Grant Funded Restoration
Several grants supported Riverside Conservancy’s work in 2025. Goals of the grants are to restore habitats and build resilience. Grant funding helped us enhance the ecosystem by planting marsh grasses, mangrove trees, and clam beds and installing oyster reefs.
The Conservancy partnered with more than ten other organizations in 2025 through the “Transformational Habitat Restoration” grant funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This was the first of a three-year restoration project that spans 156 miles of the Indian River Lagoon. The project involves nonprofit organizations, universities, local businesses, governmental agencies, and is coordinated by the Indian River Lagoon National Estuary Program (IRL NEP). This year, as part of this grant, the Conservancy planted 1,400 feet of shoreline and 2.5 million clams at Caron Bay in Ponce Inlet. Partners in this restoration include University of Florida’s Whitney Lab, Lagoon Solutions, Young Bear Environmental, and Bethune-Cookman University.
Working with support from the Chuck and Ernestina Kreutzkamp Foundation’s Earth Focus Initiative, Riverside Conservancy maintained one mile of shoreline planted in 2024 and restored another mile-length of shoreline in 2025. A total of 2.25 miles were actively monitored in 2025. One mile of restored living shoreline is under state ownership – the Indian River Lagoon Aquatic Preserve – while the remaining shoreline falls under local government ownership and conservation easements. This grant supports habitat critical to manatees, shorebirds, and other wildlife in the lagoon.
The St. Johns River Water Management District (SJRWMD) and IRL NEP provided support to restore a mile of shoreline. The SJRWMD grant funds shoreline planting. The IRL NEP grant funded the purchase of a truck that expands our ability to restore shoreline. The IRL NEP grant is also supporting the installation of oyster reef breaks and a sea grass planting project in Edgewater.
Again in 2025, the Litowitz Foundation helped fund Riverside Conservancy’s efforts to conserve and protect shorelines through educational outreach, restoration, and research
In total, Riverside Conservancy restoration projects planted approximately 4,000 mangrove trees and more than 3,000 marsh grasses along estuarine shorelines. Riverside also restored more than 1,000 feet of oyster reefs along shorelines in Ponce Inlet, New Smyrna Beach, and Edgewater, Florida.
Ecosystem Focus
Riverside Conservancy focused on a variety of ecosystems in 2025, including shorelines, wetlands, intertidal ranges with marsh grasses, mangroves, and oysters, sub-tidal ranges for clams and sea grass, and upland areas for native grasses and trees. According to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 14 protected species have benefited from Riverside’s estuary restoration initiatives.
Lagoon Lectures Help Educate Public
Riverside Conservancy held six public lectures at the Edgewater Public Library in 2025, attracting more than 115 guests to learn about a variety of topics. Presenters and topics included: Dr. Wendy Anderson of Stetson University – “Low-Impact Development Strategies to Mitigate Flooding, Recharge the Aquifer and Protect the Indian River Lagoon;” Kelly Young of Volusia County Environmental Management -- “Water Quality of the Mosquito Lagoon;” Kelli McGee of Riverside Conservancy – “2025 Lagoon Restoration Activities;” Dr. Katie Tripp of Natural Beauty Native Florida Landscapes – “How Native Plants Help Support Healthy Ecosystems Along the Indian River Lagoon;” Jessy Wayles of the Indian River Lagoon Council – “Turning the Tide: Ecosystem-Based Recovery in the Indian River Lagoon;” and Danny Young of Young Bear Environmental Consultants – “By Yards and Waves: An Introduction to Living Shoreline Techniques in Residential Settings.”
2025 Student Internships Offered
Once again, Riverside Conservancy offered unique hands-on learning opportunities and internships to students in 2025. Interns for 2025 were: Megan Gannon of Indiana, graduate student at Bethune-Cookman University; Alicia Dyer of Orange City, Fla., Daytona State College; Hannah Puckett of Tennessee, Stetson University; and Denae Johnson of Deland, Fla., Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Ariz.
