landowners, public agencies at all levels of government, not-for-profit partners, and foundations.
