JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – North Florida Land Trust has a chance to expand the Bogey Creek Preserve, the organization’s first public park, by 12 acres, but they need the public’s help.
The nonprofit land conservation organization must raise $150,000 by October to purchase the 12 acres of land, which are currently owned by the McGehee family.
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The family contacted NFLT and offered to sell the land, which contains forests and streams that will expand the preserve’s trail system and will also keep that land free from development.
The land is to the east and south of the preserve.
“We are thankful for the opportunity to enlarge the footprint and impact of our park and offer even more natural land for the public to enjoy,” said Jim McCarthy, president of NFLT. “The additional 12 acres will allow us to create more trails through the forest which is a beautiful example of Old Florida. We also look forward to growing our educational programming that we offer out at Bogey Creek. We hope the community will join us and support our efforts.”
Those wishing to donate to help preserve this property and expand the public park can visit https://www.nflt.org/donate/ and click on the Bogey Creek Expansion Initiative. Donors can also send a check marked Bogey Creek to North Florida Land Trust at 843 W. Monroe St., Jacksonville, FL, 32202. Donors can also contact Megan Mangiaracino at mmangiaracino@NFLT.org or call 904-479-1967.
Bogey Creek Preserve is a 75-acre scenic preserve located off Cedar Point Road in North Jacksonville and offers walking trails, a picnic area and kayak access from Clapboard Creek. The preserve is open seven days a week from dawn to dusk. The trails wind through a mix of maritime hammock forest and mixed pine-oak forest and along seep-fed cypress swamps.
The preserve neighbors Pumpkin Hill Creek Preserve State Park and the Timucuan Ecological and Historic Preserve and protects nearly one mile of critical marsh front on Clapboard and Bogey Creeks.
NFLT acquired the property in 2017 through community donations and opened it to the public in May of 2019.