After five years of campaigning, Pinellas County will take ownership and operation of the West Klosterman Preserve as a part of the Mariner’s Point Management Area.  Thanks to the work and donations of thousands of supporters who care about preserving the natural habitat still remaining in Pinellas County, the Preserve will be a permanent home for the plants, trees, and animals that thrive in this undeveloped slice of paradise.

The mission of WK Preservation Group is “To preserve the natural heritage of open space land by protecting its natural forest, plant life, and all native animals in their community.”  The West Klosterman Preserve is not a one-and-done project! We plan to identify, acquire and donate other “slices of paradise” in the Tampa Bay area for permanent preservation. We will work in partnership with local government and other organizations as we have with the West Klosterman Preserve to achieve our mission.  We may also explore other goals, including rewilding projects, educational programs and sharing our learnings with like-minded grassroots preservation groups in Florida.   

The PCSB purchased the land to build a school with funds designated in the PCSB’s budget and is an asset of the PCSB.   If a PCSB asset is sold the funds must be accounted as a return for the sale of the asset and the funds raised help pay for educational needs.  Although we pay taxes to both the PCSB and the County of Pinellas, they are two separate entities.  Their funds are not mixed.

We have been in touch with many of the major environmental and conservation organizations.  They are sympathetic to our cause, but our mission of saving smaller preservation areas is not a match with their programs which are designed to identify and preserve large parcels of land,  Those that could contribute have made contributions, such as the Clearwater Audubon Society and Suncoast Sierra Club, and we are grateful for their support.   Likewise, our campaigns to save the smaller parcels do not fit most foundation and government programs.  We have submitted over 25 grant applications with targeted agencies, with only one successful grant award from a small, local foundation.

No, everyone is a volunteer and all Board Members have also donated funds and personal time to help saving the West Klosterman Preserve. Many other volunteers and donors serve as team members. (KC)

The money the School Board receives from this sale will go directly into their funds available for infrastructure and facilities.