Bay Guardian Volunteers to Plant Native Plants at Perico Preserve in Manatee County

BRADENTON – Bay Guardian volunteers with the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program (SBEP) will plant Florida native plants at a shoreline area on Perico Preserve Saturday, May 4.

SBEP, Manatee County Natural Resources and Around the Bend Nature Tours will work with the adult and student volunteers beginning 9am. A picnic lunch will be provided following the morning project.

Bay Guardian volunteers did a planting previously at Perico Preserve in October 2012. Anyone interested in volunteering for the May 4 outing can sign up online through the SBEP website at sarasotabay.org. The plants are being donated by FWC Redfish Hatchery at Port Manatee and Manatee County Natural Resources.

Perico Preserve is the newest preserve in Manatee County located across Perico Bayou from Robinson Preserve. The 176-acre property was originally farmland and the extensive mangrove fringe is currently undergoing restoration to become another natural habitat within Manatee County’s coastal preserve system. Plans include the construction of a lagoon to support seagrass growth and a bird rookery island. During construction, public access is only permitted through sneak peek tours hosted by Manatee County Natural Resources or volunteer workdays.

The outing to Perico Preserve is the fourth Bay Guardian volunteer outing this year. Prior outings were held at Baywalk Creek near New College of Florida, Jiggs Landing in Manatee County, and Bowlees Creek Island Bird Sanctuary near the mouth of Bowlees Creek.

The Bay Guardians are the largest and most active volunteer organization in the region focused on the welfare of Sarasota Bay. Area residents invest thousands of hours each year supporting the morning projects focused on planting Florida native plants and removing exotic plants or trash and debris. The Bay Guardians is a family-friendly program that SBEP manages in partnership with Around the Bend Nature Tours. New volunteers receive a blue tee shirt featuring the Bay Guardians logo.

Join the Bay Guardians for a single project or as an ongoing commitment. Local school, scout and church groups interested in volunteering can contact Stephanie Sherman at

info@sarasotabay.org.