Landowners Honored With Awards

November 7, 2004 — Kerry Heubeck and Phyllis Hansen were honored with Land Conservation Awards for protecting their land with a conservation easement at the Fall Fundraiser & Awards Ceremony on Sunday, November 7th at The Yearling restaurant in historic Cross Creek.

Kerry Heubeck, son of Elmer and Harriet Heubeck, was honored with an award for protecting 200 acres of his parents' Quail Roost Farm, which is located east of Citra. Phyllis Hansen was also honored for placing a conservation easement on her homestead in Cross Creek.

Kerry's parents are considered true pioneers in the Florida Thoroughbred horse industry. In the 1940's, the Heubeck's managed Rosemere Farm, the first Thoroughbred horse farm in Marion County. In the early 1960's they built and managed Hobeau Farm, as well as their own farm, Quail Roost, where they raised Thoroughbreds, cattle, and exotic game. Until their deaths, just months apart in 2003, they held a deep love for the land upon with they lived and worked. The Quail Roost Conservation Easement was dedicated to their memory.

"Before they died, each of my parents spoke of protecting the land," Kerry wrote in a statement. "I've also come to believe that each of us must assume that responsibility of preserving the wildness that remains - so that our children, and theirs, may come to know such beauty; and, quite possibly, for the very survival of us all."

Kerry's daughter H'Krih Shelhamer accepted the award on behalf of her father, who was unable to attend. She spoke about growing up in the Ocala National Forest and the sadness she experienced when she returned, several years later, to the same area. She said her father shared stories about how he used to ride "for hours over hills and through woods without seeing a single soul. Nowadays, if we are driving together he's able to point out the mall where his family's house had been, or the store where there used to be a paddock for the mares," said H'Krih. (To read H'Krih's entire speech click here.)

H'Krih Shelhamer

The conservation easement on Quail Roost Farm will protect a significant stand of cypress trees, but will also allow the new owners of the farm, James and Lee Windham, continued use of the land for bird hunting, horseback riding, and to raise organic beef cows.

Phyllis Hansen's 25-acre estate in Cross Creek will be protected from future subdivision with the easement she placed on her land. Phyllis wanted to protect the scenic beauty of the tupelo swamp on her property. "When I found this spot of land I knew I would never go anywhere else," she wrote. " The beauty was more than I had ever imagined could exist in one place. I worried about what would happen to it when I was no longer around. After a number of efforts, trials, and errors, the Conservation Trust for Florida solved my problem and I thank them earnestly from the bottom of my heart."

Phyllis Hansen (on left) is introduced by her long-time friend Kate Barnes before she receives her Land Conservation Award.

After raising six children, Phyllis went back to school and graduated in 1983 from the University of Florida School of Forest Resources and Conservation. She worked with Dr. Edward Phillips at the UF/Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences department for over 20 years. She is now officially retired, but she still works part-time with Dr. Phillips. She is also an active member of the Friends of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings Farm.

In addition to the awards ceremony, CTF Development and Outreach Committee Co-Chair, David Pais along with Storm Roberts of 98.5 WKTK radio station (who served as the auctioneer), auctioned off original art. Artists included Kate Barnes, Eleanor Blair, Peter Carolin, Sean Dowie, John Moran, Annie Pais, Katie Wobie, Susan Trammell, Clyde Butcher, and Jeff Ripple. CTF has adopted the Artists Alliance of North Florida's guidelines for art auctions which allows the artist to determine the amount (up to 100%) of the purchase price of the piece to contribute. Out of the $4,670 raised at the art auction, $1,800 went back to the artists.

CTF Advisory Board Member Peggy Carr receives flowers as a thank you for the Carrs' dedication to CTF from Katie Sieving, CTF Board member. The flowers were donated by The Flower Shop in Gainesville.

Francis E. "Jack" Putz, a Professor of Botany at the University of Florida and The Prince Bernhard Professor of International Conservation at Utrecht University in The Netherlands, was the guest speaker for the event. Jack spoke about the importance of protecting plant biodiversity and described the many uses of the Yaupon Ilex vomitoria shrub. Jack provided a recipe to make tea out of the yaupon leaves for the newsletter. (See below.)

YAUPON TEA RECIPE

From Jack Putz

Yaupon (Ilex vomitoria) is a common understory shrub over much of the coastal plain. Multitudes of its small leaves are easily collected by hand-stripping the branches. To make a cup of tea, either dry the leaves in a cool oven or food drier or blanch a big handful of fresh leaves until they are mostly black in a hot pot. Crunch up the crispy leaves and brew them as you would a bag of Lipton's. This is just one approach to making yaupon tea, of which there are many.

Timucuan Indians reportedly boiled their teas for several hours, but this might have only been for ritual cleansing and not daily consumption.