About 40 volunteers boated over from north Longboat Key to the nearby Sister Keys on Saturday for a morning of trash cleanup and invasive-plant removal.
Sponsored by Sarasota Bay Watch, the group ranged widely in age and in experience level but not in enthusiasm. Together, they waded ashore from several boats and collected trash and recyclables, while a smaller group concentrated on removing vines of vinca, an invasive plant often called periwinkle. Among the items found on the islands, a floodlight bulb, an unopened can of Coors Light beer, a tattered American flag and a couple resin patio chairs that had seen better days.
Teens from Sarasota High's Sailor Bay Watch took part in the event, as did residents of Longboat Key and supporters from off the island as well.
Following their hours on the islands in Sarasota Bay, the volunteers were treated to lunch at Mar Vista Dockside restaurant.
In 1992, the town of Longboat Key bought the Sister Keys system, which consists of four islands. The island were restored with native plants, salt marsh and gopher tortoise habitat and wetlands at the urging of a citizens' group called the Sister Keys Conservancy.
Volunteers gathered near Longboat Key's Linley Street Boat Ramp.
Ivan Zunz looks for some equipment to use.
Ronda Ryan, president of Sarasota Bay Watch, and Rusty Chinnis talk about Sister Keys and where the volunteers would be working.
Becky Parrish emerges from a thicket.
Maureen Merrigan steps from the mangroves with a discarded piece of foam and a cast-aside can of unopened beer.
The human volunteers were not alone on Sister Keys on Saturday.
Volunteers from Sarasota High's Sailor Bay club signal their disdain for invasive plant species: From left, Riley Plank, Owen Bahan, Liv Doura and Nicholas Cox.
Wendi Gengler, left, and Brooke Langton work to uproot vinca plants, an invasive species.
The town of Longboat Key bought the Sister Keys in 1992.
Cody Jeffers, Catherine Deveux and Hugh Brian get to work cleaning up the island.
Susan Cranwell and Calynn Stewart come ashore.
Susan Cranwell grips an empty beer can she found along the shoreline while working with Calynn Stewart.
Some of the boats dropped their teams off on the north side of the island.
Gene Printz-Kopelson, Mindy Printz-Kopelson, and Audrey Bear take a moment during their clean-up work on the island.
Trash collected by volunteers on Sister Keys.
Chairs and a tattered American flag were collected.
A bag of recyclables found on the Sister Keys.
Ronda Ryan, president of Sarasota Bay Watch, and Rusty Chinnis talk about Sister Keys and where the volunteers would be working.
Before embarking on small boats, the volunteer crew posed for a team photo.
Longboat Key Police's marine patrol officer kept close watch on boat traffic in the slow speed, minimum wake zone adjacent to Sister Keys.
