Thornton Family Donates 400 Island Acres To Land Trust

The Thornton Family of Amelia Island has donated almost 400 acres of wetlands to The North Florida Land Trust (NFLT), the organization said in an announcement Thursday.

The property is located just west of Fort Clinch State Park and north of Atlantic Avenue, consisting of wetlands.

The NFLT said in its press release said the Thornton Family donated the land with the intention of retaining its natural state.

"Normally we measure conservation success on the island in inches, but nearly 400 acres? Oh my," said Allison DeFoor, president and CEO of NFLT. "We reached out to the family trying to purchase the property and they came back and said we'd like to donate the land. How gracious and generous can you be?"

DeFoor, who has property on North Fletcher, said the impact of the donation is increible.

“By saving this land, we are saving an essential piece of Amelia Island,”  DeFoor said in NFLT’s media announcement. “When you visit Fort Clinch or just drive down Atlantic Avenue and see the green and open space, you will know the beautiful landscape next door will remain that way forever. The marshes will never be filled in, and bulldozers will never be seen here. It is a great day for conservation.”

The NFLT said the property will be called the Thornton Family Preserve. The 396-acre tract is located within the Atlantic to Okefenokee (A2O) Conservation Corridor, which was designated as a 2025 Florida Forever Priority Project by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Acquisition and Restoration Council (ARC).

“My family, once a resident on Amelia Island, with a home on Egans Creek, spent numerous hours boating, fishing, crabbing, and just watching the numerous species of birds and other wildlife present in the marsh,” said Jack Thornton. “Watching the sunrise with a cup of coffee in hand is an amazing way to start your day. Even more relaxing is enjoying your favorite beverage while watching the sunset bring out the nocturnal creatures, and the marsh’s character changes once again. We as a family felt that something as beautiful as the marsh, which had given us such enjoyment, should be preserved for others to experience.”

The North Florida Land Trust (NFLT) was founded in 1999 and is a local land conservation 501(c)(3) organization committed to protecting and preserving the natural landscape and ecosystems of North Florida. Throughout its 25-year history, NFLT has remained steadfast in its focus on preserving the most ecologically, agriculturally, and historically significant lands in North Florida. NFLT has a core service area of seven counties in the region: Nassau, Duval, Clay, St. Johns, Putnam, Baker, and Flagler. Within these seven counties and the O2O (Osceola to Ocala Corridor), NFLT has conserved more than 41,000 acres, including coastal salt marshes, pine forests, cypress swamps, and beaches, all of which play an integral role in our region’s remarkable array of ecosystems.