This post is the first in a new weekly series of guest blogs. Each blog will present a new perspective and personal experiences with the Florida Forever program.
How can you put a price on wild spaces, places and the creatures that call these emerald jewels of Florida home?
I have always had a passion for the natural world. Growing up in Southwest Florida in the Ft. Myers/Naples area and having been involved in the scouting program, I was able to develop an appreciation for nature by the ripe age of eight. Whether it was exploring the woods on horseback, canoeing the Peace River and Fisheating Creek or camping on Cayo Costa Island, I knew way back then that these places were special. It wasn’t by chance that I majored in Parks and Recreation at Florida State University; I wanted to make a difference in how people interacted in nature and developed an appreciation for wild animals, plants and the ecosystems that support them.
I was involved in the advocacy of conservation efforts and legislation through the Florida Recreation and Park Association since the late 1970’s; FRPA is an organization which represents Parks and Recreation professionals around the State. We have always been pro-active on the environmental front being actively engaged with support of the LWCF, Save our Rivers, State Park preservation efforts, Greenways and Trails and of course the initiation of the P2000 program back in the 1980’s. This was when growth management efforts and public outcry necessitated the creation of one of the most successful environmental land conservation programs in the country.
As a Parks and Recreation professional, I have been involved in the creation of a county-wide bond referendum for environmental land preservation which has achieved monumental success. Osceola County was experiencing unprecedented growth demands in 2002. Citizens, fearful of losing what made their community special, engineered a campaign of education and public awareness resulting in SAVE OSCEOLA. In 2004, we began acquiring and preserving pristine habitat(Lake Lizzie Preserve), green space connectivity (East Lake Toho, Chisholm Ridge) and saving riverine systems (Shingle Creek) threatened by development. These acquisitions continue today. This would not have been possible without the continuation of the Forever Florida program which helped provide matching funds for very costly real estate.
Is it possible to put a price on our most valuable natural treasures? Well, without the Forever Florida funding, it would have been impossible, and these lands would have been lost……forever.
-Julia Thompson, Seminole County Parks and Recreation Manager