Coming Home to Conservation: Joy Brown’s Journey and the Power of Sentinel Landscapes

At LegacyWorks, our commitment to serving our partners and partnership building is inseparable from our dedication to conserving the landscapes that sustain our communities and regional economies. Through our work supporting the Sentinel Landscapes Partnership, we collaborate with military installations, conservationists, private landowners, and local communities to protect vital lands that buffer military bases, enhance resilience, and support wildlife and agricultural livelihoods..

For Joy Brown, Resilience Specialist for the Northwest Florida Sentinel Landscape, this mission is deeply personal. Joy grew up right in the heart of the Florida Panhandle, swimming in creeks, exploring the woods, and fishing the bays with her family. Her earliest memories are steeped in the natural beauty of the region—waters she would come to learn are critical habitats for species like the Okaloosa darter, and forests that serve as both ecological treasures and natural buffers for military readiness.

After more than 15 years leading coastal resilience work with The Nature Conservancy in South Carolina, Joy returned home to apply her passion and expertise to the place that first sparked her love for the natural world. 

“I wanted to come back and bring what I’ve learned to help conserve the lands and waters I care about, and to help the next generation experience the same sense of place that shaped me,” Joy reflects.

Northwest Florida is renowned for its vast stands of longleaf pine, with Eglin Air Force Base (AFB) boasting the largest contiguous old-growth longleaf pine forest in the nation. This unique ecosystem not only provides crucial habitat for numerous sensitive species but also serves as a significant environmental backbone for the region. 

Moreover, Eglin AFB plays a vital role as the anchor installation of the Northwest Florida Sentinel Landscape. Brown’s ties to the land are further emphasized by the personal history she shares, noting that “many family members are buried on Eglin AFB since it was homestead land before it became AFB property.” This intimate connection to the landscape underscores the importance of preserving such natural habitats for future generations.

Kent Wimmer, Coordinator for the Northwest Florida Sentinel Landscape, has dedicated over 30 years to planning, advocating for, and protecting greenways and conservation lands in Florida, collaborating with federal, state, and local agencies as well as private organizations. He explains, “The focus of the Northwest Florida Sentinel Landscape is to protect critical flyways between five major air force and naval air stations. 60% of the Navy’s pilots learn to fly at NAS Whiting Field. The Sentinel Landscape exists to ensure the military has full access to these key testing and training assets. They have this whole area to test, train, and fly.”

The Sentinel Landscapes Partnership is bolstered by the collaboration of key federal agency partners, including the REPI Program from the Department of Defense, along with the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) and United States Forest Service (USFS) from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), and the United States Fish Wildlife Service (USFWS) from the Department of Interior (DOI). The commitment of entities like the US Navy and Air Force further enhances the collective efforts to safeguard vital landscapes that support both military readiness and environmental conservation.

"We have four dozen partners that form the Northwest Florida Sentinel Landscape Partnership. All of these Partners are working together,” Wimmer said.

Joy understands that the best way for different agencies and partners to achieve their objectives is by bringing people together. In her role, she acts as both a connector and a catalyst, uniting a diverse network of partners to ensure that the nearly eight-million-acre Northwest Florida Sentinel Landscape continues to thrive. This landscape is home to six major military installations, rich agricultural lands, longleaf pine forests, and endangered species like the red-cockaded woodpecker and the indigo snake. It is also home to a growing human population. Balancing the development needed to meet the increasing population's needs with conservation to protect the military mission and the region's natural systems is a significant challenge, but Joy sees the potential in the collaboration that Sentinel Landscapes makes possible. 

“We’re matchmakers and note-takers,” Joy says with a smile. “We help partners see the big picture, track the great work that’s already happening, and identify and activate the projects that will have the biggest impact for both conservation and military readiness.”

Joy’s connection to the land brings authenticity to her work, resonating with landowners and community members. She understands the importance of protecting both the working lands that support agricultural traditions and the wild spaces that define the region’s character. She’s also keenly aware of the need to engage the next generation of land stewards—a challenge she’s addressing by developing resources for private landowners and exploring new ways to support sustainable agriculture alongside conservation.

Pair of Spoonbills in Marsh by Justin Grubb

“Resilience here isn’t just about the environment—it’s about sustaining our way of life, our military presence, and our communities,” Joy says. “The Sentinel Landscapes Partnership helps us do all of that, by bringing people together around shared values.”

For Joy, this work is more than a job. It’s a homecoming—and a chance to give back to the land and communities that raised her, ensuring that both people and nature can thrive for generations to come. 

LegacyWorks Group is proud to be the home to changemakers like Joy and to support the collaborative work she, Kent, and an array of partners advance through the Northwest Florida Sentinel Landscape. To learn more about the Sentinel Landscapes Partnership, visit https://sentinellandscapes.org/.