ELM Why statement

Why do we do what we do?

Every organization has a driving purpose, a reason for bringing people together, a goal that they're working towards. Recently, our team sat down together to figure out just what our purpose is- to figure out our "why."

We brought together a team made up of people from every level of our organization who met every week, talking over our purpose together to condense hundreds of "why's" into one cohesive, inspiring, and accurate phrase.

What we came up with is a sentence that describes our main reasons for coming to work every day- although there are so many reasons that we do what we do, these are the basic, fundamental building blocks that inspire us.

To passionately steward our conservation lands

We work on some of the most amazing conservation lands in the state of Florida. Thanks to the Jan K. Platt Environmental Lands Acquisition and Protection Program (ELAPP), Hillsborough County has over 63,000 acres worth of nature preserves, covering gorgeous coastal areas, wooded uplands, and sandy scrub.

These nature preserves aren't just acquired and then left alone- many of them were disturbed by cattle grazing, mining, or logging before they were preserved, and some suffered from a lack of prescribed fire and became unnaturally overgrown. To keep this land healthy, we manage it- we use prescribed fire,  remove invasive species, maintain boundaries, survey rare native species, and much, much more.

We do what we do because we are passionate about keeping these natural areas healthy. 

We passionately steward our nature preserves for the benefit of all the species that call them home, in order to preserve the beauty and balance of Hillsborough County's amazing ecosystems.

while inspiring lifelong champions

We can't take care of these lands alone! The ELAPP program is run by citizen committees, dedicated people who see the worth of these lands in more than just dollars. They are our champions, and part of our job is to inspire our visitors and residents to care for, preserve, and enrich our conservation lands and our program.

We do this by keeping preserves accessible for hiking,  bird watching, fishing, camping, paddling, and more - recreation that gives our visitors a chance to connect with nature. Our interpretive programs and guided tours go a step deeper, helping people learn about our unique and irreplaceable environment. We work hard to attract dedicated, hardworking volunteers, who help to keep our trails beautiful, our preserves clean, and our guided programs safe and fun.

who help us ensure our unique Florida environment thrives in perpetuity

Florida's environment truly is unique- our state has an amazing number of endemic species, plants and animals that are found nowhere else in the world. Many of these species are threatened and endangered, often due to habitat loss and degradation. Part of our job is to preserve enough sensitive environmental land to make a difference to those species. We aren't just managing for specific species, though- Florida's ecosystems have their own intrinsic worth and deserve to be protected.

By passionately stewarding our conservation lands AND inspiring others to be lifelong environmental advocates, we hope to keep Florida's unique ecosystems thriving for many years to come so that future generations will also be able to enjoy our state's amazing, wild, and singular natural areas.

To learn more about ELAPP and Hillsborough County's nature preserves and conservation parks, visit hcflgov.net/conservation