"A wonderful thing is happening at West Bay. Like a sandhill crane chick struggling to crack its shell and begin engaging with its environment, an Audubon West Bay Nature Center is emerging from the shell of an idea between St. Joe and Audubon, to engage with and influence the people of this region."

– David Anderson, Executive Director,
Audubon of Florida

Stewards for the Next Generation

Creating the West Bay Preservation Area

Over the past decade, through sales of public and private conservation land, JOE has protected more than 170,000 acres, or more than 250 square miles, to date. Many of Northwest Florida's state parks, state forests and wildlife refuges were created in part with JOE land.

Now, JOE is helping to create the West Bay Preservation Area, a 41,000-acre conservation area designed to protect an entire watershed, including 33 miles of shoreline and an additional 44 miles of creeks and tributaries.

JOE is working closely with Audubon of Florida to establish a state-of-the-art nature center to anchor the West Bay Preservation Area. Audubon is focused on creating both a gateway to passive recreation opportunities in West Bay and a world-class education program to help inspire the next generation of environmentalists.