The great outdoors of North Florida.

Northern Florida is one of the most biologically diverse and naturally captivating areas of the country, so it’s no wonder residents like to get out and experience the surrounding wilderness. From hiking and biking to getting out on the water, there’s so much to do, it can be helpful to have a jumping off point.

Walk and talk with the animals

Step onto a hiking trail or greenway and you’re guaranteed to see and hear the variety of animals making their home among the trees and marshes of northern Florida. Blue herons, great egrets, osprey and eagles are just a few of the birds you might see overhead, along with squirrels, turtles and other creatures on the land. And it’s easy to find a path that will take you directly from the woodlands to the expansive vistas of a beach-two incredible experiences in one trip.

Plenty of parks for recreation

Beyond the inland trails and bike paths, there are dozens of parks to choose from just a few miles east on the Atlantic coast. Amelia Island offers a wide assortment of beaches, paths and water sports. And to the south, there are 23 city, state and national parks in the Big Talbot Island area alone.

Pick your place to kayak.

Coastal islands offer a choice of water sports, including kayaking on either the river side or ocean side of the shore. River kayaking is a more relaxing experience, where you’re likely to see a variety of marshland wildlife. Ocean kayaking puts you into more open waters, where you can experience the waves and breathe in the salt air. It can be a difficult choice, but the good news is there’s no wrong answer.

Television, personal computers, space flight… There’s no denying that the past century has been a huge one in terms of technological progress. But according to industry insiders, we’re just getting started.

In fact, some of our biggest innovators are forecasting that we’ll see more tech changes to our lifestyle over the next four to five years than we did over the past 100. What might that look like? Here are a few predictions:

1: Mind Control

Scientists have already created next-generation prosthetics where brain signals can move a robotic arm in the same way as a regular arm. The next step is wider uses for paralyzed patients, like mind-controlled wheelchairs and even day-to-day applications. The jury’s out on how soon we’ll be able to conjure up our favorite show with a thought, but experts agree it can’t be far off.

2: Bottleneck-Free Internet Access

The amount of time the average American home spends streaming, downloading and uploading, has challenged internet providers to up their game. While top providers offer average speeds of around 50 Mbps, that’s a snail’s pace compared to the gigabit communities now in development, which will have connections 20 times faster. Take a look at this video to see how one community is starting from scratch to bring unlimited bandwidth to its homes and businesses.

3: A Sharing Economy

You can share your home via Airbnb, borrow a dress on Rent the Runway and even lend out your private plane on OpenAirplane. These businesses are built on the idea that it’s more efficient to borrow something – say, a car – rather than own one that sits unused for 22 hours a day. Big players like Apple, Google and Uber are following this model and working on technology that will allow us to own less and share more.

4: Wall-to-Wall Screens

It’s hard to believe that your shiny new LCD TV may soon be considered an antique, but at the speed that display technology moves, it’s certainly a possibility. Imagine, walls, windows and mirrors covered with paper-thin OLED panels. Miniature chips in the screens will wirelessly connect to nearby devices, effectively eliminating TVs but bringing its viewing pleasure to every square inch of your house.

Tech Gets Schooled
As tablets take over for textbooks and Smart Boards seriously cut down on chalk dust, more and more research is being done on the impact of technology in the classroom. And – good news! – the results are overwhelmingly positive.

Technology lets student learn at their own pace.
One of the greatest struggles teachers face is balancing the learning needs and speeds of an entire classroom of students. Almost all of today’s teaching apps allow for individualized instruction, letting students work at their own pace. This fights boredom in faster learners and frees up the teacher to work one-on-one with students who might need a little extra instruction.

Students are more enthusiastic about learning when technology is involved.
If you’ve ever seen a 3-year-old (or a teenager, or anyone in between!) with an iPad, you know a thing or two about what gets kids excited. Harnessing that excitement and bringing it into the classroom can make lessons more fun – and more likely to stick. Researchers have found that students and teachers alike tend to be more engaged and motivated when technology is an integral part of a lesson.

Early access to technology prepares student for the future.
The role that technology plays in our students’ daily lives is huge – but it’s nothing compared to the role it’ll play when they enter the workforce. Beyond basic computer literacy, students with access to technology learn to adapt quickly and solve problems in a distinctly 21st-century way. Early introductions to technology like 3D printers and robotics lab might even spark a talent that would have otherwise been left untapped!

