A recent habitat restoration project at G.T. Bray Park in Manatee County has helped transform the pond at the park entrance off 59th Street in Bradenton. Over the years, the pond has been left mostly unmanaged, resulting in vegetation overgrowth. Originally a natural wetland in the 1940s, it was deepened in the mid-1970s and later repurposed to store reclaimed water for park irrigation through the early 1990s. Over time, invasive plant species spread throughout the pond and water quality declined.
Today, the pond is being revitalized as a healthy, functioning freshwater ecosystem through a collaborative restoration effort. This initiative is being led by the Manatee County Natural Resources Department (NRD) in a partnership with the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program and the Healthy Pond Collaborative, an alliance that includes START, the Suncoast Waterkeeper, the University of Florida IFAS Extension, the Sarasota County NEST Program and the Science and Environment Council of Southwest Florida.
Supported by an ongoing grant from the Barancik Foundation, the Healthy Pond Collaborative has funded the cost of 5,440 native aquatic and landside plants to restore the pond back to health. The plant profile was selected by the NRD and provided by Aquatic Plants of Florida including aquatic plants like spikerush, pickerelweed, and yellow canna, alongside landside plants like sunshine mimosa, dune sunflower and Fakahatchee grass.
The Barancik Foundation grant also helped cover the cost of the educational signage for the site as shown above.
On May 20th and 21st, staff from the Manatee County Natural Resources Department coordinated the planting event with the help of 25 student volunteers from St. Stephens Episcopal School. Follow-up planting events are scheduled for June 20th with the Tampa Bay Watch to complete the project. The installation of native plants will help enhance water quality, stabilize the pond’s banks, create vital habitat for wildlife displaced by urbanization and beautify the entrance area providing lasting enjoyment for park visitors.
That was the rallying cry of the many concerned citizens who passionately spoke to the Sarasota County