North Florida Land Trust preserves nearly 400 acres on Amelia Island

The views, thoughts and opinions expressed in this blog are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Land Trust Alliance, its staff, its board of directors or any other individuals associated with the organization.

North Florida Land Trust 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 the land trust'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 North Florida Land Trust. “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 North Florida Land Trust. It is a mix of salt marsh, mixed scrub-shrub wetlands and maritime hammock habitats. While assessing the property, land trust 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 land trust's portfolio. Those costs were covered by North Florida Land Trust’s Amelia Forever Fund, which residents of Amelia Island and the land trust created in 2019 to preserve natural spaces on the island.

In addition to being part of North Florida Land Trust’s Salt Marsh and Coastal Resilience Priority Preservation Area, this land is also within the Atlantic to Okefenokee Conservation Corridor, or A20. 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 North Florida Land Trust 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.

For more information about the story, contact Kelly White.

This blog was adapted from a North Florida Land Trust news release.