North Florida Land Trust Receives Donation of Nearly 400 Acres on Amelia Island

The land is adjacent to Ft. Clinch State Park and Egans Creek and will now be preserved forever

Jacksonville, Fla., Dec. 13, 2024 – North Florida Land Trust (NFLT) scored a big win for conservation on Amelia Island, thanks to a generous donation from the Thornton Family. The family donated approximately 396 acres to the nonprofit land conservation organization to ensure it would remain in its natural state forever. The property is adjacent to Ft. Clinch State Park and runs about two miles between the state park and Egan’s Creek. It is within the Ft. Clinch Optimum Boundary, and protecting the land protects the state park. It is also in NFLT's Salt Marsh and Coastal Resilience Priority Preservation Area.

“This is a huge deal for Amelia Island, and we are so grateful to the Thornton family for contacting us and donating this beautiful piece of property,” said Allison DeFoor, president and CEO of NFLT. “By saving this land, we are saving an essential piece of Amelia Island. When you visit Fort Clinch or just drive down Atlantic Ave. and see the green and open space, you will know the beautiful landscape next door will remain that way forever. The marshes will never be filled in, and bulldozers will never be seen here. It is a great day for conservation.”

The property was named Thornton’s Family Preserve for the family, who ensured this place was preserved by donating it to NFLT. It is a mix of salt marsh, mixed scrub-shrub wetlands, and maritime hammock habitats. While assessing the property, NFLT staff have seen many native species, including white-tail deer, American alligators, bottlenose dolphins, roseate spoonbill, wood stork, snowy egret, great blue heron, great egret, anhinga and fiddler crabs.

“My family, once a resident on Amelia Island, with a home on Egans Creek, spent numerous hours boating, fishing, crabbing, and just watching the numerous species of birds and other wildlife present in the marsh,” said Jack Thornton. “Watching the sunrise with a cup of coffee in hand is an amazing way to start your day. Even more relaxing is enjoying your favorite beverage while watching the sunset bring out the nocturnal creatures, and the marsh’s character changes once again. We as a family felt that something as beautiful as the marsh, which had given us such enjoyment, should be preserved for others to experience.”

While the land was donated for preservation, transaction costs are associated with adding it to the NFLT portfolio. Those costs were covered by NFLT’s Amelia Forever Fund, which residents of Amelia Island and NFLT created in 2019 to preserve natural spaces on the island. For more information on how to get involved, visit nflt.org/ameliaforever/.

In addition to being part of NFLT’s Salt Marsh and Coastal Resilience Priority Preservation Area, this land is also within the Atlantic to Okefenokee Conservation Corridor (A2O). The A2O stretches from the Atlantic Ocean on the east coast to the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge to the west, with 55,864 acres that NFLT and Nassau County hope to preserve. Earlier this year, the A2O was approved for inclusion in the 2025 Florida Forever Priority List by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Acquisition and Restoration Council (ARC).

About North Florida Land Trust

North Florida Land Trust is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to preserving and enhancing quality of life by protecting North Florida's irreplaceable natural environment. Founded in 1999, NFLT has preserved tens of thousands of acres of land through the donation or purchase of land as well as conservation easements. NFLT is funded largely by private and corporate contributions and works closely with willing landowners and public agencies at all levels of government, not-for-profit partners, and foundations. For more information, visit nflt.org.