If you’ve ever felt the satisfaction of snugging into place the last piece of a complex jigsaw puzzle, you know how Ken Grudens felt in April.

That is when the Indian River Land Trust, where Grudens is executive director, closed on a long narrow strip of wooded land extending from the western shore of the Indian River Lagoon to within a few hundred feet of U.S. 1 in Wabasso.

The 10-acre strip of land separated a sizable chunk of Land Trust property to the south from substantial Land Trust holdings to the north, where the Tony Robinson Waterfront Trail is located.

When the deal closed and the property came into the Land Trust’s possession with that click-into-place sense of completion, it created the opportunity for construction of a 2-mile loop trail that will open the riverine wildlife habitat to public use in coming years.

“The long-term plan is to create a Tony Robinson extension trail and perhaps a boardwalk that connects the two sections,” Grudens told Vero Beach 32963. “We're seeking a grant right now that would help us pay for  improvements, which could include a nice kayak landing with a trail and little picnic pavilion.”

Two regional kayak trails meander past the property – the Indian River Lagoon Paddling Trail and the Florida Circumnavigational Saltwater Paddling Trail – so a landing spot would be a handy amenity.

“When you have kayak trails, there's not always a lot of places to land,” Grudens said. “I've done a lot of paddle trips in the past and it is really nice to have a place where you can land and take a break – where you can get out of the boat, sit on the observation deck, have a snack, maybe take a little hike and stretch your legs.”

Also this spring, the Land Trust picked up a second piece of property that filled a notch at the bottom edge of the now united 157-acre Tony Robinson conservation area. While not as strategic as the long, narrow strip, it adds 400 feet of lagoon shoreline to the property, just north of Copeland’s Landing, and will reduce the cost of completing the loop trail.

The trail will follow the banks of a mosquito impoundment that will require a boardwalk crossing at the southern end to close loop. The distance across the impound is half as far in the new 5.8-acre parcel as it is just to the north.

“With the cost of boardwalks these days, the purchase will probably save us twice what we paid for it due to the shorter distance,” Grudens said.

The two purchases mark the completion of a painstaking 17-year assembly process.

“The first piece of property the Land Trust acquired after we broke off from McKee was the 1.6-acre piece that now is the parking lot and entry to the Tony Robinson trail,” Grudens said.

That purchase was followed over the next decade and a half by a complex series of additional purchases and donations, negotiating with a colorful array of landowners, real estate brokers and government officials, all with the long-term goal of assembling the sprawling conservation area now in place.

One parcel was acquired from the estate of musician Clarence Clemons, saxophonist with Bruce Springsteen’s E-Street Band from 1972 until his death in 2011. Another had to be shuffled between various private and government entities for legal reasons before passing into the Land Trust’s possession.

“We take the long view,” Grudens said. “We are here for the duration and know how to bide our time.”

The process came close to culmination in March 2024, when the Land Trust snagged a 48-acre parcel at the heart of the 157-acre section – but the privately owned strip still divided the two halves.

“I'd been in communication with the owner of the strip on and off for 16 years,” Grudens said. “We were never able to get the land until last year when a Maimi-based realtor representing the owner reached out to us and asked if we were still interested in the property.

“Absolutely!” Grudens told the realtor.

But the owner wanted “a significant price” for the long, narrow piece.

“The price seemed high compared to what we thought the value would probably be appraised at,” Grudens said, “so we asked the realtor if the landowner would consider a lower offer if we got an appraisal and shared it with them.

“They agreed, and the appraisal came in significantly lower than their original thinking. We explained to them that the property is essentially landlocked, and even though the law allows you to find a way to gain access to a landlocked piece, it costs time and money and is not an easy legal process. So the value of the land was lower.

“I think at that point the realtor explained the situation to the seller and told them we were their best buyer, and maybe their only buyer.

“Once they agreed to the appraisal price, we were able to close very quickly, and I think, in the end, everyone was happy.”

The Land Trust paid $480,000 for the 10-acre strip, according to county records, and picked up the second piece to the south for $80,000.

Grudens said the loop trail and other improvements on the now unitive 157-acre property will come in the next three to five years, depending on the outcome of the grant-seeking process and progress on other Land Trust projects underway.