Milton Land Conservancy Strives To Support Rural Culture

MILTON, GA — A local group is determined to help keep Milton's rural culture strong.

The idea of the Milton Land Conservancy started just over a year ago, President Elisabeth Drevet said. The group is an entirely volunteer-driven non-profit, with all donations going toward their mission.

"While volunteering with the Milton Equestrian Committee and learning about the city, it became increasingly apparent that Milton lacked an organization for its citizens to get involved and support its rural culture," Drevet said. "In many areas of the United States, equestrian communities are synonymous with local conservation, trails, wildlife and access to nature. However, this is not yet the case in Milton. As a result, we saw an opportunity to create an all volunteer non-profit and provide an organized way for the community to get involved to protect and create natural areas."

Drevet recently spoke to the Milton City Council and said the Milton Land Conservancy will focus on:

• Conservation: namely protecting Milton's natural areas for people, plants and wildlife
• Trails: whether it's maintaining or repairing existing trails, or building new trails that future generations can enjoy
• Collaboration: especially with the City of Milton, including on City-owned greenspace properties and parks
• Education: to influence people's behaviors and feelings about natural areas and wildlife

Milton Mayor Joe Lockwood said during that meeting that in recent discussions about the city's next strategic plan, "that was a big topic that everyone was interested in - the preservation of land."

And at the heart of the Milton Land Conservancy is a love for nature and Milton.

"The ability for all citizens to be able to get out and enjoy nature is extremely important to all of us for many of the obvious reasons," Drevet said. "A conservancy was a natural fit for a non-profit that supports Milton’s unique character. There are many members of the community that would like to not only see Milton keeps its natural areas, but to expand them. The possibilities that the Milton Land Conservancy creates, where like-minded community members can come together and work with the city for the sake of preservation, are endless."

Now, the group has several short-term and long-term goals they hope to accomplish, including:

• Short term
  • Get people outside
  • Help maintain existing trails and passive parks
  • Start to create a larger network of trails for passive purposes through private and public land that will allow better access to natural areas for Milton’s citizens
  • Educate and get as much of the community involved to be good stewards of nature and to learn about the extreme value land preservation creates
• Long term
  • Create a culture in Milton that promotes conservation and a better sense of community
  • Create community organizations within the non-profit that allow for a network of citizens with similar interests (birding, photography, trail riding, hiking/walking, etc.)
  • Have a large network of trails

So far, the response from the public and city has been positive, Drevet said.

"Many members of the community are passionate about this area and want to get involved to keep the character but are unsure how to initiate their involvement," Drevet said. "The conservancy is an effective and easy way for them to support this unique area. The more people that participate the more successful this organization will be. We welcome everyone to contact us and get involved in whatever way they can."

To learn more, visit the Milton Land Conservancy online.