Marlen and George Higgs with Natalie and Ken Grudens. PHOTO BY JOSHUA KODIS

Guests enjoyed a crisp, clear night under the stars at the picturesque Rock City Gardens during the Indian River Land Trust’s Annual Benefit, where they celebrated the nonprofit’s most recent, significant achievements.

Proceeds will support the Land Trust’s efforts to preserve, conserve and improve the land that protects the area’s lagoon and other natural resources.

Once through a tunnel of twinkling lights, guests wandered the gardens during the cocktail hour, before dining on a buffet catered by Elizabeth D. Kennedy & Co.

“Our board has decided to turn its attention and embrace conservation of our land and water across the entire county. Our new strategic plan recognizes this rampant growth and embraces the need for us to do more for our natural resources throughout the entire county and do it quickly to keep pace with development,” said Gregg Casalino, IRLT board chair, after noting that the county has experienced a 35 percent increase in population since their first Rock City benefit in 2004.

“We’ll continue to rely on our partnerships with prominent research institutions and governmental agencies, including the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute, the National Estuary Program, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, to continue to repair the lagoon’s degraded shoreline and important wetland habitats and then reach beyond the shores of the lagoon,” said Casalino.

“This is a tall order, and we’re going to need everybody’s help. I know all of you embrace the value of protecting our precious resources, and I have no doubt together, we will continue to make a big difference.”

Highlighting a major recent achievement, Ken Grudens, IRLT executive director, announced that the Land Trust has acquired 33 acres of conservation property along the St. Sebastian River, securing vital habitats and protecting water quality.

“This river is the only natural tributary of the Indian River Lagoon. This property is home to an amazing amount of wildlife, threatened species and globally rare fish,” said Grudens.

“This property and stretch of the river is actually threatened with large residential developments that are encroaching. By protecting this property, we’re creating an anchor and allowing ourselves to protect more of that wildlife corridor.”

The newest protected green space is in addition to the 1,200 acres of land, including 12 miles of Indian River Lagoon shoreline, accumulated over the past 30 years. The strategic acquisition continues the Land Trust’s ongoing efforts to safeguard our ecological treasures, highlighting the significance of conservation and the transformative impact of education and environmental advocacy.

The new acquisition is located on the west side of the St. Sebastian River’s South Prong and the southwestern border of the City of Sebastian. Future plans include establishing a scenic nature trail along the river, to be designated as the St. Sebastian River Greenway.

Grudens also announced that the Land Trust is on the cusp of receiving approvals for a living classroom at its 226-acre Coastal Oaks Preserve, which will create an immersive educational space to engage with and learn about the rich biodiversity of the area, bridging conservation and education to foster a deeper understanding and appreciation for our natural habitats.

“We’re excited because this property [Coastal Oaks] has a mile of lagoon waterfront, and it has nearly every habitat that you can find in the county on one property,” said Grudens.

He said they will partner with Harbor Branch, the Vero Beach Museum of Art, Environmental Learning Center and Brevard Zoo to engage adults and youth.

Thanking donors for their support, Grudens closed with a William Shakespeare quote, “‘The Earth has music for those who listen.’ Thank you for listening.”

Contemporary realist landscape artist Rick Kelly has painted a Land Trust Project series, which are available as a limited edition giclee, with a portion of the sales benefiting the Indian River Land Trust.

For more information, visit IRLT.org.

Photos by Joshua Kodis