Since 2001 ESI has worked on over 35 properties as a part of Preservation Project Jacksonville, participating in flora and fauna surveys, identifying and mapping natural habitat, preparing Florida Communities Trust grant applications, assisting in the development of site plans and environmental permitting, and developing proposed management plans for properties. For Castaway Island Park and Preserve, ESI wrote an FCT management plan that met all agency documentation requirements, developing a format to be used on other sites. The preserve properties range in size from less than 50 acres to more than 1500 acres and encompass the natural communities indigenous to the coastal Southeast.

The site surveys on the various properties were performed to define and map ecological resources, evaluating habitat quality and identifying areas of ecological significance, identifying important protected species habitat, developing information on the presence or potential presence of these species, and making recommendations on ways to manage the areas and to incorporate those areas into park plans. When funding was received, ESI delineated wetlands and permitted unavoidable wetland impacts on the sites.

ESI assisted the engineers, planners, and City staff in developing successful applications for funding and management plans that best utilized the resources on each property. The natural resource planning included nature trails, passive recreation sites, and wildlife observation platforms as well as making recommendations on the kinds of passive recreation activities best suited to each site. Additional services included archaeological / cultural resource surveys and identification of invasive and exotic species.