Check out this video to see how Nassau County Public Schools are keeping their students up on the latest technology.

Setup for Economic Success

How do you kick off a thriving business community?

Economic development is both an art and a science. It’s not as simple as checking off a list of ingredients, but without some key elements, achieving success can be near-impossible. To build strong, vibrant communities, economic development boards are tasked with finding the right balance of work and play, business and pleasure. That way, communities can encourage businesses to build, expand or relocate, as well as homeowners to put down roots and support those businesses as customers and employees.

One factor communities must consider is transportation. Good transportation is not only dependent on a community’s infrastructure, but also on the location of the community itself. Access to Class I rail lines, major interstates and international airports all support business travel and consumer traffic. Seaports for importing and exporting can also impact how a business operates, manufactures its goods and distributes worldwide.

But transportation is just the beginning. For healthy economic development, you also need a quality workforce for local businesses to employ and a robust residential community to surround and support those businesses. That relies on residential perks such as smart urban design, first-rate schools and libraries and infrastructure for safety and security.

Economic development boards should make their community a place to play as well as work. Places for relaxation and recreation – lakes, oceans, greenspaces, parks, dining, entertainment and more ­– are essential to attracting and retaining residents. It’s not just about great offices, it’s about having a great time and loving where you live.

With these pieces in place, in a community that is well-planned for its residents and well-marketed to potential businesses, that community can grow and flourish.

WILDLIGHT, FL – October 26, 2017 – Wildlight, the new town under development in Nassau County, is proud to announce AT&T as its first technology provider. One of Wildlight’s key goals is to provide a robust technological infrastructure and culture of connectivity for residents, businesses and the Nassau County community. AT&T will provide an ultra-fast fiber network service throughout the community designed to have the capability to easily migrate to future services.

“AT&T is excited to be the first technology provider for one of Northeast Florida’s largest mixed use developments,” said Joe York, area president, AT&T. “Our fiber network is going to provide Wildlight with the ability to stay connected at top speeds where people live, work, and play. This development includes single family homes, businesses, multifamily units, educational facilities, and retail stores, all of which require different things from their network provider. AT&T is able to provide connectivity for all of these varying needs.”

As a gigabit community, Wildlight wanted to ensure its technology would be up and running for residents and businesses to enjoy from day one. Residents, business owners and those accessing Wildlight’s leading edge network will be able to stream HD movies, play games, download work files or backup data-rich files at ultra-fast speeds.

AT&T Fibersm and Business Fiber services offers residents and businesses in the Wildlight community all fiber connection, with AT&T’s fastest internet connection speeds. It can improve the experience when connecting to the cloud, videoconferencing and more.

“Wildlight is committed to providing the most advanced technology for its future residents and businesses,” said Charles Adams, Vice President of Community Development for Wildlight. “We are excited to work with AT&T to offer AT&T Fiber to the Home, which can deliver the ultra-fast speeds to our homes, businesses, and Wildlight Elementary School.”

Residents will also have access to the latest Wi-Fi technology. With internet powered by AT&T Fiber, they can experience the best in-home Wi-Fi experience with faster speeds, expanded coverage and support for all of their devices.

Wildlight’s technology alliance comes after Raydient Places + Properties, Wildlight’s developer, announced a strategic alliance with the University of Florida to create a national model for healthier communities in Nassau County. More information about the community can be found at Wildlight.com.

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*About AT&T
AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) helps millions around the globe connect with leading entertainment, business, mobile and high speed internet services. We offer the nation’s best data network* and the best global coverage of any U.S. wireless provider. We’re one of the world’s largest providers of pay TV. We have TV customers in the U.S. and 11 Latin American countries. Nearly 3.5 million companies, from small to large businesses around the globe, turn to AT&T for our highly secure smart solutions.

AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc. Additional information about AT&T products and services is available at about.att.com. Follow our news on Twitter at @ATT, on Facebook at facebook.com/att and on YouTube at youtube.com/att.

© 2017 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T, the Globe logo and other marks are trademarks and service marks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies. All other marks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.

