ABOUT US
Mission
Our mission is to conserve, restore, and maintain pockets of wilderness and natural landscapes in and near urban areas. We seek to achieve our mission by creating natural woodlands and pollinator gardens in existing public spaces, by establishing land conservation initiatives such as land trusts, conservation easements and conservation purchases, and through long-term stewardship of natural and re-wilded environments. We plan to protect land that will provide critical ecosystem services, including biodiversity support, habitat connectivity, water management, and ecological resilience.
History
Our founding members are very concerned about the large-scale loss of native ecosystems in Northwest Florida due to clear cutting and rapid land development. Urban Forest Initiative was born out of a desire to prevent deforestation and development that strips the land of its native flora and fauna.
Unfortunately, new developments tend to favor landscape plants that offer little support for our native wildlife and often require a massive amount of irrigation, fertilizer, and chemical use. Turf lawns are the most irrigated “crop” in the United States, the runoff from lawns often carry fertilizer and chemical additives off site resulting in degradation of our waterways. We founded UFI to help educate the public about the problems associated with reckless changes in land use. Urban Forest Initiative believes that through conservation and restoration, urban spaces can coexist with nature in a way that preserves biodiversity and enhances the quality of life for all.
Our Amazing Team
Emily Hauman
President
Emily was born and raised in Pensacola, FL. She earned a B.S. in Horticulture from Oregon State University and spent two years working with the Florida Forest Service and University of Florida’s West Florida Research and Education Center. During this time, she worked in various habitats from the uplands of Blackwater River State Forest to the coastal dunes throughout Florida.
Emily is a co-founder and the lead designer of Florida Native Landscapes. She brings her passion for Florida ecology to the built environment by promoting and designing novel plant communities for urban dwellers.
In her free time, Emily enjoys discovering new music, cycling around Pensacola, and spending time with friends and family.
Mark King
Treasurer
Mark grew up in Pensacola, Florida and has always been a lover of all things nature. After earning a bachelor’s degree in Philosophy from The University of West Florida, he went on to complete his Juris Doctor at The University of Oregon School of Law. Mark returned to Pensacola and spent two years teaching at Pensacola High School. In 2022, Mark co-founded Florida Native Landscapes, a business that specializes in installing ecologically beneficial landscapes.
Mark spends his free time fishing, boating, kayaking, snorkeling and doing anything that involves being in and around the water.
Joanna Smith
Secretary
Joanna came to Pensacola from Oregon and found herself enchanted by the beauty, biodiversity, and intimacy of the Florida panhandle.
After spending several years working on organic vegetable farms, Joanna pivoted to cultivating perennial native landscapes for residents in the city. She is passionate about managing land, even small plots, in a way that is productive and beautiful for the critters, natural resources, and the residents. You’ll find her outside enjoying Florida’s crystal clear waters and wonderful weather.
What we do
As a new non-profit, we are currently focused on projects that create or maintain native gardens in and around urban spaces. Specifically, we are trying to raise funding to install native pollinator gardens or woodlands in public parks. We also plan to work to increase the tree canopy and do restorations on public and private land, including native plantings and invasive species removal. Other core components of our work include helping educate the public about the benefits of responsible land use and advocating for policy changes that aid in more sustainable development. Our team is entirely volunteer based and we are seeking to partner with other organizations in our area who have a similar mission.
Our long-term goals include targeted conservation land purchases that help to create buffer zones against land development in order to prevent entire areas of wilderness from being destroyed. We also seek to facilitate conservation easements for landowners who wish to ensure their property will continue to provide wildlife habitat in perpetuity.