The Conversation: Allison DeFoor
President/CEO North Florida Land Trust If North Florida’s natural lands disappeared tomorrow, what would people notice first and what would they lose that they might not expect? The first thing people would notice is water. North Florida’s forests, wetlands, and marshes filter and protect the water we drink every day. Without them, you would see declines in water quality and quantity almost immediately. What people might...
Publisher’s Note
Nature conservation is the ethical/moral philosophy and conservation movement focused on protecting species from extinction, maintaining and restoring habitats, enhancing ecosystem services, and protecting biological diversity. Florida is fortunate to have many reputable conservation organizations and areas tendered through careful maintenance and upkeep of natural resources to prevent them from disappearing for everything from...
A Reimagined Jacoby Symphony Hall
By Steven Libman The 2026/27 season of the Jacksonville Symphony will introduce new sounds, new faces, and a refreshed experience for our audiences. As I write this, Jacoby Symphony Hall is undergoing a significant transformation, with larger, more comfortable seating, new carpet, enhanced acoustic elements, and new speakers—all set to debut in time for the upcoming season. This project has been in development for more than two years...
Art in Bloom
Holly Keris, J. Wayne & Delores Barr Weaver Chief Curator Drawing upon the Cummer Museum’s broad permanent collection, “Art in Bloom” creates a through line from the 18th century through today by showcasing historic floral still life paintings alongside works by contemporary artists who explore nature’s bounty through a variety of media. It may seem hard to imagine, but paintings of artfully arranged cut flowers did...
For the Love of Guana The Quiet Power of a Protected Coast
By Vanessa K. Harper Photos by Craig O’Neal Land as Old as Time At sunrise, Guana feels suspended in time. Light lifts slowly across the estuary, catching the edges of sawgrass and open water. A great blue heron moves through the shallows before lifting suddenly into the morning sky. Moments like this can feel timeless. But they are not. Places like Guana do not exist by accident. They exist because, over generations, people...
Freedom Flies The Ark Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation
By Judith Leroux Photography by Stan Hill The cage door opens and one foot steps slowly forward, as if questioning if this can really be happening. Who can blame him, after a month on the inside? Another foot soon follows, and his huge brown eyes slowly scan the landscape, blinking as the afternoon sun hits his face. But the majestic barred owl’s time behind bars is really over, and as delighted human onlookers watch, he...
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