*Claim based on the Nielsen Certified Data Network Score. Score includes data reported by wireless consumers in the Nielsen Mobile Insights survey, network measurements from Nielsen Mobile Performance and Nielsen Drive Test Benchmarks for Q1 + Q2 2017 across 121 markets.

About Wildlight
Wildlight is envisioned as a new town inspired by a character, culture and pattern of living that we call “Florida Lowcountry,” where play is a part of every day and the natural world is a natural part of life. The plan for Wildlight includes a mix of homes, townhomes and rental apartments together with shops and restaurants, parks, gardens and playgrounds, a new elementary school, and a system of trails and pathways intended to make it healthy and walkable and connect it all together. Our Phase 1 plan is flexible and currently designed for about 1,000 homes across about 260 acres plus nearly 350 acres of permanently preserved open space. Wildlight will offer comfortable and friendly Florida Lowcountry living 20 miles north of Jacksonville, just east of Interstate 95 on A1A, with easy access to both Amelia Island and the Jacksonville International Airport. Wildlight is being created by Raydient Places + Properties, a taxable subsidiary of Rayonier, a Real Estate Investment Trust. For more information please visit wildlight.com.

Beating the Heat FLOCO-Style
What should we thank for the charm and beauty of our Florida Lowcountry (FLOCO) architecture? Days are mostly sunny and hot, therefore some architectural elements make FLOCO homes distinctive because they were designed to beat the heat. Large high windows allow the breeze to refresh hot rooms. High ceilings create space for air to rise. Raised first floors allow air to circulate under houses for a cooling effect.

We Saved the Best for Last

The Front Porch
It blocks the hot sunlight from overheating interiors. It’s a shady place to cool off. Most importantly, it’s an outdoor living area where we connect with our community, friends, family, neighbors and the outdoors. Looking to turn your front porch into an outdoor oasis? Here’s how:

Ten Front Porch Must-Haves
1.  A rocking chair. More than one, of course. They’re the best seats in the house for melting stress, catching up and napping.
2.  A glider or porch swing—when you need to get close for cozier conversations.
3.  Sweet tea for cooling off, and tables to set your glasses within reach.
4.  A friendly, tail-wagging porch-sitting pooch. Don’t have one? Borrow the neighbor’s or adopt!
5.  Plants in pots, big and small. Try geraniums for color that pops.
6.  Fans to keep the warm air moving. Hand fans or electric will do.
7.  Bug spray to stop pesky pests from ruining your evening.
8.  Background, toe-tapping music.
9.  Light. String lights and lanterns add charming ambiance to porch-sitting evenings.
10. Finally, good company. Your neighbor, kids, mother…whoever you need to catch up with, love to talk to, or just want to sit quietly with. And sometimes, no company at all.

WILDLIGHT, FL – August 31, 2017 – Today, Raydient Places + Properties and the University of Florida announced their intent to join together to develop a national model for healthier communities at Wildlight, the new master planned community currently under development in Nassau County north of Jacksonville. As part of the agreement, the University of Florida and its academic health center, UF Health, will construct health and fitness facilities in Wildlight and spearhead programs and services aimed at promoting healthier living throughout the new community and the Northeast Florida region.

Earlier this year Wildlight’s developer, Raydient Places + Properties, sought out a dedicated strategic partner with the capabilities and vision to create a new model for community development that promotes better health for the people who live, work and play there. “One of our goals at Wildlight is to create a community that promotes healthier living, so we went looking for a partner with broad and deep capabilities to bring the vision to life,” said Chris Corr, President of Raydient. “That effort led us to the University of Florida and UF Health, and we are thrilled to welcome them to Wildlight.”

One of Wildlight’s key objectives is to create a community where people can live, work and play in a dynamic environment. An individual’s health and well-being — which includes the mind, body, spirit and social aspects of life — are essential elements to this goal. As Wildlight’s strategic partner, the University of Florida will provide the breadth of knowledge, talented faculty and resources to ensure that healthy living is integrated into the very fabric of the Wildlight community through health, education, fitness and recreation programs; UF Health will ensure a forward-looking approach to prevention, early detection and health promotion.

