Media Release

ALACHUA COUNTY, FL – The Alachua County Environmental Protection Department and the City of Gainesville Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department are pleased to announce the upcoming habitat restoration projects at Boulware Springs Nature Park (3300 SE 15 Street, Gainesville) and Sweetwater Preserve (95 SE Williston Road, Gainesville). The long-term goal of the restoration is to bring back the former Sandhill habitat and restore biodiversity to the site. This work will be initiated before the end of this year, with the removal of hardwood trees not native to Sandhill habitat.

The upcoming tree removal will require the temporary closure of the portion of the Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail adjacent to the park. Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail bicycle and pedestrian traffic will be re-routed around the closed segment of the trail for an undetermined, but short, period of time before the end of the year. When the project begins, barricades, and signage will be posted on the trail, and maps showing the detour will be posted on the City of Gainesville’s and Alachua County’s websites. Additionally the East Trail and trailhead at Sweetwater Preserve, adjacent to the Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail, will be closed for the duration of the restoration project. Active tree removal will take about one week, but the restoration will be ongoing for a number of years.

The south entrance to Boulware Springs will remain open, and the Gainesville-Hawthorne Trail between Boulware Springs and Hawthorne will not be affected throughout the restoration process.

For more information, contact Alachua County Environmental Protection Department Land Conservation Biologist, Sandra Vardaman at 352-264-6803 or SMVardaman@alachuacounty.us, or City of Gainesville Nature Operations Manager, Linda Demetropoulos, at 352-393-8445 or demetropls@cityofgainesville.org.

For project details and updates, visit the Alachua County Environmental Protection Department’s Land Conservation News website, or the City of Gainesville’s Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Affairs website.