At the entrance of Black Lake Preserve, Alachua County Commission chair Ken Cornell cut a luscious green vine stretched across the trail to signify the park’s opening Friday morning.
Located south of Lake Santa Fe in Melrose, Black Lake Preserve is a 287-acre nature preserve. It offers a 500-foot paved path and opportunities for hiking, including a 1-mile loop and a 2-mile trail.
Roughly 40 residents gathered at the preserve’s entrance Friday morning, eager to walk the trails for the first time. But before the vine cutting, attendees honored the preserve’s origin.
Instead of becoming a neighborhood as originally planned, the Alachua County Forever conservation program bought the area for $2.3 million in 2020. The program used funds from the voter-approved Wild Spaces Public Places surtax, which funds local parks and land conservation.
Black Lake Preserve is one of only two nature parks in and around Melrose. Little Lake Santa Fe Preserve, another recent addition, opened in Waldo last month.
“The people that live out here deserve the same access to protection, walkable, natural land as anyone else in this county,” Cornell said.
Jeff Million, 69, and Jill Conti, 65, attended the ceremony. The Melrose residents go on walks together every day, but they didn’t have a nearby trail to hike. They said they would walk along the road or drive 24 minutes to Gainesville to walk at Sweetwater Wetlands Park.
Now, they don’t have to travel far to get a change of scenery for their walks.
“I think this will be a good outlet for at least the people around here,” Million said. “At some point, the Gainesville people will probably like to come out here.”
Stephen Hofstetter, the director of the Alachua County Environmental Protection Department, spoke about the land’s environmental impacts at Friday’s ceremony.
Millions of gallons of rainwater are stored in the wetland in and around the property, he said. The rainwater is filtered and slowly released into the Santa Fe River and lake, he added.
“That is one of the reasons we protect lands like this,” Hofstetter said. “If this was a subdivision, we don't know where that water would be, and it would probably be dirty and potentially impacting others.”
The preserve is also home to two threatened carnivorous plants: the hooded pitcher plant and the spoonleaf sundew. Visitors may also spot native wildlife like gopher tortoises and southern fox squirrels.
Ryan Kennelly, Alachua County Forever’s land stewardship coordinator, said the land has been protected from development because residents support conservation efforts.
He said he thinks the preserve is a place many people can enjoy, and he’s excited to see how visitors like it.
“Our staff have worked really hard over many years of getting this place ready, and we are ecstatic to get to share it with you,” Kennelly said.
After the vine cutting, attendees followed Corey Gillis, Alachua County’s environmental specialist, on a guided group walk. Participants were the first to walk the preserve and learn about the land.
The preserve is open every day from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. From October to March, it will close at 6 p.m.
Contact Teia Williams at twilliams@alligator.org. Follow her on X @teia_williams.
Teia Williams is a journalism student and in her second semester at The Alligator. She is a lifestyle and general assignment for The Avenue. In her free time she is constantly reading, going to concerts, or talking about her favorite celebrities.
