Meet Virginia

On Oct. 2, the Longboat Key Garden Club awarded Virginia Sanders, a longtime resident and environmental activist, a member emeritus title.

Since moving in 1976 to Longboat Key, Sanders has been instrumental to many environmental initiatives in the area, including heading the Sister Keys Conservancy, turtle conservation work, establishing recycling on the Key and volunteering at the Mote Marine Aquarium.

“She is the Garden Club,” member Susan Landau said. “She’s been the whole consciousness about the environment. She is, for the town, the No. 1 tree-lover.”

Sanders, who turned 92 Oct. 6, is still active in the community and volunteers monthly at Mote.

Born in Pennsylvania, Sanders moved to the Key from a Chicago suburb with her second husband, Jack Sanders, soon after they married.

“I’ve always been interested in nature and protecting what we have. I love animals,” Sanders said. “It wasn’t anything new when I got here. Where else is there to save in Chicago? The only place where I felt we could really do something was here.”

Sanders’ local involvement began when she saw an advertisement in the newspaper to volunteer with turtles, and she became interested in turtle preservation.

In 1989, when news of a developer’s plan to develop Sister Keys broke, Sanders teamed up with fellow residents Rusty Chinnis and Anna Miller and formed the Sister Keys Conservancy to fight the plan.

“There was wildlife there and seagrass and all kinds of things,” Sanders said. “We needed some empty space, some green space.”

The Sister Keys Conservancy raised money to buy Sister Keys. Three years later, in 1992, the group convinced the town to purchase the islands, ensuring their preservation as mangrove wetland. Sanders said this was her proudest accomplishment.

Sanders has many other environmental accomplishments, including developing the Key’s recycling program.

“We didn’t always have Waste Management picking up waste materials that would be recycled,” she said. “I was part of a team that started off offering recycled material to Waste Management and seeing if we could make a deal between the town and waste management.”

Sanders also said she is proud of her experience volunteering with Mote.

“I was a long-time volunteer there when Mote needed someone to run the programs for volunteers,” she said. “They decided they wanted to enlarge and be bigger and better. I do the same thing today and volunteer once a month.”

Sanders received the member emeritus title not just because of her environmental accomplishments but also because of her positive outlook on life.

“She’s one of the most optimistic people,” Garden Club member Vicki Lyons said. “You never hear a negative thing out of her. She just marches forward. She is the conscience of Longboat Key.”

Garden Club President Madelyn Spoll said the Garden Club wouldn’t be the same today without Sanders.

“She really cared and made it what it is,” Spoll said. “She always has a smile.”

Sanders also enjoys drawing and photography and proudly displays her work around her house. Her biggest passion and proudest achievement, however, continues to be her work helping the environment.

“I really had a chance to do something instead of just talking,” Sanders said. “Nothing has made me more satisfied over the years.”