Oakland Nature Preserve
The Oakland Nature Preserve is a 108 acre parcel on the western edge of the
Town of Oakland in Orange County near the
Lake County line. The land is
extremely attractive because the wooded area has over one third of a mile of
frontage on both the West Orange Trail and Lake Apopka. Of the total, 60 acres
are undisturbed forested wetlands, and 35 acres are uplands replanted in young
pine trees. With the leadership and energy of the
Friends of Lake Apopka, the
Town of Oakland received a grant of $563,000 from
Florida Communities
Trust to make this purchase.
Provided by Friends of Lake
Apopka
The mission of the Oakland Nature Preserve is to promote understanding of
the fragile balances among land, water, mankind, and the environment by
educating present and future generations about the natural ecosystems of the
Lake Apopka Basin and by restoring and conserving the lands within the Preserve.
Provided by Friends of Lake
Apopka
A non-profit corporation, The Oakland Nature Preserve, Inc., is responsible
for the development of the Preserve and generating tax deductible donations and
grants to finance our efforts. An agreement with the Town of Oakland and the
non-profit corporation, and its by-laws have been approved by the
Town
Commission.
During the past year the many volunteers supporting the Preserve have increased
their effort to over 5,500 total hours invested in the project. Volunteers have
included two Americorps
groups for two weeks each, local Rotary, Church, Boy and Girl Scout,
Disney and Chamber of Commerce
groups.
Volunteers are needed to serve on the Board of Directors, help complete plans
and budgets, and help with field work of restoration, trail blazing, and
building facilities. For more information, contact Tom Rodriguez at
407-905-0054 or email: tom@oaklandnaturepreserve.org
