Florida’s Conservation Champion: Nathaniel P. Reed

1933 – 2018

In the fight to preserve Florida’s natural beauty, few have left as indelible a mark as Nathaniel Pryor Reed. Reed dedicated his life to protecting the state’s unique ecosystems, from its shimmering wetlands to its expansive coastlines.

“Every time I arrived (to Jupiter Island), I knew I was stepping into Valhalla”

— Nathaniel P. Reed

Following graduation from Trinity College in Hartford, CT, he served four years in the Air Force as a military intelligence officer, retiring with the rank of captain. At the end of his term in 1960, he moved to Jupiter Island and, 5 years later, he married the love of his life, Alita D. Weaver. The two eventually had three children – Adrian, Alita, and Nathaniel Jr.

Nathaniel P. Reed, born to Jospeh and Permelia Reed in 1933, grew up in Greenwich, CT, where he spent his childhood roaming 125 acres of open fields, swamps, lakes, and deep woods. A year prior to his birth, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Reed purchased a significant portion of Jupiter Island, and their family spent every Christmas holiday on the island. His mother used to tease him about having emerged from the womb with a fishing rod in hand, because he was an adept angler at the ripe age of 7. At the time, the Indian River Lagoon was brimming with sea trout, snook, ladyfish, and bluefish, which is in stark contrast to today’s reality. Reed’s early connection to nature shaped his career as one of the nation’s most influential conservationists.

“Alita has never failed to be a loving wife, mother and the finest life companion for whom any man could wish. Her constant support and able criticism has marked our 50-plus years as life companions. None of the environmental successes I’ve enjoyed could have happened without her constant support.”

— Nathaniel P. Reed

Upon his return to the island, Reed was dismayed by the environmental changes he saw, largely fueled by green blind developers and politicians, hungry to turn Jupiter Island into the next Miami Beach. Meanwhile, an exorbitant amount of untreated sewage was being dumped into the ocean and coastal watersheds, leading to widespread human health concerns and the dawn of one of Reed’s first plights for the environment.

“My life’s mission became to unite fellow Floridians in my quest to stop unwanted development and mitigate ecological loss.”

— Nathaniel P. Reed

Reed’s father, Joseph Reed, heralded the first efforts to preserve the unique beauty of Jupiter Island, following discussions to build an additional golf course on the northern part of the island. He felt profoundly connected to the wilderness beach, north to Peck’s Lake, a mix of mangrove swamps and shifting sand dunes, every inch of which he walked many times during his life. He knew there was no coastline like it remaining in South Florida and desperately wanted to protect it from future development.

“I do not envision significant growth at the north end of Jupiter Island. I love its wilderness. It is a real wilderness. Let’s keep it that way.”

— Joseph Reed

So, in 1964, the Reed family gifted the oceanfront tract of land to the Florida Audubon Society with strict deed restrictions to ensure the longstanding preservation of wildlife, plants, soil, and water, fittingly named the “Reed Wilderness Seashore”. In 1971, the title to the Reed Wilderness Seashore was transferred to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, representing one of three, major land gifts that eventually became a part of the Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge.

In 1967, after many years advocating for nature as a vocal environmentalist, working with Audubon, the Isaac Walton League, The Nature Conservancy, the Sierra Club, and Defenders of Wildlife, Reed was invited to join Florida Governor Claude Kirk as a special assistant/environmental counsel for $1 a year. With urging and support from his wife Alita, he took the position in Tallahassee, visiting his family on weekends, and worked tirelessly to bring Florida into compliance with national clean water and clean air acts. In 1969, he was appointed chairman of the newly formed Department of Air and Water Pollution Control, which later became the Department of Environmental Regulation, and launched a state/federal effort to protect the pristine waters and landscapes of Biscayne Bay, now Biscayne National Park.

“I was assisted by hundreds, if not thousands, of concerned, dedicated citizens who suddenly realized their “Eden” was being destroyed.”

