VERO BEACH — On November 4th Indian River Land Trust Chairman Stephanie Smith and her husband Orin welcomed back the Land Trust’s Directors and Advisors from their summer travels with a reception at Quail Valley River Club. The event also launched the organization’s 20th anniversary celebration.
Established in 1990, Indian River Land Trust has been dedicated to retaining the character that makes Indian River County unique by preserving its environmentally important land and water resources. Thanks to the leadership of the Board of Directors and Advisors and the generous support of its membership, the Land Trust’s accomplishments over the last twenty years have been significant.
In 1993 they established a fund to enable to the protection of sea turtle habitat in the Archie Carr National Wildlife Refuge and began a ten year project to purchase and restore McKee Botanical Garden. In 2006, the Land Trust developed the St. Sebastian River Greenway Plan and assisted the County with conservation easements in 2007, protecting more than 2,000 acres of agricultural land.
More recent projects include the Lagoon Greenway, a multi-agency effort to establish and manage miles of trails and boardwalks across 187 acres of conservation lands along the Indian River Lagoon. Phase A of the project is estimated to be completed in March 2011.
The Land Trust’s 2009 purchase of two parcels totaling eight acres will allow county residents and guests to enjoy a walking tour through a 40-acre block of conservation lands to a boardwalk and pier to view the Lagoon and its wildlife. This newly acquired property was named the Toni Robinson Waterfront Trail in honor of the organization’s first Chairman of the Board and now Director Emerita.
The organization’s latest land purchases this summer and fall will protect more than 50 acres of conservation land including one of the last remaining salt marshes in the county, and will provide a future kayak launch for Land Trust members and guests.
As the Land Trust looks to the future, it will focus efforts on preserving habitats along the Indian River Lagoon, protecting scenic waterfront views and providing opportunities for public recreation.
For more information call 772-794-0701 or visit www.irlt.org.