Birding on the Suncoast

with SAS' Stu Hills - ABC 7 News

Stu did an excellent commentary on birding in Sarasota and its economic impact on our community. 

The Celery Fields that birders flock to today was indeed, for a long time, a place to grow celery. In 1910, Bertha Palmer, a wealthy widow from Chicago, arrived in what is now Sarasota County and purchased 90,000 acres of property, including the area now known as Selby Gardens, and areas as far south as Spanish Point. Twenty-five thousand acres were destined for ranching and agriculture; that acreage included 300-400 acres south of I-75, known to us now as the Celery Fields.  These acres were drained and cleared for agriculture by Bertha Palmer's sons in the 1920s. As described in Arny Rawson's 2002 report (Part 1 of this series), the swampland muck was rich in nutrients, and ideal for growing celery. The canals constructed for drainage provided water for irrigation.  Sarasota eventually became the largest producer of celery in Florida, and the 7th largest in the country.

By 1972, the land had passed to the Ferlise family, owners of FanCee Farms, and it continued producing celery for many years.  In 1992, a 3-day rain dropped 22 inches of rain in the area and more than 200 homes that had been built in the vicinity were flooded.  Sarasota County recognized that it was necessary to find means to control this flooding, and the Phillippi Creek Basin Master Plan was created. The Celery Fields' component of the plan began with the 1995 purchase of the land and the design of a system to retain flood waters and mechanisms to permit the slow release of the flow downstream to Phillippi Creek.  A later document (FEMA, 2007) describes the construction as incorporating the existing canal infrastructure, with added diversion gates, outflow pipes, and mechanical controls.  A wetland restoration area was included, to improve the quality of the water flowing into the creek.  The resultant complex of ponds and marshes made the area more attractive to birds. And to birders: Sarasota Audubon Society (SAS) archives show increasing interest in Ackerman Park and "the surrounding area" in "Birding Close to Home" field trips, among others.  

Birdwatchers were already concerned. The SAS effort to secure the Celery Fields for wildlife habitat actually began a year previously.  Starting in January 2001, Jeanne Dubi, and other SAS volunteers, carried out a year-long survey of bird sightings in the Celery Fields, spotting 123 species.  In March, 2002, the SAS Board of Directors (Julie Byrne, President; with Carolyn Primus, Wade Matthews, Debbie Dixon, Sara King and Rusty Blackwell), created a committee to pursue the Society's "Celery Fields Project".  The committee was chaired by Jeanne Dubi and included Wade Matthews, John Ginaven, Arny Rawson, Jo Wieczynski, Bill Lewis (Sierra Club), and Owen Comora.  The aim of the committee members was to gather essential information on all aspects of the subject, and to initiate contact with the various departments of Sarasota County that had responsibilities in the Celery Fields.  Contacts were made with Sarasota County Public Works, SWFWMD, the Department of Parks & Recreation, and Environmental Services.  

A document entitled "The Sarasota Celery Fields---An Outstanding Natural Resource"" was prepared by SAS and sent to the appropriate County offices. In this document, SAS made a persuasive argument that, along with its flood mitigation role, the Celery Fields provided habitat for wildlife that was important in its own right, but that also represented  an ecotourism destination of significant economic value.  A "Current Problems:  Future Solutions" section was included.  The members of the SAS Celery Fields Project Committee worked tirelessly through that spring and summer, addressing some of the immediate problems (e.g., excess mowing of fields, lighting fixtures that were too high and too bright, etc.), and attempting to gain cooperation from the County for long-term planning that assured protection of the habitat.  SAS records contain responses from some of the County offices and Commissioners that appeared to offer encouragement

However, on September 10, 2002, a public meeting was held by the County, and a plan was unveiled to "build recreational amenities.....including hiking trails, picnic facilities, fishing piers, and canoe and kayak trails."(Sarasota Herald Tribune, September 2002).  Critics of the plan, including SAS, the Sierra Club, and other interested community members, objected strongly, prompting the Tribune to state:  "Tuesday's opposition may have swayed the county's thinking".

SAS followed up with a document titled "Reactions and Further Suggestions to the 9/10/02 Public Meeting Re: Celery Fields".  Here is the opening paragraph: 

"The Celery Fields' two major purposes are: 1) Flood easement, and 2) Wetlands mitigation, as mandated by SWFWMD and the Army Corps of Engineers, providing for diverse wildlife habitat.  The task of flood easement has been accomplished, and the wetlands mitigation phase will be completed after the wetlands development of the South Cell (south of Palmer Boulevard). Adhering to these 2 objectives is all that is required to enhance wildlife. Any other enhancements for general use will seriously degrade the site for wildlife." SAS goes on to say in this document that wetlands development in the South Cell must reflect a marshland/wetland environment, with careful attention to plantings. 

Supporting the economic value of the Celery Fields, the point is made that Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary brings $9.4 million in visitor dollars to Collier County, and improvements to the Celery Fields habitat would allow for it to be included on the Great Florida Birding Trail, a potential economic boon to Sarasota County.

What follows in that document is a comprehensive list of suggestions and recommendations that influenced developments during the next eight years, culminating in the Grand Opening of the Celery Fields Park in May, 2011.   

Jane Brandhorst, Historian

One of the reasons we are a growing and successful organization is our volunteers. SAS is non-profit and volunteer driven. You could be a part of our exciting future. Please share your talents.

Contact:

VolunteerCoordinator, Marcy Packert 

volunteer@sarasotaaudubon.org or 360-0808