04/02/2026
HOT SHOT PROFILE Name: Steve Updegraff MD
County where you own land: Levy
Age: 64
Education: High School - Shorecrest Prep (St. Pete, Fl), McCallie School (Tn); College -
Eckerd College, St. Pete, Fl; Medical School - Penn State University College of Medicine (Hershey, PA); Internship - LSU College of Medicine (New Orleans, La); Residency - LSU Eye
Center (New Orleans, La); Cornea and Refractive Fellowship - University of Texas, Houston, Hermann Eye Center
Occupation: Anterior Segment Eye Surgeon
Family: Wife - Betsy; Three daughters
Interest/experience in prescribed burning:
When we acquired our property in 2018, I (we) had no previous experience burning or any knowledge of fire dependent ecosystems and the benefit/necessity of fire. We knew we wanted to protect the land from development in perpetuity, so our initial efforts led us to
Tom Kay and the Alachua Conservation Trust. Their willingness to educate and provide helpful direction made it clear they would be a perfect fit for what we envisioned for our
land. Through their organization, Betsy and I attended our first S190 Fire Behavior course in 2019. Class participants were largely the nucleus of landowners and leaders that formed the
NFPBA. Betsy and I were hooked. Not only was it going to be a huge benefit to our fire suppressed land, but we thoroughly enjoy meeting and working with people of all different walks of life coming together for a common mission. In my field, “lifelong learning” is the foundation to providing patients with the “best” care possible. Learning how to accomplish the desired ecological benefits of fire while maintaining safety for our volunteers, neighbors
and neighboring communities has motivated and engaged us to be educated, organized and involved in not only our land but the land of our members. We were warned to not be disappointed if we didn’t achieve “Tall Timbers” habitat out of the gate; amazingly the
immediate benefits have been obvious in plant diversity and quail showing up in places they have not been in 100 years! Our involvement in prescribed fire has led us to appreciate plant ecology and other ways we can help our land by “daylighting” with herbicide and mowing. When prescribed fire is not possible, this combined with planting has proven beneficial. We subscribe to the adage, “It’s a 400-year project, we might as well get started today!!
Upbringing:
Born, St. Petersburg, Fl. My father loved the outdoors taking myself and my brother and sisters on every river possible in his 18-foot Otca Old Town canoe - regularly paddling the Ichetucknee river before there was a state park! We fished the rivers, bays and Gulf growing up and loved swimming over the bright white sand bottom of Chassahowitzka springs and
the many springs dotting the path of the Santa Fe River. He took us to a Hunt Camp
outside Chiefland where our love for the wilds of Florida grew. The old Hunt Camp and land our Dad loved so much and shared with us is now under our stewardship.
Hobbies: Saltwater Flyfishing, especially Tarpon and permit. Bowhunting. Outrigger canoeing. Foiling and open water swimming.