— Nathaniel P. Reed

That same year, Captain Leonard Kirby, a resident of Jupiter Island, met with Reed and his family to express his concerns about a motel that had been erected on the mainland, across the Indian River Lagoon from Jupiter Island, on an ancient ocean dune ridge. The fine-grained, low-organic sand of this ridge is highly permeable and represents one of Florida's driest ecosystems, home to unique flora and fauna – some of which cannot be found anywhere else on Earth. Recognizing the ecological significance of this area, Reed and his family set out to address the issue by persuading Jupiter Island homeowners to donate the land on the mainland opposite their homes, originally acquired as a source of potable water. They spoke with great passion to their fellow Jupiter Island residents, sharing that over 90% of South Florida’s sand pine scrub, the state’s oldest and most endangered habitat, had already been lost to development. The mainland tract in question was particularly valuable, as it represented the longest remaining, continuous stretch of virgin sandhill habitat between Miami and Ft. Pierce. Additionally, it was adjacent to the 10,000 acres of protected land within Jonathan Dickinson State Park, which meant that conservation of the tract was intimately linked to a larger, ecologically viable network of interconnected ecosystems spanning both sides of US 1.

The Reeds worked closely with Mrs. Charles Payson who owned a home on Jupiter Island across the Indian River Lagoon from the motel. They convinced her to purchase the failing motel and property, which along with the other lands owned and donated by Jupiter Island residents, was first transferred to The Nature Conservancy and eventually to the United States Fish and Wildlife Service to become the Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge. Later, the Hobe Sound Company donated another 550 acres and an additional 2 miles of mangrove shoreline along Hobe Sound to the Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge. This unique refuge encompassed both the mainland sandhill scrub and the Reed Wilderness Seashore, the latter of which was and still is one of the most significant sea turtle nesting beaches in the world.

Shortly after the refuge was established, Jupiter Island residents recognized the need for an education and nature center to support the continued preservation and conservation of South Florida’s unique natural heritage. The Hobe Sound Nature Center was established in 1973 through a cooperative agreement with the US Fish and Wildlife Service under the leadership of Mr. Jackson Burke and Mrs. Elizabeth Kirby – members of the Jupiter Island Garden Club.

“Environmental education is an awareness of the world and the study of the interrelationship of life.”

— Mrs. Elizabeth Kirby

In 1970, Reed worked tirelessly with Governor Kirk and the Nixon administration to halt the development of the Everglades Jetport and the Cross Florida Barge Canal Project, the latter of which would have involved dredging a massive canal through Ocala to link the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico. That same year, he joined the bipartisan sponsorship of the first Earth Day, which served as “a spark of a national awakening and led to a generally accepted consensus that environmental degradation was a daily and unacceptable fact of life across America.” (Reed, Travels on the Green Highway: An Environmentalist’s Journey)

Then, in 1971, he was invited to join President Nixon as Assistant Secretary of Interior for Fish, Wildlife and National Parks, which he continued through the Ford administration. Following his confirmation, a 6-year battle to expand the Redwood National Forest and protect the Redwood Creek Corridor began, with Reed at the helm.

“I believe the future is bright and our grandchildren will see not only the Tall Trees but also the upstream slopes covered with native plants and large redwood, Douglas fir and other native conifer and hardwood trees reaching for the sky.”

— Nathaniel P. Reed

While holding federal office, Reed also stopped the misuse of Compound 1080, which killed thousands of animals considered a “nuisance” to crops and livestock, and banned the use of DDT, a known carcinogen. On the heels of those environmental victories, he drafted and secured the passage of the Clean Water Act (1972) and the Marine Mammal Protection Act (1972) and then co-wrote and ushered into law the Endangered Species Act of 1973.

In May 1973, he testified before congressional committees to support the acquisition of 576,000 acres of the Big Cypress Basin to create and establish the Big Cypress National Preserve, highlighting his undying love for and commitment to Florida’s unique natural resources. In this capacity, Reed worked tirelessly with politicians and stakeholders to ensure the preserve could be used for managed recreation and allowed for the traditional uses and practices of the Miccosukee Indians, acknowledging that they “had rights that were historically and ethically superior to any other use”. The Big Cypress National Preserve is a major feature of the natural western Everglades ecosystem and is critical to the biology and hydrology of the Everglades National Park and Ten Thousand Islands.

“The creation of the Big Cypress National Preserve has been one of the high-water marks in my environmental career.”

