Indian River Land Trust

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Coastal Oaks Living Classroom

Coming Soon - A Living Classroom for Education, Research + Discovery in Nature

Coastal Oaks Preserve
In 2011, the Indian River Land Trust purchased 191 acres in the southern reaches of Indian River County, just a half-mile north of the St. Lucie–Indian River County line, some of which was part of the historic Hallstrom Farm first established in 1908. Over the past decade, Coastal Oaks Preserve has grown to 226 acres of protected land along the Indian River Lagoon.

The preserve's rich diversity of habitats includes freshwater wetlands, pine flatwoods, tropical oak-palm hammocks, salt marsh, mangrove forest, and seagrass beds. These connected ecosystems support wildlife thriving at the land-water interface of the Indian River Lagoon estuary.

Why Coastal Oaks Matters

Coastal Oaks Preserve
Coastal Oaks Preserve is more than green space—this is land that protects. It protects the health of the Lagoon, it protects important habitat for birds, fish and native vegetation, and it protects access for our community to experience nature in a meaningful way. In partnership with agencies such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Coastal Oaks has undergone important habitat restoration—native salt marshes that were once common up and down the Lagoon are being re-established on the preserve.

By safeguarding this land and inviting public connection and scientific inquiry, the Land Trust advances its mission: protecting, improving, providing access to, and promoting the preservation of waterways, open spaces and green places in Indian River County—for all today and tomorrow.

The Living Classroom is Taking Shape

Coastal Oaks Preserve
In our "Autumn 2025 Update" video, you'll see how the installation of extensive native plant systems of are transforming the preserve.

The site is poised to become a hub of education and engagement. Construction of the gathering pavilion and boardwalk approach is progressing. –Once complete, the property itself will serve as the living classroom with a dynamic outdoor center where both adults and youth can gather, learn and share. It will host educational programs, conservation workshops, guided nature tours, and research projects in collaboration with academic and environmental partners.

Research + Learning in Action

Coastal Oaks is the home of our flagship high school research initiative: the Junior Scientist Fellows Program. Each year, Indian River County juniors and seniors are mentored by Land Trust staff and faculty from Florida Atlantic University Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute to conduct hands-on research on-site—from Lagoon ecology to wetlands studies, from seagrass monitoring to salt marsh habitat restoration.

Students don't just visit Coastal Oaks—they become active learners and citizen-scientists, gaining skills in fieldwork, data collection and environmental stewardship.

Explore

Whether you’re joining a guided tour, volunteering for stewardship work, or simply taking in the beauty of the preserve, Coastal Oaks invites you to experience nature at work. With multiple habitats and a mile of shoreline along the Lagoon, every visit offers something new.

Join our "Trail Notes" list to stay tuned for announcements of guided hikes, volunteer restoration days, and public events at the preserve—and keep an eye out for the official grand-opening of the Living Classroom in 2027.