Community Partnerships
In 2025, Riverside Conservancy continued a variety of community partnerships with local universities and civic groups,including: Southeast Volusia Audubon, Friends of Canaveral, Edgewater Rotary, Volusia County and local cities, Mid-Coast Flyfishing Club, Atlantic Center for the Arts (ACA), Stetson University, Daytona State College, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Bethune-Cookman University, University of Florida, IRL National Estuary Program, Mosquito Lagoon Aquatic Preserve System, Jazz in the Alley in Deland (sponsorship), Youth Civic Leadership Experience, Volusia ECHO, Volusia/Flagler Florida Sea Grant, and Girl Scout Troop #1172 from Edgewater. We are proud to continue and expand our community outreach.
Host for University Research and Learning
Riverside Conservancy’s restored shoreline along the Indian River Lagoon has proven to be a welcome resource for university research and experiential student learning. This year, Stetson professors brought students to Riverside in both the Spring and Fall semesters for species and animal diversity sampling, as well as water quality testing. Several students conducted senior research on Riverside’s shorelines. Daytona State College also brought an oceanography class to the Conservancy and has plans to incorporate Riverside Conservancy Center into its programming in 2026.
SEVAS Establishes Purple Martin Nesting Site
Southeast Volusia Audubon Society (SEVAS) chapter installed a “satellite colony” nesting “condo” for purple martins on Jan. 24, at Riverside Conservancy’s headquarters. Seven SEVAS members installed the nesting condo with 12 portal holes for birds at the restored shoreline. The Audubon chapter returned to Riverside throughout the nesting season to monitor bird activity. The nesting site was not productive in 2025, but SEVAS found unhatched eggs when the condo was removed at the end of the nesting season. We hope that nests will be productive in the new year.
Community Events and Education
In 2025, Riverside Conservancy participated in many events throughout the community, including a fishing tournament and open house with the Mid-Florida Fly Fishing Club, the Atlantic Center for the Arts’ “Speaking With the Land” Earth Day event, Port Orange Youth Leadership Expo, New Smyrna Beach Garden Club Parade of Homes, Audubon Panel Discussion at Marine Discovery Center, and New Smyrna Beach Mayor’s EcoNSB Environmental Panel Discussion. Riverside also hosted volunteer training for restoration and public outreach events.
Riverside Conservancy hosted Girl Scout Troop #1172 from Edgewater to teach the scouts about mangrove trees and their ecological value surrounding the Indian River Lagoon. The event, held at the Riverside Conservancy Center, began with a presentation by executive director Kelli McGee on mangrove trees and the lagoon. Scouts then potted mangrove propagules to grow into young mangrove trees, which they were instructed to take home and care for, returning the young trees to Riverside in one year for planting. A total of 32 scouts, parents and troop leaders, along with Riverside Conservancy staff and volunteers, worked together at this event to encourage conservancy among the young participants.
Sponsorship of ShORE Symposium
Held in April at the Brannon Center in New Smyrna Beach, Riverside Conservancy helped sponsor the 2025 ShORE Symposium hosted by the Marine Discovery Center, which brought together hundreds of science professionals and students engaged in research on the Indian River Lagoon. “ShORE” stands for Sharing Our Research with Everyone and is an event that awards cash prizes to both high school and college students for their scientific research. Students are given the opportunity to present both orally and with scientific posters at this event each year.
Visit By Oceans of Hope
Representatives from Oceans of Hope visited the Riverside Conservancy Center living shoreline and ADA kayak launch, which were funded by the Volusia ECHO program. Oceans of Hope offers adaptive ocean and river access for individuals with physical disabilities and provided helpful information to the Conservancy about expanding accessibility options. After the visit, Riverside Conservancy added a new ADA ramp to the property.
Your Riverside Conservancy membership helps support our programs that are conducted throughout our community. Your donations help our efforts to improve natural habitat and shorelines in and around the Indian River Lagoon!