We - students, alumni, faculty, and fans of University of Florida - are asking you, the University of Florida, one last time not to develop McCarty Woods.

The University of Florida boasts that: it is the top 6th public university in the country; that it has some of the best ecology, natural resource, and forestry departments in the country; and that we are a sustainable school, with a well-established sustainable UF society. However, the University is set to destroy the beloved natural land at the heart of their main campus known as McCarty Woods, an area that has been critical for the natural resource departments and sustainability initiatives on campus. In this petition, we will discuss four big reasons against the development of McCarty Woods.

McCarty Woods is a 2.9-acre conservation area which is nestled between Museum Road, Newell Drive, and McCarty Drive, at the heart of the main campus of the University of Florida. The property which McCarty Woods is located has been part of UF since the beginning, but it was designated a conservation area which should be "preserved because of its value as a natural teaching and research laboratory" in 2000 (UF IFAS).

1.     McCarty Woods is a learning area. It is utilized for labs, lessons, and training across many classes. In soil courses, students go out into this area to take soil samples. In botany courses, students go out into this area to identify plants and take clippings. In ornithology courses, students go out into this area to go birding. All of these classes and more provide their students with real field experiences that would not be reasonably accessible if these courses were required to make the timely-trek to the other green spaces far from the heart of campus.

2.     McCarty Woods is a recreation area for students and faculty, one which could be argued is as important as Lake Wauburg based upon the sheer amount of use it gets daily from students. McCarty Woods offers an incredible area to take a break from daily stress to go on a quick birding or herping excursion or simply to go for a stroll away from the hustle and bustle of campus. As it is located within the heart of campus, this area is irreplaceable for these reasons as no other area offers the quick escape to solitude that McCarty Woods provides.

3.     McCarty Woods is an important natural area. It is home to hundreds of species, including record breaking trees such as the largest recorded White Ash in Florida and a One-Flowered Haw which is a national champion, meaning it's one of the largest recorded (IFAS UF). McCarty Woods provides important natural resource benefits as well. It provides water resource protection and can reduce stormwater runoff - something that University of Florida claims to care about within their Clean Water Campaign. Lastly, natural areas within urban areas, such as McCarty Woods, have been found to help improve air quality and reduce temperatures (UF IFAS).

4.     McCarty Woods offers a path through campus away from the bustling roads. It is important to have areas such as this as it can be influential to decreasing foot traffic on the main roads, which can help decrease pedestrian traffic issues. Further, for students who are wary of cars or like their personal space from strangers, this area can provide these students a way to walk through campus without being touched by other people or risking being hit by a car, scooter, or bike.

We understand that University of Florida has only the best for the university in mind. However, this petition serves as our official, respectful, disagreement with that sentiment. We - students, alumni, faculty, and fans of the University of Florida - respectfully announce that we feel that the best course of action for the University of Florida and it's student is to conserve McCarty Woods and look elsewhere for development.

Thank you for your time.

Please follow us on social media for updates as well as opportunities to get involved in the movement. Our social media handle on Instagram and Facebook is @SaveMcCartyWoods. Additionally, our email is SaveMcCartyWoods@gmail.com, please feel free to reach out to us with ideas or photography/art which you'd like to contribute.

If you wish to learn more about McCarty Woods and its potential development, please look up "University of Florida McCarty Woods" for plenty of resources from the IFAS institute of the University of Florida. Additionally, this recently released Gainesville Sun article does a wonderful job of summing up the issues of development [https://www.gainesville.com/story/news/education/campus/2021/01/25/uf-faculty-fights-mccarty-woods-development-new-campus-plan/6581199002/.]