Celebrate World Turtle Day at Oakmont

Press release from ICI Homes

On May 23, Oakmont will be hosting a World Turtle Day celebration in the community. The event, which will be open to the public, will take place from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Oakmont’s World Turtle Day Celebration will feature guided tours of the Reserve. Attendees will also be able to enjoy food truck fare, a DJ, yard games, contests, a raffle for charity, and more. A portion of the food truck proceeds will also go to charity. This event is in support of Junior Achievement, PACE Center for Girls, and Tyler’s Hope for a Dystonia Cure.

The celebration will have COVID-19 precautions in place. Masks and hand sanitizer will be available at all stations, including at Oakmont’s builder tents, where representatives from each homebuilder will be available to help future residents find their new home and learn more about the community. Some of Alachua County’s finest homebuilders are active in Oakmont, including AR Homes by Arthur Rutenberg, Barry Bullard Homes, ICI Homes, Jeffrey M. Wilde, and Tommy Waters Custom Homes.

 “ICI Homes is pleased to support three charities which do important work in Alachua County,” said Joe Blanco, North Florida Division Manager for ICI Homes, “and at the same time, educate our residents and neighbors about an endangered keystone species for which the Oakmont Tortoise Reserve provides much needed refuge.”

At Oakmont’s inception, 46 acres were set aside for gopher tortoise conservation. After many months of collaboration between Oakmont’s developer, ICI Homes, and local wildlife experts, the Reserve opened to Oakmont residents as a passive amenity on April 10, 2021.

Gopher tortoises are protected both federally and by the state of Florida as an endangered species. They are a keystone species whose burrows provide shelter to over 350 species of animals. To help raise awareness for these important animals, Oakmont is opening the Reserve to the public for one day only.

Learn more about Oakmont’s World Turtle Day Celebration here: OakmontFL.com/WorldTurtleDay

The Oakmont community, which opened in 2014, features homes by six builders including the developer, ICI Homes, along with AR Homes by Arthur Rutenberg, Barry Bullard Homes, Jeffrey M. Wilde, Tommy Waters Custom Homes, and Tommy Williams Homes. Plans range in size from 1,500 square feet to 10,000 square feet. Single family homes start from the low $300s and custom estate homes start from the low $400s to more than $2 million. 

As a family-friendly community, Oakmont comes equipped with playground areas, a state of the art amenity center that includes a resort-style swimming pool with lap lanes, a multi-purpose field, and tennis courts. Additionally, the community is within walking distance of a new elementary school slated to open in September of 2021.

Oakmont is only fifteen minutes away from the University of Florida, located at 11701 Southwest 30th Avenue in Gainesville, Florida. For more information, call (844) 886-4579 or visit www.OakmontFL.com.