Blackwater River State Forest

Located in Northwestern Florida

The Blackwater River State Forest, a woodland abundant in plant and animal life, lies in northwestern Florida's Panhandle. The Blackwater River for which it is named is a rare example of a shifting sand bottom stream encompassed by gently rolling lands. Of the forest's many ecosystems, the most well-known is its longleaf pine and wiregrass ecosystem. Within that community are many species classified as endangered, threatened, or species of special concern.

The Need for Trees

It is part of the largest ecological community of its type anywhere in the world. Sadly, this system has declined to less than 5% of the original 60 million acres it once covered in the southeastern United States. An exceptional source of biodiversity, pinelands provide habitat to more than 30 threatened or endangered plant and animal species. Plus, the superior quality of sustainable longleaf pine timber increases their economic value.

What We Did

Precise attention to the balance life is crucial for survival. For that reason the Arbor Day Foundation helped replant 906 acres of the Blackwater River State Forest with 165,000 longleaf pine trees. Restoring such an area will help maintain the precarious balance among species. These new pines will help clean air and water, sustaining the ecosystems within as well as restoring a beautiful natural site that lures 21st-century people back into nature’s spell.

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