North Florida Land Trust and the City of Fernandina Beach Partner to Extend Egans Creek Greenway
The two worked together to acquire and preserve two properties along Egans Creek
Jacksonville, Fla., Oct. 5, 2026 – North Florida Land Trust (NFLT) and the City of Fernandina Beach have partnered to preserve nearly 10 acres of land over two properties that will help connect additional conservation lands to the Egans Creek Greenway. One property, totaling nearly nine acres, was donated by Sherry Quattlebaum, and the second property, approximately one acre, was purchased from Pineland Holding Company, LLC. The City of Fernandina Beach now owns and manages both properties, which will become additional conservation and recreation lands.
NFLT and the City of Fernandina Beach recently renewed a Memorandum of Understanding to work together for conservation. Per the agreement, both parties identify properties of mutual interest for conservation, and each contributes funding towards the acquisition. The funding from NFLT comes from the Amelia Forever Fund, which was established in 2019 to acquire remaining natural spaces on Amelia Island.
“It was great that we could hit the ground running after restarting our partnership with the City of Fernandina Beach to find and protect property for future generations,” said Allison DeFoor, president and CEO of NFLT. “Egans Creek Greenway is an amazing community asset and adding land will increase the ecosystem benefits including providing a wildlife corridor that is uninhibited by development. Now these properties will remain in their natural state forever.”
Sherry Quattlebaum, who had a dual career as a schoolteacher and a real estate professional, had acquired the property in the early 2000s. She decided to donate the land she owned along Egans Creek as part of her estate planning. After some discussions with others about how to proceed, Quattlebaum determined working with NFLT was the best option.
“Over the years, I have seen articles about the land trust’s work and felt that it was advantageous to work with them to donate the land to the city,” said Sherry Quattlebaum. “The land is located within an area that is also a wildlife corridor, and my hope was it would become a continuation of the greenway. The people at NFLT have been wonderful to work with, especially Ramesh (NFLT Director of Conservation Acquisitions). He has been exceptionally cooperative to help this come together.”
The Quattlebaum property is almost entirely wetlands buffering Egans Creek. Ms. Quattlebaum donated the land to the City of Fernandina Beach through NFLT to ensure it remained natural and could be an amenity to the residents of Fernandina Beach.
“We are honored to accept the Quattlebaum Property and grateful to Ms. Quattlebaum for recognizing the importance of preserving this land for our community,” said City Manager Sarah Campbell. “We also appreciate the North Florida Land Trust's partnership in making this conservation effort possible. Together, these efforts will help protect the natural character of this property, its wetlands and Egans Creek, while creating a lasting legacy for the residents of Fernandina Beach. This is truly a gift that will benefit generations to come.”
With funding from the Amelia Forever Fund, the City of Fernandina Beach, and a large donation from a private funder on Amelia Island, NFLT helped protect the one-acre Pineland Holding property, which consists of uplands with direct frontage on Sadler Road and connects to Egans Creek Greenway. Its location and characteristics made it a target for development, but the owner chose to protect it for future generations by selling it at a discount for conservation to NFLT and the City of Fernandina Beach.
"We're very thankful the North Florida Land Trust worked with us to make this happen in such a positive way,” said John Adler, owner of Pineland Holding Company, LLC. “The Land Trust's care for conservation is so important to keeping the wonderful natural character of Fernandina Beach. We applaud the organization and the people who work for it."
Ron Sapp Egans Creek Greenway is a protected area of over 300 acres that runs north to south along Egans Creek. It is an ecological and community asset that is open to the public as an undeveloped park for passive recreational use. It includes a network of trails, benches and interpretative displays and supports a wide range of wildlife including alligators, snakes, marsh rabbits, and many birds, which can be enjoyed from a distance.
About North Florida Land Trust
North Florida Land Trust is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to preserving and enhancing the quality of life by protecting North Florida's irreplaceable natural environment. Founded in 1999, NFLT has preserved tens of thousands of acres of land through the donation or purchase of land as well as conservation easements. NFLT is funded largely by private and corporate contributions and works closely with willing landowners and public agencies at all levels of government, not-for-profit partners, and foundations. For more information, visit www.nflt.org.