Twenty-five people armed with backpacks, cargo pants and hats took off on a six-mile hike on a 70-degree cloudy Saturday afternoon to persuade Florida legislators to preserve the state’s wildlife.
This was the second time a group of Gainesville residents made the trek to raise awareness for environmental protection, but last Fall, the hike was in Ocala. On the day before Earth Day, the group followed the Hawthorne Trail from First Magnitude Brewing Company, located at 1220 SE Veitch St., to the La Chua Trail and back.
Rhett Barker, a 24-year-old UF wildlife ecology and conservation alumnus, said he organized the hike to tell lawmakers they should follow through on the promises they made regarding Amendment One.
In 2014, Floridians voted for Amendment One, passing legislation for what they thought would focus on land acquisition and reinstating money into the Florida Forever program, which is an environment conservation fund. Instead, funds from the amendment have been spent on small projects and maintenance for currently owned land, Barker said.
“Many Floridians live here because of the outdoors, and it would be a shame to obliterate that,” Barker said.
At the rate Florida’s population is projected to grow, its wildlife habitat is in danger of being destroyed, Barker said. In order for wildlife to truly be sustainable across large areas, itmust have a single connection — that connection being the Corridor.
The Corridor is a statewide network of land and water, which could help conserve wildlife by connecting existing pieces of land, Barker said. Large animals, such as bears, require a lot of land to live, which is why it’s imperative Florida uses the Corridor for wildlife conservation.
Lindsey Jones, a Gainesville resident, said she decided to participate in the hike because people don’t appreciate the natural area in the county.
“I really enjoy North Florida’s nature and all that it has to offer,” the 26-year-old said. “It’s important to me because I see that Gainesville is changing, and I want our nature to be protected.”
Rhett Barker, 24, lead 25 hikers down Hawthorne Trail for a six-mile hike. Saturday was the second hike organized by Barker and some friends to tell lawmakers to invest in conservation land.
