START presents another community pond enhancement success story in Sarasota County. This month’s selection is from Pinebrook South as written by resident, Don Thomas. The community of Pinebrook South is located across from Wellfield Park on Pinebrook Road near Venice Avenue, minutes away from the downtown area and Gulf beaches. It was the second PUD [...]
The Suncoast continues to suffer from the lingering red tide bloom along our shores. Fish kills continue to mount and beachgoers are fleeing the airborne toxins that cause tearing eyes and coughing. START is working on a number of fronts in the Sarasota Bay Watershed to help reduce the excess nutrients in our waterways that [...]
START is pleased to introduce the following guest article by Charles Reith, President, Florida House Board of Directors and Science Advisor, Southface Institute, about the exciting new Microforest project at Nathan Benderson Park. Following the great public interest in the Microforest that was planted at the Celery Fields last October by the Sarasota Urban ReForesters, [...]
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 [...]