“The expertise of our faculty and health care providers will contribute to promoting a better state of health for the whole person, inside and out,” said David S. Guzick, M.D., Ph.D., Senior Vice President for Health Affairs at UF and President of UF Health. “We intend to build on our already substantial presence in Northeast Florida to not only keep the body healthy for Wildlight and Northeast Florida residents, but also to contribute to an environment that promotes better health in mind, spirit and social connectivity.”

UF and UF Health’s first step in the multi-year project is to construct the community’s first health care facility on Highway A1A, which will include urgent care staffed by emergency medicine faculty, primary care using a patient-centered model focused on prevention and early diagnosis, and an imaging center. Providers will initially include faculty physicians in adult primary care and pediatrics; over time, other medical specialists may be added in areas such as obstetrics, sports medicine, dentistry, orthopaedics and occupational and speech therapy, depending on the community’s needs and interests. These new facilities will expand UF’s already substantial presence in Northeast Florida and will ensure that Nassau County community members, local business employees, teachers and students have direct access to UF Health’s nationally recognized, high-quality care, programs, services and medical facilities.

In the coming months, the University of Florida and UF Health will advance planning and design with the objective of breaking ground on initial facilities next year. Final approval of the project is contingent on approval by appropriate governing boards, including the UF Board of Trustees.

Other facilities in the planning stages include a fitness and lifestyle campus as well as services focused on early childhood development, sports injury prevention, smart parks and community nutrition. UF envisions using Wildlight’s high-speed communications network to connect and communicate with residents and community members and offer virtual programs through smart apps and social media.

“Part of the mission of the University of Florida and UF Health is to shape a better future for Florida, the nation and the world,” said Dr. Guzick. “Our ambition is for the innovations that we pioneer at Wildlight to become model programs that can positively influence communities across Florida, the U.S. and maybe even beyond.”

This announcement comes weeks after Wildlight named D.S. Ware Homes and Dream Finders Homes as the first two residential home builders in the community. The news also builds on the recent opening of Wildlight Elementary School, which welcomed is first students in August. Wildlight Elementary School is a part of the “A”rated and “Academically High-Performing”-designated Nassau County School District. In addition to health care facilities, residential neighborhoods and a new elementary school, Wildlight is also designed for retail stores, restaurants and offices — all connected by a system of pathways and trails to enhance walkability, healthy lifestyles and a connection to the community.

About the University of Florida

The University of Florida is a major, public, comprehensive, land-grant, research university. The state’s oldest and most comprehensive university, UF is among the nation’s most academically diverse public universities. UF traces its beginnings to a small seminary in 1853. It opened its doors in Gainesville in 1906 with 102 students. Today, it is one of the most comprehensive and academically diverse universities in the nation, with an enrollment of some 52,000 students annually. UF is home to 16 colleges and more than 170 research centers and institutes and UF offers nearly 300 graduate degree programs. Only five other universities nationwide have as many programs of study on one campus as the University of Florida.

UF has a long history of established programs in international education, research and service. It is one of only 17 public, land-grant universities that belong to the Association of American Universities, the higher-education organization comprising the top 62 public and private institutions in North America.  UF is consistently ranked among the nation’s top universities. UF has nearly 5,000 faculty members with distinguished records in teaching, research and service, including 37 Eminent Scholar chairs and 42 faculty elections to the National Academy of Sciences, Engineering, the Institute of Medicine, or the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Awards include a Fields Medal, two Pulitzer Prizes, NASA’s top award for research, and the Smithsonian Institution’s conservation award.

About UF Health

UF Health is the Southeast’s most comprehensive academic health center. With main campuses in Gainesville and Jacksonville, UF Health includes six health colleges, nine research institutes and centers, two teaching hospitals, four specialty hospitals and a host of physician medical practices and outpatient services throughout North Central and Northeast Florida. Its mission is to promote health through outstanding and high-quality patient care, innovative and rigorous education in the health professions and biomedical sciences, and high-impact research across the spectrum of basic, translational and clinical investigation.

