Keeping Florida’s wild places connected: Celebrating National Public Lands Day

This National Public Lands Day, Trust for Public Land is celebrating the people, partnerships and public support that make it possible to protect the places that define Florida and ensure they remain connected, accessible and protected for generations to come.

In Florida, that work has never been more important. From wetlands and forests to trails and wildlife habitats, Florida's public lands provide space for wildlife, clean water, recreation and connection to nature. For more than 50 years, TPL has worked alongside communities and conservation partners to protect these special places. Today, TPL has helped protect more than 185,000 acres across Florida through more than 470 projects.

At the heart of this work is the Florida Wildlife Corridor, an extraordinary network of connected conservation lands spanning nearly 18 million acres. The Corridor provides essential habitat for wildlife, protects drinking water, supports working lands and rural communities, and creates opportunities for people to experience Florida's wild places.

TPL has helped conserve more than 110,000 acres within the Florida Wildlife Corridor, including landscapes such as Everglades National Park, Tate's Hell State Forest, Bald Point State Park and other critical conservation areas.

But protecting individual properties is only part of the challenge. The long-term vision is a connected landscape where wildlife can move, ecosystems can thrive and people can enjoy Florida's natural heritage.

That is why partnerships and critical funding matter so much.

In 2026, TPL launched a new partnership with the Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation and the Florida Trail Association to protect the Corridor and improve and expand the Florida National Scenic Trail. The partnership is supporting trailheads, public entry points and other improvements that will help Floridians experience these landscapes firsthand. Together, the organizations are working to close critical gaps, improve trail access, and connect more people to the landscapes that make Florida unique.

A day to give back to the places that give us so much

National Public Lands Day is a chance to celebrate these places – and to recognize that their future depends on all of us.

This year, National Public Lands Day also serves as Trust for Public Land's Giving Day, a moment to come together and invest in the work of protecting public lands and expanding access to the outdoors.

Every acre protected represents something bigger: a place where wildlife can thrive, a trail where a family can explore, a forest that can filter our water or a landscape that can remain wild for generations.

This National Public Lands Day help keep Florida's wild places connected. Support Trust for Public Land and protect the lands and trails that belong to all of us: tpl.org/nationalpubliclandsday.

Trust for Public Land was founded in 1972. For more information or to support Trust for Public Land in Florida, visit tpl.org/state/florida or contact the Florida office at 850-222-7911 or [email protected]