SBEP Bay Guardians Complete Three Projects at Arlington Park, Jiggs Landing & Bowlees Creek Island

BRADENTON – A group of 53 SBEP Bay Guardian volunteers removed more than 1,200 pounds of air potato vines and seeds at Arlington Park on January 25. Removing the invasive plant supports the vitality of native vegetation. Another 61 Bay Guardian volunteers planted nearly 6,000 Florida-native plants near Jiggs Landing in Manatee County on February 8.

The Bay Guardians worked with Audubon and other groups on Saturday, March 1 to help clean up Bowlees Creek Island. Bay Guardians removed 427 pounds of debris and exotic vegetation last year from the bird sanctuary. A joint planting project with the Tampa Bay Estuary Program is set for April 12 at Perico Preserve in Manatee County. All of the volunteer outings take place in the morning followed by a picnic lunch provided by SBEP.

The Bay Guardians is the region's largest and most active volunteer program focused on Sarasota Bay. The award-winning program is managed by SBEP with support from 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 should contact SBEP at sara@sarasotabay.org.