UF Health includes the UF colleges of Dentistry, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Public Health and Health Professions, and Veterinary Medicine, which has both a large animal hospital and a small animal hospital. The system also encompasses several UF research institutes and centers. The full spectrum of patient-care services are provided through UF Health Shands Hospital and UF Health Jacksonville, UF’s private, not-for-profit affiliates. UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville includes UF Health Shands Children’s Hospital and UF Health Shands Cancer Hospital. Two additional specialty hospitals, UF Health Shands Rehab Hospital and UF Health Shands Psychiatric Hospital, are also in Gainesville. UF Health Jacksonville and UF Health North Hospital are the system’s Northeast Florida hospitals. UF Health offers a network of outpatient rehabilitation centers, two home health agencies in Gainesville and Jacksonville, and more than 100 UF physician outpatient practices throughout North Central and Northeast Florida.

About Wildlight

Wildlight is envisioned as a new town inspired by a character, culture and pattern of living that we call “Florida Lowcountry,” where play is a part of every day and the natural world is a natural part of life. The plan for Wildlight includes a mix of homes, townhomes and rental apartments together with shops and restaurants, parks, gardens and playgrounds, a new elementary school, and a system of trails and pathways intended to make it healthy and walkable and connect it all together. Our Phase 1 plan is flexible and currently designed for about 1,000 homes across about 260 acres plus nearly 350 acres of permanently preserved open space. Wildlight will offer comfortable and friendly Florida Lowcountry living 20 miles north of Jacksonville, just east of Interstate 95 on A1A, with easy access to both Amelia Island and the Jacksonville International Airport. Wildlight is being created by Raydient Places + Properties, a taxable REIT subsidiary of Rayonier. For more information please visit wildlight.com.

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WILDLIGHT, FL – July 25, 2017 – Today, Jacksonville-based Dream Finders Homes (Dream Finders) announced that it has been named a residential homebuilder for Wildlight, a new town being developed in Nassau County. In the coming months, Dream Finders will work with Wildlight to bring the community’s distinctive Florida Lowcountry “FLOCO” culture to life through homes and neighborhoods.

“As a Northeast Florida homebuilder with deep roots in Nassau County, we have always promoted the Lowcountry design standard that is a cornerstone of the new town of Wildlight,” said Patrick Zalupski, CEO, Dream Finders. “We fully embrace Wildlight’s smart and organic vision that is indigenous to Nassau County’s unique environment. Our homes will celebrate family connections, outdoor recreation and the higher quality of life that the Florida Lowcountry offers.”

Founded in Jacksonville in 2008, Dream Finders is dedicated to building beautiful and innovative homes while providing exceptional customer service. In nine years, Dream Finders has grown tremendously across Northeast Florida, Orlando and nationally with homes in Denver, Austin and Savannah. As a Savannah homebuilder, Dream Finders saw great success with its Lowcountry product line originally created for the Coastal Georgia market. Dream Finders is working with Wildlight to elaborate and expand upon this product to fit the community’s overall architectural vision.

“Dream Finders has vast experience in designing Lowcountry architecture for its South Georgia market,” said Charles Adams, Vice President of Community Development for Wildlight. “As a local builder with regional and national recognition, Dream Finders is a great addition to our community and we look forward to finalizing construction plans and designs.”

Wildlight’s FLOCO architecture is inspired by the Florida Lowcountry’s coastal landscape – beaches, small islands, marshes and rivers – combined with the region’s unique flavor, style and culture. Homes in Wildlight will be characterized by family-friendly floor plans, outdoor living spaces such as sweeping porches and verandas, high-quality building materials and sustainable landscapes.

Dream Finders is the next homebuilder announced in Wildlight and is scheduled to break ground on model homes later this summer. Additional construction plans and designs are forthcoming.

About Dream Finders Homes

Dream Finders Homes is a private, national home builder dedicated to building the highest quality constructed homes at the most affordable prices. Dream Finders Homes prides itself on offering transparency in the home building process while earning the reputation of being ‘The Best Value at Every Price Point.’ Dream Finders Homes promises to work with every home buyer to build a unique home that fits their lifestyle. Dream Finders Homes, building the American Dream one home at a time in Northeast Florida, Austin, Orlando, Colorado, Savannah and Coastal South Carolina.

