Timucuan Parks Foundation receives award from Jacksonville Environmental Protection Board

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The Jacksonville Environmental Protection Board (JEPB) presented Timucuan Parks Foundation with the 2018 Environmental Achievement Award in the Community/Civic Category. 

The award was handed out at the 2018 JEPB and University of North Florida Environmental Symposium luncheon. The award is given each year to an organization that has demonstrated leadership, creativity and commitment in support of the environment.

“We are honored to receive this award from the Jacksonville Environmental Protection Board,” said Mark Middlebrook, executive director of Timucuan Parks Foundation. “This award is reflective of nearly 20 years of hard work by many, many people who have recognized how important our preserves are to the overall health and well-being of our community. We have a committed board, an extraordinary staff who bring new ideas and concepts to TPF, plus hundreds of volunteers who give up their time to help build, repair, maintain and make our parks the best in the state. I would like to congratulate all of them. This is their award.”

Timucuan Parks Foundation works side by side with city, state and national park partners to support the parks and preserves through advocacy, outreach and education, volunteer projects and fundraising. The nonprofit facilitates the partnership between the three levels of management and is the only park system in the nation with this type of collaboration.

The foundation dates back to 1999, when the Preservation Project Jacksonville, Inc. was established to identify and assist in acquiring the most vulnerable and environmentally sensitive lands in Duval County. The acquisition of lands created the largest urban park system in the United States, including more than 130 square miles of park space and preserves, more than 1,100 miles of river and tributary shoreline and Atlantic Ocean beachfront and more than 100 miles of upland trails. The Timucuan Parks Foundation works with their park partners, including the National Park Service, Florida State Parks and the City of Jacksonville, to promote environmental stewardship, the health benefits of the parks and preserves for all citizens and an appreciation for Jacksonville’s special outdoor spaces. For more information, visit timucuanparks.org.