When Roger and Sally Adams reached out to the Tampa Bay Conservancy (TBC) to donate land for a nature preserve in honor of an influential teacher, the volunteer-led not-for-profit was able to help them establish the Troy Samuel Cumming Nature Preserve, its first property in Citrus County.
And then, Rene Wiesner Brown, the group’s vice president, searched for neighboring properties and reached out to their owners via information listed on the county’s property appraiser’s website. Turns out, an adjacent 110-acre site was owned by a well-known television celebrity who had purchased the land as an investment years ago but never done anything with it. “He was really happy that we wanted the land, but didn’t want a lot of attention about his involvement,” Brown said.
The TBC also worked with Laura Starkey at Heartwood Preserve Conservation Cemetery to create a conservation easement that legally protects the 27-acre preserve in perpetuity but allows its owner to continue using the property for low-impact purposes. “Laura is a visionary, and she was worried about the future of Heartwood,” said TBC President Ethel Hammer. “The easement guarantees that it will never be developed.”
The ability to move quickly and meet landowners’ individual needs highlights the importance of private land trusts that can buy land or conservation easements for preservation. “Most land purchases are made by government agencies, and they need to meet very specific criteria,” notes Jennifer Seney, the activist who led the charge to create Pasco County’s Environmental Lands Acquisition and Managment Program approved by voters to purchase and manage environmental lands. “We can move quickly — and address unique situations not generally of interest to government programs.”
Established in 2001, TBC was also able to acquire the 60-acre Myron and Helen Gibbons Preserve in Riverview in time to meet an owner’s deadline. “Since then, it’s been designated as part of the Old Growth Forest Network, one of only about a dozen in Florida,” Hammer said. “It’s a step back in time, with trails through land that has never been disturbed with nearly a half-mile of frontage on the beautiful Alafia River.”
The TBC also has been awarded national land trust accreditation by the Land Trust Accreditation Commission, the national leader for land trusts. The accreditation shows that local land trusts have proven that they meet the highest standards for excellence and conservation permanence.
Next Steps
After more than twenty years as an all-volunteer organization, the TBC is taking its next step forward by hiring a consultant to direct more consistent efforts in both fundraising and reaching out to landowners. “We have a $150,000 grant from Mosaic to hire a consultant for three years to take us to the next level,” said Hammer. “We’re very excited about the opportunity to work with a professional committed to preserving land.”
There are significant financial advantages for landowners who donate property or sign a conservation easement that protects their land from development, but many are not aware of them. Seney said. “Our biggest challenge is working with landowners and convincing them of the value of donating land or creating a conservation easement.”
The benefits of conservation easements, in particular, are not widely recognized. “They allow farmers or ranchers to continue doing what they’re doing, but they’re compensated for selling the right to develop the land in the future. It protects a family’s hard-won legacy,” Hammer said.
In both cases, there are significant tax benefits for owners as well as the ability to protect their land’s natural and historical resources.
The new staff person also will expand the TBC’s efforts to reach volunteers, Brown said. “We have many opportunities for volunteers, particularly at Gibbons Preserve, which is in the center of one of the region’s fastest growing neighborhoods. Several Eagle Scout projects have been completed and ongoing work on the preserve’s network of trails is important to keep them in good shape.”
To celebrate the successes of the past year – and help fund future endeavors – the TBC will host its 2025 Conservation Celebration on Thursday, March 13, at New World BreweMarry Music Hall. For more information and tickets, visit https://givebutter.com/ConservationCelebration
The deadline for applications for the TBC’s new staff position is March 15. For more information, visit https://www.tampabayconservancy.org/
By Vicki Parsons, originally published March 1, 2025