— Nathaniel P. Reed

Reed moved back to Jupiter Island fulltime in 1977, where he served on numerous boards and committees, including but not limited to the South Florida Water Management District, the Commission on the Future of Florida’s Environment, the Natural Resources Defense Council, the Nature Conservancy, Audubon, and The Everglades Foundation. He used his many platforms to continue to push for the restoration of the Everglades and was a guiding force in securing bipartisan support for the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), approved by the State of Florida and U.S. Congress in 2000, a $3B program aimed at restoring natural water flow. His passion for the Everglades wasn’t just professional—it was personal. He often referred to the beloved river of grass as “a place where nature sings”, and he worked tirelessly to ensure Everglades preservation. He desperately wanted future generations to be able to experience and appreciate the vast subtropical wilderness he held so dear, later designated as a World Heritage Site, International Biosphere Reserve, and Wetland of International Importance.

“The Everglades doesn’t care what party you belong to – she cares what you do.”

— Nathaniel P. Reed

In addition to playing a key role in the passage of Florida’s 1985 Growth Management Act, developed to address issues of urban growth and environmental degradation, Reed also co-founded 1000 Friends of Florida, an organization dedicated to responsible growth and environmental stewardship. He remained an actively involved guiding force as Chairman Emeritus up until the day of his passing.

One of Reed’s greatest victories was a 9-year struggle to conserve over 150 million acres of Alaskan wilderness, which led to the enactment of the Alaska National Interest Lands Conservation Act (ANILCA). Reed coined this effort a “Conservation Blockbuster”, because it doubled the size of the protected lands in Alaska, effectively conserving one of the most unique and biodiverse lands in the world.

“I rejoice that we had the opportunity to share in the last great land withdrawal in American history: 154 million acres of some of the most extraordinary terrain on Earth.”

— Nathaniel P. Reed

Reed was the honored speaker at the dedication of the Jackson Burke Memorial Pavilion at the Hobe Sound Nature Center in 1988. At the dedication, he noted that one of the major roles the National Wildlife Refuge systems plays is in education and outreach. He understood, firsthand, that education is the key to conservation.

“Right here, an extraordinary effort is being made to educate the young and the mature. Between the Burke Pavillion and the Elizabeth Kirby Interpretive Education Center, instructors will be able to better educate thousands of undereducated Americans as to the wonders, the wise use and preservation of their land – America the Beautiful.”

— Nathaniel P. Reed

Reed sat with his mother near the end of her life to reflect upon the triumphs and tribulations of a family dedicated to conserving natural lands. She paused and said quietly, “Of all the projects that have made such a difference to the past and future of Jupiter Island, the transfer of the sand hills to the National Wildlife Refuge is the all-time greatest miracle. It would all be condos by now. Docks and boats would have destroyed the grass flats. We would be looking at ugliness instead of the view your father and I saw when we first visited the island in 1931. Without the residents, it never would have happened – never forget to thank the donors who made it possible!”

In the end, Reed was a relentless force in protecting Florida's delicate ecosystems, and his voice was a rallying cry against unchecked development and a call to prioritize Florida's natural heritage over short-term gains. Reed’s legacy is a reminder that one person can inspire transformative change. Through his vision, advocacy, and love for the land, he safeguarded countless species and habitats, proving that conservation isn’t just an environmental issue - it’s a moral one. As Florida continues to face mounting environmental challenges, Nathaniel P. Reed's life serves as a guidepost, urging us to stand for the wild places that make our state extraordinary. His tireless dedication continues to inspire conservationists and nature lovers to fight for a sustainable future, ensuring that Florida's natural wonders remain treasures for all.

“The largest redwood in the forest has fallen and the earth shakes. Fish, fowl, and fauna lament the loss of their greatest, truest friend in every sense of the word. I have never known a person who revered God’s creatures as much as him. His love of all living things is what made him their most passionate advocate. If we could each be but 1/100th of what Nat was in his advocacy of Nature’s gift to us, we could save the planet.”

— Nathaniel P. ReedPaul Tudor Jones, Everglades Foundation Founding Member

After Reed’s passing in 2018, the Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge changed its name to the Nathaniel P. Reed Hobe Sound National Wildlife Refuge to honor his longstanding legacy as a “giant among conservationists”. A crowd of over 300 people attended the dedication ceremony on April 17, 2019 to honor Reed.

In Carl Hiaasen’s words, “Nat Reed was literally a force of nature”, a truth that reflects the unstoppable energy and passion that defined his life.