Reclamation Means Conservation

What do scrub jays, roseate spoonbills, whitetail deer, gopher tortoises, and even alligators have in common?

Mosaic’s Reclamation Ecologists help them thrive.

Reclamation ecology is the science of returning mined land to a natural or usable state—the science of stewardship. In Florida, every acre mined must also be reclaimed—returned to natural habitat or transformed into:

Farm or Pasture Land

PRAIRIES

PUBLIC PARKS

PLAYGROUNDS

GOLF COURSES

FISHING LAKES

TOURISM DESTINATIONS

Much of the land we mine was previously impacted by other human activity. Our reclamation ecology practices reconnect previously isolated ecosystems, creating wildlife corridors and creating wetlands and streams for future generations…and critters like these:

Our reclamation team includes ecologists, biologists, and engineers responsible for creating functional—and natural— reclaimed ecosystems.

For a Mosaic ecologist, being on the job means being in the field.

Zach Hutchins, a Reclamation Ecologist at Mosaic, is passionate about conservation, working each day to protect wildlife habitat and create diverse ecosystems throughout central and southwest Florida.

“As stewards of the land, we work hard to reclaim natural ecosystems and responsibly manage land and wildlife,” said Hutchins. “Many streams in Florida have been altered by human uses, which has degraded habitat and reduced water quality flowing to our rivers. We’re proud that our reclamation efforts have created or restored streams and natural wetland floodplains, which improve wildlife habitat and water quality.”

Mosaic uses innovative approaches to reclaim streams, plant thousands of trees and connect wildlife corridors, so wildlife can find food and habitat. Ecologists use high-tech tools, such as hydrologic modeling and global positioning satellites, to precisely contour land to create functional connected habitats that provide the right quality and quantity of water to help maintain healthy rivers in areas where we operate.

Reclaimed lands often take on a second life as wildlife corridors, parks, playgrounds, even fishing lakes or fire stations. In fact, some of our region’s most popular parks, golf courses, and prairies are built on reclaimed land. Hardee Lakes Park is a great example of how land can be put to beneficial use for an entire community.

In 2024, anglers will have the chance to cast a line on the new Florida Fishing Trail. Created on reclaimed land, a series of nine freshwater lakes will contain sport fish like bass that will provide new recreational and tourism opportunities to benefit the community for generations.

Mosaic puts the science of Reclamation Ecology to work, preserving and building habitats to support healthy wildlife populations.

“Mosaic is home to passionate ecologists who work hard to make a difference,” said Raoul Boughton, Lead Ecologist at Mosaic. “We’re helping to strengthen natural wildlife populations by building habitat corridors and partnerships. Our commitment goes beyond that to strengthen wildlife research and conservation programs, doing our part so that threatened native species like the Florida burrowing owl, Florida scrub-jay, and gopher tortoises will be around for generations.”

Today, thousands of acres of wetlands and wildlife habitat have been reclaimed, preserved or set aside for permanent conservation. In all, more than 25,000 acres have been placed under permanent conservation.

It’s working. Mosaic began the Florida scrub-jay 30 Year Translocation Project in 2003. Through applied science, best practices, and partnerships with neighbors we’ve recovered the largest scrub jay population in Southwest Florida. Since 2015, our ecologists documented a 30% increase in scrub jay family groups, and a 128% increase in juveniles.

Mosaic has successfully translocated thousands of endangered, threatened, or special concern animals to reclaimed land or lands under permanent conservation. For example, we have successfully relocated more than 10,000 gopher tortoises to natural habitats where they can thrive.

At Mosaic, we believe that caring for the environment is not only good for our communities, it’s good for business, too. Our ecologists, scientists, and engineers are committed to continuing this work for future generations to come.