Native Planting Event

Volunteers gather Saturday morning in North Lido Park

North Lido Beach Park was greatly enhanced this morning by a major volunteer effort along the new tribal tributary adjacent to the beach access. About 60 volunteers of all ages planted thousands of native plants donated by the American Littoral Society and Sarasota County. Some of the wetland plants came from Mote Marine Laboratory’s Mote Aquaculture Park in Sarasota. The restoration project improved 30 acres on the 70 acre site. It is one of the region’s largest habitat restoration projects with funding support from Southwest Florida Water Management District and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Native plants include beach sunflower, sea oats, seagrape, sea purslane and sea lavender

Other key supporters include the Lido Shores Property Owners Association, Lido Key Residents Association, Sarasota Audubon Society, and Captain Jeffrey Karr with the Sarasota Police Department. The Florida Native Plant Society provided lunch for the volunteers at the Lido beach public pavilion. The Sarasota Bay Estuary Program, City of Sarasota and Around the Bend Nature Tours organized this native planting event.

The tidal wetland was created to provide essential habitat for estuarine dependent fish species, according to Jay Leverone, PhD, SBEP's staff scientist. "The restoration also provides improved habitat for birds, reptiles and other wildlife," he added. "People have already reported seeing eagles, ospreys, a gopher tortoise, and numerous schools of small fish in the park."

L: Planting along the tributary, McInerny's Lido Shores home is in the background; R: Elliott Himelfarb volunteers

For more information:
American Littoral Society
Sarasota Bay Guardians