How One Conservationist is Creating an Ecological 'Hot-Spot'
M.C. Davis, an ex-gambler turned self-proclaimed environmentalist, bought 54,000 acres of land in the Florida sandhills to build the largest privately held conservation land in the southeast United States. He calls this tract of land the Nokuse Plantation, which was mostly destroyed due to agriculture and timber industry.
Prior to agricultural development, 40 million acres of land across the southwest was covered by longleaf pine trees, but it was ALL clear cut by the 1930's. M.C. Davis' 300-year vision was to restore these lands to their original condition by planting 8 million longleaf pine seedlings and re-introducing gopher tortoises, foxes, raccoons, bobcats, eagles, osprey and more.
So far, he has spend 90 million of his fortune creating this ecological 'hot-spot' and his environmental education center attracts thousands of Florida school children every year. At 70 years old, Davis will be leaving his millions to a conservation trust with hopes to inspire future generations of environmentalists. He says "I can't change [older people], but give me a fourth-grader". And at that idea, Davis smiles.
Click here to read or listen to the NPR story "Gambler-Turned-Conservationist Devotes Fortune To Florida Nature Preserve" by Melissa Block.
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Prior to agricultural development, 40 million acres of land across the southwest was covered by longleaf pine trees, but it was ALL clear cut by the 1930's. M.C. Davis' 300-year vision was to restore these lands to their original condition by planting 8 million longleaf pine seedlings and re-introducing gopher tortoises, foxes, raccoons, bobcats, eagles, osprey and more.
So far, he has spend 90 million of his fortune creating this ecological 'hot-spot' and his environmental education center attracts thousands of Florida school children every year. At 70 years old, Davis will be leaving his millions to a conservation trust with hopes to inspire future generations of environmentalists. He says "I can't change [older people], but give me a fourth-grader". And at that idea, Davis smiles.
Click here to read or listen to the NPR story "Gambler-Turned-Conservationist Devotes Fortune To Florida Nature Preserve" by Melissa Block.
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