START is pleased to declare March as Microforest Month in our expanding efforts to improve water quality along the Suncoast.
This is a direct result of the popular success of the Microforest at the Celery Fields in Sarasota. As originally announced in last November’s edition of our monthly E-Newsletter, the one third acre site continues to develop as more understory planting with smaller shrubs are being introduced as shown above.
Funded and maintained by the Sarasota Urban ReForesters, a partnership formed by the Florida Veterans For Common Sense Foundation, the Sarasota Bay Chapter of the Rotary Club, the Sarasota-Manatee Chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society and START, this tight grouping of trees, shrubs and herbaceous plants will:
* Help control stormwater runoff from the Celery Fields
* Filter excess nutrients from the stormwater
* Create important new habitat for birds and wildlife displaced by development
* Provide carbon sequestration as a valuable hedge against climate change
Publicity in local media has increased the awareness of the important environmental benefits of a Microforest and we have received inquiries about building other Microforests from several other Suncoast communities.
For further information about how you can help create a MIcroforest in your community, contact Sandy Gilbert at sandem133@aol.com. To make a donation to help START increase our funding to help build more Microforests in our special March Funding Drive, go to our website at start1.org and hit the donate button.
