North Florida Land Trust Highlights Local Habitats With Interpretive Signage

The 463-acre property, acquired by North Florida Land Trust (NFLT) in 2019, lies within the Ocala to Osceola (O2O) Wildlife Corridor—a vital 1.6-million-acre expanse of public and private lands that bridges the Ocala and Osceola National Forests and serves as an essential component of the broader Florida Wildlife Corridor. Previously, hikers on the Florida Trail near Smith Lake Preserve were forced to navigate a busy roadway due to a gap in the trail. Thanks to a recent reroute through the preserve, hikers can now enjoy a much safer and more scenic path that winds through sandhill, scrub, and oak hammock habitats.

With the preserve now accessible to through-hikers and undergoing significant ecological restoration, NFLT recognized a unique opportunity to engage trail users and highlight the value of conservation in the region. To support this effort, NFLT submitted a proposal to the NextEra Energy Foundation—the philanthropic arm of Florida Power & Light Company (FPL)—requesting support for the installation of six interpretive panels along the Smith Lake section of the trail. The foundation responded with enthusiastic approval.

Along the trail, the signs explain the habitats and wildlife found throughout Smith Lake Preserve. Panel topics include the role of fire in maintaining an ecosystem; a description of the increasingly rare sandhill habitat; an examination of the Florida Scrub habitat; and a review of the significance of wet prairies and lake habitats. The signs also showcase the birds found in Smith Lake Preserve including the sandhill crane, great blue heron, little blue heron, anhinga, snowy egret, great egret, and American robin. There is also a panel about NFLT’s unofficial mascot the gopher tortoise, a keystone species found within the preserve, and which is protected under state law.

NFLT had used Pannier for several prior sign projects including interpretative panels at Little NaNa Dune in Amelia Island and Bogey Creek Preserve. It was a natural and obvious choice to use Pannier for this project. This particular project had a very tight turnaround and was very high profile. The panels also contained a lot of content—both copy and images. The team at Pannier was communicative, thorough, proactive, responsive, and patient. There were a lot of moving parts on our side which did not allow for a cushion during production. Tori, Emily, and Shannon were all absolutely stellar to work with.

- Sarah Hande, Communications Officer at North Florida Land Trust

NFLT has seen an increase in trail visitors so far, and these interpretive signs will continue to increase traffic and educate hikers along the trail for many years to come. Pannier has proudly served the conservation industry for the past 45 years with our durable signage products. To learn more about our products or get a quote, please fill out a contact form.