On Tuesday 30 July 2002, Archbold Biological Station, in southern Highlands County, Florida, purchased 3,648 acres (1476 ha) along the Station’s west boundary from the J.M McJunkin Family Limited Partnership. The purchase was funded by a private donation to Archbold, which is an ecological research facility founded by Richard Archbold in 1941. The purchased land, approximately 3¾ miles N-S by 1½ mile E-W, includes scrub habitat and flatwoods, although a substantial proportion is pasture. The site supports many special and interesting species of conservation concern such as Florida scrub-jays, sand skinks, burrowing owls, and crested caracaras. Dr. Mary Hufty, President of Archbold’s Board of Trustees, said, "staff and trustees are absolutely delighted that we have been able to complete this acquisition, which will be called ‘the Archbold Reserve.’ It presents Archbold with many new opportunities, and the land will act as an important buffer for the pristine scrub habitats of the Station."

Archbold’s acquisition complements another recent purchase by the state of Florida for a further 730 acres of scrub habitat to the north, completing a landscape linkage between Archbold Station, the new acquisition, and the Lake Placid Scrub Wildlife and Environmental Area, managed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The new property also provides an important conservation landscape linkage between Archbold and adjacent properties that drain west into Bootheel Creek and then south into Fisheating Creek. The McJunkin family are pleased with the sale to Archbold; David McJunkin said "it is rare nowadays to sell a family ranch in Florida and still be able to look forward to coming back in future years to visit a landscape that will look pretty similar to the one we grew up in as kids."

Archbold’s long-term goals for the property are to restore the natural communities and ecological processes on this site while retaining sustainable agriculture and other rural land uses. The Station’s detailed plans for the property will take time to develop; staff need to complete a biological inventory of the property and Archbold will consider many possible options for future years. These are likely to include: scrub, forest, and wetland restoration; cattle grazing; and other rural land uses.

Archbold, as a research organization, is excited about the prospects the property offers for scientific studies in the new field of restoration ecology, and the opportunities it presents for education training. The Station has just been awarded a National Science Foundation grant to help plan for future research, education and land management activities on this site. Dr. Hilary Swain, Executive Director of Archbold, "is looking forward to working with partners in the scientific, agricultural and conservation communities, and with state and federal agencies, to design and implement projects that will examine the effectiveness of different ecological restoration techniques. We see this acquisition as the start of a brand new research, education, and conservation venture, and our efforts are likely to last many decades."

This project will build on Archbold’s strengths in traditional ecological research, conducted in the pristine scrub habitats of the Station, and the increasing understanding of the functioning of the working agricultural landscapes from its agro-ecology studies at the MacArthur Agro-ecology Research Center at Buck Island Ranch. Archbold hopes the new acquisition will provide scientific findings and practical land management demonstrations that will be relevant regionally, and nationally, for other landowners considering a restoration approach.

For more information about Archbold explore www.archbold-station.org

Hilary Swain, Ph.D, Executive Director
Archbold Biological Station, PO Box 2057, Lake Placid, FL 33862
telephone: 863-465-2571    fax: 863-699-1927   send email

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