Hurricane Nicole played havoc with the initial date of the Indian River Land Trust’s Annual Benefit at Rock City Gardens, but the replacement evening a month later was glorious, even boasting a bright full moon to enhance the glow of a multitude of twinkling lights.
Guests wandered about during the cocktail hour, nibbling on hors d’oeuvres and mingling with one another before enjoying a dinner buffet under the stars, prepared by Elizabeth Kennedy Catering.
The event is the major fundraiser for the nonprofit, supporting its efforts to preserve, conserve and improve our area’s natural resources, with a particular effort on protecting the land that protects the lagoon.
There was much to celebrate that evening, as the IRLT was one of the key advocates for the county’s $50 million environmental land bond referendum, which was overwhelmingly passed by more than 78 percent of voters in November.
“County funding will complement the Land Trust’s conservation efforts and leverage millions more in grants to protect our local waterways, critically important wildlife corridors, and water recharge areas before they are lost forever,” said Ken Grudens, IRLT executive director.
“As the Land Trust looks to the future, it will be expanding its efforts to support research and education through a state-of-the-art living classroom at its 226-acre Coastal Oaks Preserve.”
There, through an array of partnerships with other organizations, including the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, adults and youth will be engaged in programs to further open the door to research on the lagoon and the myriad natural habitats found in the region.
“It will be a place like no other to gather, learn and share,” said Grudens.
And, thanks to a tremendous gift received last spring, he said the IRLT has recently embarked on a new initiative to accelerate the elimination of residential septic systems that are polluting our lagoon.
“To begin with, the Land Trust is partnering with the Clean Water Coalition of Indian River County with match funding in an effort to eliminate septic systems in a low-income neighborhood impacting the Lagoon,” said Grudens.
Over the past 30 years, the IRLT has protected 1,200 acres of land, including 12 miles of Indian River Lagoon shoreline. The properties are actively managed by removing invasive plants and replacing them with native species to restore wildlife habitats.
Public access for hiking and biking is allowed at the Toni Robinson Waterfront Trail and the Lagoon Greenway, and the IRLT offers guided tours of some of the others, such as Bee Gum Point, a 111-acre property that is part of the Atlantic Flyway for migrating birds.
For more information, visit IRLT.org.
Photos by Joshua Kodis
