Re-wilding of Celery Fields project gets underway

A celebration of the first steps in re-wilding Quad Parcels at Celery Fields was held in the form of a ceremonial groundbreaking on Thursday, Jan. 23. Participating were representatives of Sarasota Audubon Society, Big Waters Land Trust (formerly Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast) and Sarasota County government. 

The land is currently managed by the Sarasota Audubon Society with Big Waters Land Trust stewarding the conservation easement. Together, the organizations teamed with land planning firm Kimley-Horn and Willis A. Smith Construction to create a design, comprehensive plan, and phased approach to re-wild the properties. 

Fundraising for the project is underway for the project, which includes new wildlife habitat and passive recreation spaces. To date, approximately $1.5 million has been raised toward the $5 million overall project budget.

“In contrast to the Celery Fields, which is primarily a wetland, our re-wilding calls for a denser planting of trees on all three parcels to provide for birds and other wildlife that depend on woodlands to thrive,” said Jeanne Dubi, former president of Sarasota Audubon and its current director of special projects, in a news release.

Phase 1 of the project begins with the 11-acre southeastern parcel, which will have the highest number of trees planted. When complete, it will provide more wooded areas for wildlife to forage and nest, along with a pollinator meadow. Phase 2 of the re-wilding plan will move to the southwest parcel, which is envisioned as the arrival point for visitors complete with parking, restrooms, ADA paths, children’s natural play area and open green space.

“This groundbreaking celebrates the work we’ve done thus far — the fundraising, the design, the permitting with the county and the Southwest Florida Water Management District, and all the coordination to dovetail this project with the county’s road and building plans,” said Big Waters President Christine Johnson. “We reached a major milestone in raising the funds necessary to break ground on this parcel today. This is a big project, with a hefty budget, but the impact will be even more substantial.”

By rainy season the southeastern parcel is expected o be fully prepped and ready for planting. As new funding milestones are reached, phased work will begin on the remaining two parcels. The re-wildling of the southeastern parcel will take a year to complete.