North Florida Land Trust works to protect lands that are important habitats for wildlife, plants, and the community. NFLT was founded in 1999 because there was a need to protect natural spaces that were becoming developments. Places where wildlife once called home were turning into subdivisions, shopping malls and parking lots. The founders saw the immediate need for action, and they took it. Since NFLT’s inception, we have saved over 38,000 acres of land, some of these properties we retain and manage, and some are managed by our partners in conservation.
The lands we take care of range from longleaf pine sandhills to hardwood forests to coastal marshes and wetlands. The properties are extremely important ecosystems that help prevent flooding, reduce storm surge, provide clean water and provide a home to many endangered and threatened species including the gopher tortoise, red-cockaded woodpecker, indigo snake, Western Indian manatee and the wood stork.
The care of these lands is the responsibility of Rianna Elliott, NFLT’s director of land stewardship, and her three-strong stewardship team. Elliott manages NFLT’s growing portfolio of more than 14,000 acres by creating and implementing management plans for the diverse ecosystems on our nature preserves. Each property has a unique management plan including individual projects for restoring and maintaining the habitat. She and her highly skilled team use tools such as prescribed fire, large-scale longleaf planting, and treating exotic and invasive species to promote a healthy ecosystem for both flora and fauna to thrive. Elliott is also responsible for the management of conservation easements which are properties still in the hands of landowners who have given up development rights on the properties. She works with these landowners on best practices and monitors each property to ensure these parcels remain natural for generations to come.
We asked Elliott some questions to give you more of an insight into who she is and what she does to preserve natural landscapes.
Rianna, tell us a little about your background.
My family has been in Florida for generations with land going back to the early 1800’s. I grew up farming and own a ranch in Suwannee County. I found my calling for restoration with the Florida Park Service and spent over a decade focusing on upland habitats. It was a natural transition to North Florida Land Trust where I could use my skills on a broader landscape in conservation.
What does your typical week look like?
Like most folks, I do spend some time in the office. I go over plans and meet with my team on projects we are focusing on or work in the field with them as we implement practices to benefit wildlife. I meet with partners to strategize on collaborative actions that we all practice but by working together we accomplish so much more. I also work with other departments to assist with the common mission of NFLT. It may be assisting acquisitions with a site tour at a potential property or working with our development team on tours of our preserves for members and donors.
Does the stewardship department play a role before the acquisition of a property?
Prior to the acquisition of any property or the addition of a conservation easement, our land stewardship team will tour each property to see if and how it would fit into our portfolio. We look at what type of management needs to occur and how intensive it will need to be. This way we can be ready with the tools required to manage and maintain the property according to its individual plan.
What happens once NFLT acquires land?
When NFLT acquires a preserve, I have already visited the property multiple times. It is then that we write an initial unit management plan to address what the property is; what it requires; and what tools we need to meet our objectives. This plan is then reviewed every five years to see how far we have come and where to go from there.
What does it take to manage land?
There are many moving parts to managing a piece of land and two of the most important are patience and time. Nature is incredible when it comes to knowing what it needs, and my team’s role is to help it get there. Sometimes that means opening the canopy so more sunlight may hit the ground and give space for all the native species waiting for their time to shine. Maybe it’s knowing the right season for prescribed fire so the plants that are serotinous open themselves up so seeds can land on the sandy soil below. Other times it means going to battle with exotic/invasive species to protect the space for natives to thrive and flourish. Mostly it is listening to the land and doing what it takes for it to sustain its habitat for wildlife to live wild in these safe places we have given them.
How often do you have to do maintenance?
Every day. Maintenance is a broad word and includes many tasks. We annually monitor all our properties whether it is a preserve or a conservation easement. This document lets us know what has changed or improved from the previous year and gives us directions on where to go from there. This could be updating maps, burn prescriptions, discing fire lines, repairing fences, or surveying exotics. Every day is a new task for all of us whether we are working as a team, or we divide and conquer.
What is the most difficult part about land management?
Remembering that our properties have boundaries and neighbors. We strive to have good relationships with all our partners and keep them up to speed on the projects adjacent to lands that affect them. This may mean making phone calls on the days leading up to the prescribed fire or chatting over the fence while planting trees. Keeping the community informed allows us the opportunity to have great relationships and understanding of our goals on these beautiful lands.
What has changed since you joined NFLT?
When I first came into this position, NFLT relied greatly on contractors to provide the work on restoration projects on our preserves. Through the hard work of many different people from all our departments we have been able to acquire the equipment and staff to bring these activities in-house. Whether it is opening ephemeral wetlands so amphibians can move freely between the ponds or using prescribed fire on a sandhill, all the stewardship staff are trained and certified to complete these tasks.
Do you need or accept volunteer help?
We love volunteers. We have opportunities throughout the year to come out and be a part of a project to improve these preserves. It may be a Saturday when we are planting trees, removing exotic species, or picking up litter. We also have an internship program for students to work with us and learn hands-on how we work at restoring these properties.
What is your favorite thing about the job?
Every day is different and exciting. Some days we may be kayaking through a salt marsh monitoring a wetland, or assisting another department on a site visit for a property we are trying to preserve, or seeing healthy wildlife move back into a place they had previously left due to an unhealthy ecosystem. Knowing every day I am doing my best to make each property better than it was yesterday and keep it safe for generations to come.
Is there any property that has become your favorite?
There are so many to pick from but right now I am enjoying Putnam Lakes Preserve in Putnam County. It has numerous ponds and wetlands throughout, and the southern border is Little Orange Creek. This preserve has deer, turkey, alligators, fish, frogs, and everything in between.
