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Conservation History

Historical Treatment of the Land

Throughout the history of UWF, construction has been concentrated within the area now known as East Campus. Meanwhile, the entirety of West Campus as well as small areas within East Campus were appreciated for their natural beauty and left undeveloped. The addition of trails began with the Edward Ball Nature Trail in 1969, and they grew to meander through most natural areas on campus.

However, lack of development alone did not protect this land’s ecology from degradation. One of the most significant UWF natural ecosystems is a secondary longleaf pine forest. This ecosystem is still recovering from extensive logging that occurred prior to the University’s founding, along with being deprived of essential ecological fires. This forest has been fire-deprived for many decades, leading to an alteration in the landscape wherein the native Longleaf forest has been replaced with a mixed pine and hardwood ecosystem.

Protection of the UWF Conservation Areas

In the Fall of 2024, UWF began efforts to protect the natural lands at UWF through amendments to the University’s lease, leading to a unanimous vote to prevent future development in Conservation Areas by the UWF Board of Trustees. The protection of these Conservation Areas is also supported through several UWF planning documents, including the 2021-2031 UWF Comprehensive Campus Master Plan and the UWF 2022-2027 Strategic Plan.

Creation of the UWF Conservation Program

In addition to creating the UWF Conservation Areas, the 2021-2031 UWF Comprehensive Campus Master Plan laid the foundation for a University conservation program through Conservation Policy 2.1.3: “Establish an environmental stewardship program for the university to follow.”

Throughout the 2023-2024 academic year, Director of Conservation Chasidy Hobbs worked with undergraduate students to build a plan for such a program. These collaborative efforts led to a conservation program plan proposal approved by UWF President Saunders in June 2024, establishing the UWF Conservation Program.