Blue Water Conservation Trust is an environmentalist group based in Sarasota, Florida which works to preserve lakes, bays, and estuaries in Florida and New York State. The group is a fiscally sponsored project of the Players Philanthropy Fund according to PPF, ¹ but it also appears to have since established paperwork to become an independent group. ²

The group received a $5 million grant from the New York state government in 2024. ³

Background

The Blue Water Conservation Trust works to promote environmentalist projects in lakes, bays, and estuaries in Florida and New York State. ⁴

The group works to preserve watersheds and keep them free from contamination and other ecological damage. The group also works to restore lakes and watersheds from damage sustained by pollution and runoff. Finally, the group promotes the importance of maintaining these lakes and watersheds. The group claims that 70 percent of lakes, ponds, and reservoirs, 78 percent of bays and estuaries, and 55 percent of rivers and streams do not meet minimum water quality standards according to the National Water Quality Inventory. ⁵

Areas Served

In Florida, the Blue Water Conservation Trust works to preserve Charlotte Harbor, which is one of the largest estuaries and most productive wetlands in the state and has popular beaches. The group also works to preserve Sarasota Bay in Florida, which is the largest bay between Charlotte Harbor and Tampa, and the U.S. Congress has named it an estuary of national significance. The group claims that the area has experienced an increase in freshwater levels due to urban runoff. ⁶

In New York State, the group works on Skaneateles Lake, which is about 20 miles south of Syracuse, New York and is the fifth largest of the Finger Lakes. The lake supplies drinking water to much of Onondaga, Cayuga, and Cortland Counties. The group also works to preserve and restore Onondaga Lake, which became heavily polluted in the industrial heyday of Central New York. ⁷

Events Hosted

In August 2022, the Blue Water Conservation Trust held a fundraiser, “Founder’s Garden Party,” in Skaneateles, New York with tickets reaching as much as $10,000. ⁸

In August 2024, the group hosted a hike at the Carpenter Falls Unique Area in Niles, New York to explain its efforts to protect Skaneateles Lake. ⁹

Leadership

The Blue Water Conservation Trust’s president is Albert Joerger. Joerger is an environmentalist who has a property called Longview Farm in the Finger Lakes region of New York state, which he renovated and on which he planted an orchard. He was previously the founder and president of the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast, a governing board member of the Southwest Florida Water Management District, a member of the national council of the Land Trust Alliance, and an assistant state director for The Nature Conservancy in New Jersey. ¹⁰

Daniel DeLeo serves as a board member of the group. ¹¹ He previously was board chair for the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast. ¹²

Evona Poplawski is also a board member of the group. ¹³ She is a real estate agent and the owner of a vegan restaurant in Sarasota, Florida. ¹⁴

Status and Finances

As of August 2024, the Blue Water Conservation Trust is listed on the Players Philanthropy Fund’s website as a fiscally sponsored project. ¹⁵

The group appears to have taken steps to become an independent group as of July 2022. ¹⁶

In 2024, the group received a $5 million grant from the New York state government to work on conservation efforts. ¹⁷

1. “Blue Water Conservation Trust.” PPF (Players Philanthropy Fund). Accessed August 19, 2024. https://www.ppf.org/roster-list/blue-water-conservation-trust.
2. “Blue Water Conservation Trust Inc. from Sarasota, FL – Company Details.” from Sarasota, FL – company details. Accessed August 19, 2024. https://www.bizprofile.net/fl/sarasota/blue-water-conservation-trust.
3. “Conservation Trust to Host Hike in Cayuga County.” The Citizen, August 15, 2024. https://auburnpub.com/article_7b447a2a-598d-11ef-8de5-77243dfb1439.html.
4. “About.” Blue Water Conservation Trust. Accessed August 19, 2024. https://bluewaterconservationtrust.org/index.php/about/.
5. “About.” Blue Water Conservation Trust. Accessed August 19, 2024. https://bluewaterconservationtrust.org/index.php/about/.
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7. “Project Areas.” Blue Water Conservation Trust. Accessed August 19, 2024. https://bluewaterconservationtrust.org/index.php/new-york/.
8. “Events.” Blue Water Conservation Trust. Accessed August 19, 2024. https://bluewaterconservationtrust.org/index.php/events/.
9.  “Conservation Trust to Host Hike in Cayuga County.” The Citizen, August 15, 2024. https://auburnpub.com/article_7b447a2a-598d-11ef-8de5-77243dfb1439.html.
10.  “About.” Albert Joerger. Accessed August 19, 2024. https://albertjoerger.com/our-story.
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12. “Daniel J. DeLeo Appointed to Sarasota Planning Board.” Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP, July 24, 2023. https://www.shumaker.com/latest-thinking/news-releases/2023/07/daniel-j-deleo-appointed-to-sarasota-planning-board.
13. “Blue Water Conservation Trust Inc. from Sarasota, FL – Company Details.” from Sarasota, FL – company details. Accessed August 19, 2024. https://www.bizprofile.net/fl/sarasota/blue-water-conservation-trust.
14. “Evona Poplawski.” LinkedIn. Accessed August 19, 2024. https://www.linkedin.com/in/evona-poplawski-b5722330b/.
15. “Blue Water Conservation Trust.” PPF (Players Philanthropy Fund). Accessed August 19, 2024. https://www.ppf.org/roster-list/blue-water-conservation-trust.
16. “Blue Water Conservation Trust Inc. from Sarasota, FL – Company Details.” from Sarasota, FL – company details. Accessed August 19, 2024. https://www.bizprofile.net/fl/sarasota/blue-water-conservation-trust.
17. Conservation Trust to Host Hike in Cayuga County.” The Citizen, August 15, 2024. https://auburnpub.com/article_7b447a2a-598d-11ef-8de5-77243dfb1439.html.