FOREST / NEIGHBORHOOD / COMMUNITY
Based on an interview with Mike and Callie of Save Boynton’s Forest, conducted September 21, 2026.
SOFLO EDGE™ caught up with Save Boynton’s Forest to understand their latest fight in preserving one of Boynton Beach, Florida’s last green spaces.
SOFLO EDGE™ caught up with Save Boynton’s Forest, a local community-led nonprofit working toward a more green Boynton Beach, Florida.
Dr. Liliya Yausheva, Managing Editor, SOFLO EDGE™
Callie, Save Boynton’s Forest
SAVE BOYNTON’S FOREST
In a quiet neighborhood near Quentin Avenue and Nickels Boulevard, you'll find one of Boynton Beach’s remaining green spaces, known as Boynton Forest. As you turn onto Quentin Avenue, you are immediately immersed in a scene: a narrow street, a stretch of undeveloped land, a canopy of green trees, chirping birds, and the fresh smell after rain. Your eyes catch the colors of nature; warmth and peace surround your body. You feel safe; you feel at home.
For the residents on Quentin Avenue and nearby, this is more than undeveloped land. It is a place where they raise their children, enjoy retirement, and celebrate life's moments. Residents love this area for its wildlife, neighborhood character, and the pocket of green space right in their backyard.
“The thing that was so appealing about purchasing this house was that we wanted a place that was next to green space. We were over the moon when we found this house. Today, we have a small child and are planning to stay for a long time,” a resident, Callie, told SOFLO EDGE™.
Callie explained that her family moved there about five years ago and now hopes to remain long-term. When they first heard that the area could be auctioned off and land be developed on, they felt overwhelmed and uncertain whether anything could be done. Callie learned about community efforts and city council meetings and began getting involved with the Save Boynton’s Forest initiative.
How it all began…
Prior to Callie joining the efforts, other residents had already begun asking questions about the future of the land. For Mike, another nearby resident and leader behind Save Boynton’s Forest, those questions began in 2020 with a simple observation.
“I saw surveyors. I’m like, oh, what are they up to?” Mike recalled.
Mike started looking into what was happening, learning about potential interest in the land, such as purchasing the parcel that was for sale by the Palm Beach County Housing Authority. After talking to other neighbors, Mike also learned that similar situations involving the land had happened before, and that residents had previously become involved with the City of Boynton Beach. Mike began reaching out personally to more residents, knocking on people’s doors, stopping fellow neighbors walking their dogs on the street, and asking them what they thought about selling the land.
“And so that’s kind of how it all started,” Mike said.
These efforts appeared to pay off, and the city declined the proposal to sell city-owned parcels, and the developer walked away.
Five years later…
In 2025, the Palm Beach County Housing Authority auctioned off its property, prompting residents who had been involved in the earlier efforts to reunite.
“What was really exciting was that because of community efforts and all of us going to the city council meetings, the city listened to us, which was fantastic, and did not sell their parcels to the developer,” Callie said.
This was another win for the community: the 15 acres of Boynton Forest was now protected by the city, Callie says. But keeping the city-owned parcels from being sold did not bring the issue to a close. The developer proposed a density bonus to add to the property that they already owned.
The current proposal…
While a portion of the green space remains in city hands, another portion is already owned by the developer and is proposed for residential development. The proposed density bonus would increase the development from the currently zoned 49 townhomes to 72. Save Boynton’s Forest opposes this proposal.
It is important to point out that residents and leaders of Save Boynton’s Forest are not anti-housing and support the idea of workforce housing. Their concern is the scale of the proposed development and whether it is compatible with the surrounding neighborhood and ecosystem.
More than green space…
Residents are concerned about the impacts that may result from the proposed density increase. For the seven houses on Quentin Avenue, it is expected to bring a lot of traffic to an already narrow street with a single entrance and exit. Residents are concerned that it would add approximately 150 more cars, increasing traffic and headlights shining into neighbors’ homes on exit. Not only that, this dramatic change will impact the wildlife that reside in the forest. Gopher tortoises graze along the property and burrow alongside the road. The residents worry that the infrastructure improvements for the development, such as widening the street and adding a sidewalk, could affect their habitat.
Callie explains that residents have gone beyond simply observing wildlife; they began documenting a lot of different animal species here, including migratory birds and different plants. The community came together for a BioBlitz to document as many plants and animals as they could find. The turnout of community members was impactful and showed sincere love for this green space and a passion to protect it. Callie stated that the effort revealed a variety of migratory birds and native plants that animals like gopher tortoises and others depend on. Among their findings was an endangered species of air plant.
This is where it gets especially interesting… Some of the wildlife is much harder to see or hear. Callie explained that they began conducting acoustic monitoring of bats, using special monitoring devices to detect vocalizations that humans cannot hear. Two monitoring devices were installed and Callie has been working with a biologist to interpret the recordings.
"So far, we have found seven different species of bat using acoustic monitoring," Callie said.
Photo: Florida bonneted bat
Enwebb, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
It appears that one of those species is the Florida bonneted bat, which is critically endangered and federally protected. Callie points out that the fact that there are so many different bat species utilizing the space, and one of them is critically endangered, adds to what the community has been saying: they believe this is an ecologically important site that needs to be protected. Callie stated that the results of the bat monitoring were shared with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Conservation, FWC, and local commissioners, who are helping to analyze the data and create maps. The group continues to collect the data to get a better picture of the bats that utilize the space.
What happens next?
While residents continue documenting the wildlife, the proposed density bonus application is still in process. Once it is submitted, the proposal would move through the county approval process. In the meantime, the residents continue to organize; the group meets weekly at the corner of Quentin Avenue and Nickels Boulevard, to discuss important updates, next steps, and to keep everyone informed.
Recently, the Save Boynton’s Forest effort expanded beyond onsite meetings. Mike stated that they shared a video on social media and received tremendous support from viewers, reaching well over 150,000 views across social media platforms. Mike believes that the issue has resonated with people, not only residents but non-residents alike. He says that when you look at an aerial image of a map of Boynton Beach and see how little natural space there is, the importance of the issue becomes apparent.
How to learn more and/or get involved…
Mike and Callie invite anyone who wants to help out with this initiative to reach out to the commissioners who would be involved in approving the density bonus. There is also fundraising to help with legal representation and support other efforts such as bat monitoring or printing signs. The initiative’s website is frequently updated and has a link for donations and much more information about the cause.
Website: https://saveboyntonsforest.com
Instagram: @saveboyntonsforest
Facebook: Save Boyntons Forest
Our Community. Our Stories. Our Edge
For the Boynton Beach residents like Mike and Callie, Save Boynton’s Forest has become more than proposed development. What began with a question about surveyors has grown into an active community movement, environmental analysis and documentation, public meetings, and conversations about the future of one of the area’s remaining green spaces.
As of the September 21 interview, a decision had not been reached. The timeline discussed during the interview with Mike and Callie included a mid-November deadline and a possible January timeframe for a zoning hearing. Following the zoning hearing, the proposal would move to the Board of County Commissioners for a final decision. The leaders behind the Save Boynton’s Forest initiative, Mike and Callie, are keeping the momentum going by sharing information to help bring the story out and keep it relevant.
Back on Quentin Avenue, the trees still form their canopy over the narrow street. You can still hear the birds, and residents still anticipate seeing gopher tortoises walking along the side of the road—a familiar sight in the green space they call home.
The story of Save Boynton’s Forest continues to unfold, demonstrating the connection between a community, the place it calls home, and the land just beyond its own backyard.