About Wildlight

Wildlight is envisioned as a new town inspired by a character, culture and pattern of living that we call “Florida Lowcountry,” where play is a part of every day and the natural world is a natural part of life. The plan for Wildlight includes a mix of homes, townhomes and rental apartments together with shops and restaurants, parks, gardens and playgrounds, a new elementary school, and a system of trails and pathways intended to make it healthy and walkable and connect it all together. Our Phase 1 plan is flexible and currently designed for about 1,000 homes across about 260 acres plus nearly 350 acres of permanently preserved open space. Wildlight will offer comfortable and friendly Florida Lowcountry living 20 miles north of Jacksonville, just east of Interstate 95 on A1A, with easy access to both Amelia Island and the Jacksonville International Airport. Wildlight is being created by Raydient Places + Properties, a subsidiary of Rayonier. For more information please visit wildlight.com.

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WILDLIGHT, FL – July 11, 2017 – Today, D.S. Ware Homes (D.S. Ware) announced that it has been selected as one of the residential homebuilders for Wildlight, a new town being developed in Nassau County.

“D.S. Ware is excited to be named one of the first residential homebuilders in Wildlight,” said Tony Raso, President, D.S. Ware. “As a Northeast Florida homebuilder, we see a high potential for growth in this area and we look forward to working with Wildlight to bring its neighborhoods and homes to life.”

Founded in 1983, D.S. Ware has a long history of building quality and affordable homes in desirable locations throughout Northeast Florida. D.S. Ware will build homes in Wildlight’s Village Center neighborhood. Over the next few weeks, D.S. Ware will work closely with Wildlight on construction plans to fit the community’s architectural guidelines – the Wildlight Pattern Book – that also remain true to the area’s natural landscape. D.S. Ware plans to break ground on its model homes this summer.

“We are thrilled to partner with D.S. Ware to build some of Wildlight’s first residential homes that embody our community’s distinct, Florida Lowcountry style,” said Charles Adams, Vice President of Community Development for Wildlight. “D.S. Ware is known for their quality craftsmanship and customer satisfaction, which Wildlight’s first residents are sure to love.”

In addition to residential homes and neighborhoods, the first phase of Wildlight will also include the Village Center, with planned retail stores and restaurants, Wildlight Elementary School, office space, recreational parks, and biking and walking trails. Wildlight also boasts a high-speed fiber network designed to deliver one-gigabit-per-second services.

About D.S. Ware Homes

D.S. Ware Homes is a premier new home builder in Jacksonville, Florida, building in communities in Duval, Nassau, Clay and St. John’s Counties for over 35 years.

Under the leadership of Donnie Ware and Tony Raso, the D.S. Ware team has over 100 years of combined experience building superior quality and beautiful homes focused on comfort and detail. D.S. Ware Homes maintains a philosophy of creating “customers for life.” Through their 4-step process, D.S. Ware Homes strives to keep their customers involved throughout the entire build, resulting in a happier and more informed buyer.

“There is nothing more important to us than complete customer bliss. We’ve spent our entire careers working toward this goal. It’s what drives the passion in us,” says Donnie Ware. “We offer innovative designs, outstanding construction, desirable communities at reasonable prices. We believe you can express your creativity and still be affordable. A home is the single most important purchase people will make in their lifetime and it has to be right, every time.”

D.S. Ware Homes has received repeated superior rankings from J.D. Power and Associates for their unrivaled customer satisfaction and warranty program.

About Wildlight

Wildlight is envisioned as a new town inspired by a character, culture and pattern of living that we call “Florida Lowcountry,” where play is a part of every day and the natural world is a natural part of life. The plan for Wildlight includes a mix of homes, townhomes and rental apartments together with shops and restaurants, parks, gardens and playgrounds, a new elementary school, and a system of trails and pathways intended to make it healthy and walkable and connect it all together. Our Phase 1 plan is flexible and currently designed for about 1,000 homes across about 260 acres plus nearly 350 acres of permanently preserved open space. Wildlight will offer comfortable and friendly Florida Lowcountry living 20 miles north of Jacksonville, just east of Interstate 95 on A1A, with easy access to both Amelia Island and the Jacksonville International Airport. Wildlight is being created by Raydient Places + Properties, a subsidiary of Rayonier. For more information please visit wildlight.com.

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