Celebrate Trails Day on the Emerald Trail

By GroundworkJacksonville | February 19, 2026

Groundwork Jacksonville invites the community to Celebrate Trails Day on Saturday, April 25, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the LaVilla Link Butterfly Garden along the Emerald Trail. Celebrate Trails Day was created by the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, to encourage people nationwide to get outside and explore local trails. The event culminates with a butterfly release.

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Park Street Mural Celebrates Neighborhood History

By GroundworkJacksonville | March 21, 2025

The newly completed 1,100-foot-long mural along the Park Street Bridge on the Emerald Trail LaVilla Link celebrates the rich history of Jacksonville’s LaVilla and Brooklyn neighborhoods. Led by artist Overstreet Ducasse, in collaboration with artists Grace Bio, Dustin Harewood, and Alexi McMonigle, the mural is a tribute to the past, encapsulating the essence of LaVilla and Brooklyn’s cultural legacy.

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StoryWalk: Read While You Stroll the LaVilla Link

By GroundworkJacksonville | December 12, 2024

Steps and story time come together on the LaVilla Link of the Emerald Trail, thanks to a new, rotating installation called StoryWalk®, which features a series of 20 mounted displays depicting sequential pages from a children’s picture book. Ultimately, the purpose is to bring families together to foster connection, movement and early literacy. The new StoryWalk® project was made possible by Baptist Health and is supported by the Library Foundation of Jacksonville and Groundwork Jacksonville.

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Community Celebrates the Opening of the LaVilla Link

By GroundworkJacksonville | May 6, 2024

City of Jacksonville Mayor Donna Deegan, Groundwork Jacksonville CEO Kay Ehas, and Baptist Health President and CEO Michael A. Mayo, DHA, FACHE, hosted the ribbon cutting and official opening of the LaVilla Link, the first segment of the much-anticipated Emerald Trail. Hundreds of community members joined in the celebration at the foot of the Park Street Bridge near the Prime F. Osborn Convention Center to commemorate this community milestone.

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Baptist Health makes Strategic Investment in the Emerald Trail

By GroundworkJacksonville | December 13, 2023

“Building a healthier community happens one neighborhood and one individual at a time,” said Michael A. Mayo, DHA, FACHE, president and CEO of Baptist Health. “We chose to make a strategic investment in the LaVilla Link because we believe it will help people move more, connect more, learn more and enjoy more – all of which are important factors for helping foster greater health and well-being.” 

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