The Nature Conservancy in Florida

06/23/2026

Coral gardens glow with color. Seagrass meadows sway with the tide. Seahorses form lasting bonds, while reef squid signal connection in brilliant flashes of color. As we celebrate World Ocean Month, we’re honoring the beauty and wonder found beneath the waves.

Tiffany & Co.’s “Love For Our Oceans” initiative has contributed more than $2 million to support The Nature Conservancy’s work protecting and restoring the ocean habitats where amazing creatures live and thrive. Together, we’re celebrating not only the ocean’s wonder, but the collective action helping ensure it can endure for generations to come.

Learn more about this partnership: https://nature.ly/3SsRjlz

📷: (c) Jennifer Adler: Reef scene at The Aquarium dive site, Lighthouse Reef Atoll, Belize

06/21/2026

Our iconic Blowing Rocks Preserve is home to multiple species of sea turtles including the rare loggerhead, green and leatherbacks.

Protecting endangered species like these requires careful and constant efforts, made possible by our Sea Turtle Rescue Program. After hatchlings are ready to make their trip back to the ocean, they face a dangerous path filled with the natural Anastasia limestone that creates the unique rock ridge found at this preserve -- and has a lot of tiny crevices where the creatures can get caught on their way to the ocean. Our Sea Turtle Rescue Program provides nesting turtles and hatchlings with a safe, guarded path back to the sea, helping sea turtle populations slowly recover.

Learn more about Blowing Rocks and the sea turtle program: https://nature.ly/4qyu0TJ

📷: Larry Richardson/TNC Photo Contest

06/18/2026

Investing in nature and those who protect it creates jobs now and in the future. Through GulfCorps, TNC trains the next generation of environmental leaders, influencing the directions of lives and careers along the way.

Since the program began nearly ten years ago, GulfCorps members in Florida (FloridaCorps) have impacted more than 5,300 acres of coastal habitats across 51 project sites, restoring wetlands, planting native plants, managing invasive species and conducting prescribed burns for ecosystem health. Along the way, Corps members gain valuable job skills and connections, helping launch the next chapter of their careers in natural resource management and related fields.
https://nature.ly/4eFwj2O

06/16/2026

It's not a Disney park per se, but it's just as magical: our Disney Wilderness Preserve is a hidden treasure, rich with biodiversity, rare birds and a rejuvenated longleaf pine forest.

A testament to Walt Disney's love of nature and the power of cooperation and innovation, the preserve was created and funded in collaboration with the Walt Disney Company as one of the earliest and largest wetland mitigation projects in the country. Heralded as a visionary approach to offsetting development by conserving environmentally significant land, the Preserve is a critical part of the Everglades ecosystem -- that was once slated to become a subdivision.

Instead, more than 3,500 acres of restored wetlands along the shores of Lake Russell now act as nature’s “sponges,” capturing rain, filtering out nutrients and replenishing groundwater. The longleaf pine forest is replete with a lush understory of native grasses, saw palmetto and other shrubs. Stunning flowers like the blue toadflax, ixia, Catesby’s lily and terrestrial orchids delight visitors at all times of year.

Enjoy a picnic on the shore, get as much exercise as you like on three loop trails, and bring your binoculars to try to spot a bald eagle, red-cockaded woodpecker, wood stork or sandhill crane.

Learn more about how to make the most of your visit: https://nature.ly/4xpJ5e0

06/13/2026

School is OUTSIDE: Did you know that Blowing Rocks Preserve on Jupiter Island is a campus of the Center for Conservation Initiatives?

A networked, site-based science and strategy platform for investigating critical conservation questions, demonstrating strategy, and connecting people to science, CCI has four campuses on preserves across the state.

Join the scientific community by downloading the iNaturalist.org app and recording your observations of plants and wildlife at Blowing Rocks. Or help document changes to our Atlantic Ocean shoreline and beach dune habitat at the Chronolog station on the dune trail.

Learn more about preserve tours and other educational opportunities at Blowing Rocks: https://nature.ly/4qyu0TJ

06/11/2026

Lace up your hiking boots for an excursion at one of TNC's 1,500 nature preserves! In Florida, four unique preserves offer awe-inspiring views, a peaceful escape from everyday noise and the chance of spotting rare animal and plant species -- some that are found nowhere else in the world!

🕶️ Disney Wilderness Preserve: Choose from among three loop trails on this 11,500-acre preserve in Central Florida, an essential part of the Everglades ecosystem.

🥾 Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve in Liberty County: Immerse yourself in Florida's rich biodiversity on a 3.75-mile round-trip hike along the Garden of Eden Trail and its stunning views (bring plenty of water for this one!).

🦼 Tiger Creek Preserve: Explore more than ten miles of trails through ancient upland habitat on the eastern edge of the Lake Wales Ridge in the Kissimmee River watershed. (Track chairs are available at TCP.)

🌊 Blowing Rocks Preserve: Stroll through shaded maritime hammock habitat to the beach, enjoy the views from the Dune Trail or Mangrove Boardwalk, or take a loop around the Indian River Lagoon at this peaceful barrier island sanctuary on Hobe Sound. (Hiking boots not required!)

Use our interactive map to locate TNC's Florida preserves and others around the world: https://nature.ly/4vJ3Akb

06/08/2026

Spend this World Ocean Day with Kat the manatee and her guardians, Belizean conservationists Jaimelee Cruz and Jamal Galves. Narrated by Meryl Streep, “Ocean Keepers” is an immersive short film about the pressures our marine habitats face and about ensuring ocean conservation has the resources it needs so lives like Kat’s can find their way back from the brink. 🌊 🌎 💪

Watch the film: https://nature.ly/4v0Kg2g

06/05/2026

School is OUTSIDE: We're celebrating summer at Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve. One of four campuses under TNC's Center for Conservation Initiatives, the preserve offers more than just gorgeous scenery (though that's reason enough to come visit!).

CCI preserves provide hands-on educational programs in partnership with schools and community organizations to help students of all ages learn about conservation. At ABRP, our conservation focus is on managing and restoring habitats in this working forest. Visitors can learn about the region-wide effort to restore longleaf pine forests, how ecologists use prescribed fire and address invasive species... or simply enjoy a hike on the Garden of Eden Trail (Tip: Bring lots of water and good hiking shoes!).

Learn more and visit: https://nature.ly/4u5cLeq

📷: Ralph Pace

05/30/2026

Did you know that many of our preserves exist in one of North America’s five biodiversity hotspots?

Home to the largest natural geologic exposure (or “outcrop”) in Florida, TNC's Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve offers enchanting views, rare plant life, and a peaceful escape into nature.

But places like this don’t protect themselves.

Supporters like you help protect these fragile ecosystems and ensure that future generations can experience the same sense of tranquility. Every visit is a reminder of what is at stake, and every contribution is a step toward a hopeful future.

Come explore this beloved, awe-inspiring place: https://nature.ly/4u5cLeq

This preserve protects one of the rarest habitats on Earth!

05/26/2026

Ways to Speak Up for Nature and Public Lands:
🙋 Attend public meetings to voice your concerns or learn more about proposals affecting your community.
✍️ Write a letter to the editor of your local news outlet. It doesn't have to be fancy!
📣 Spread the word to your friends, family and social networks to encourage others to get involved.
🏛️ Reach out to your state, local and federal elected officials. Share your personal stories and treasured memories of our parks to underscore their importance.
📱 Connect with us here and on Instagram for real-time updates and to stay engaged with our efforts.

📷 : Teresa Hughes, 2019