The Gulf Coast Community Foundation has released its groundbreaking Community Playbook for Healthy Waterways, a user-friendly website that integrates water quality science, government policy, community education, and actionable solutions to help stem manmade nutrient pollution in our local waters. This is a must-visit site for START’s environmentally concerned followers. The Playbook is based on a [...]
Despite the efforts of governments, organizations and many people, nitrogen, the principal nutrient that feeds Harmful Algal Blooms like red tide, has grown alarmingly in our waterways. Sarasota Bay, in particular, has twice as much nitrogen in it today than it did back in 2000. Recognizing that stormwater is a major contributor to pollutants and [...]
As shown in the above picture, the first phase of the landmark Stormwater Filtration System at Bay Park was begun last month with the construction of the Denitrification Trench. The trench is five feet wide by five feet deep with the bottom covered with specially treated wood chips that attract anerobic bacteria that consume nitrogen [...]
With the help of some dedicated volunteers, the areas’ first Microforest was planted at the Celery Fields on Saturday, October 31st. Carefully orchestrated with Covid-19 protocols including masks and social distancing, the volunteers worked in shifts to plant the small trees, bushes and ground cover that will become the Microforest. A canopy layer of larger [...]
The following is a guest editorial by Christine Johnson, President of the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast. Conserving the land next to our waterbodies is one of the best ways to make sure we have drinkable, fishable, swimmable water. That’s why a group of concerned citizens banded together with two not-for-profits, Manatee Fish & [...]
As we covered in last month’s E-Newsletter, START is a part of an exciting new partnership with the Sarasota Urban ReForesters in the installation of an environmentally sustainable Micro-Forest at the Celery Fields. Approval from the County has been secured and we are scheduled to plant the Micro-Forest just off the parking lot at the [...]
Following the impressive success of the biochar material shown above in a pilot test of filtering out 73% of the nitrogen and 87% of the phosphorus in reclaimed water at Lakewood Ranch, START is announcing a plan to bring this effective process to Sarasota’s developing Bay Park to help reduce the nutrients in stormwater from [...]
