The community’s participation in Bay Friendly Landscaping practices is essential

                           for the long-term preservation and enhancement of Sarasota Bay

In Florida a significant amount, 40 to 50 percent, of water is used for yards. Sarasota Bay Estuary Program (SBEP) is doing its part in educating residents about Bay Friendly plants, which include native plants and some exotics that require less water, less fertilizer and fewer pesticides. They result in less pollution. And Bay Friendly plants conserve water because they don’t require as much irrigation.

An important partner in this educational intiative is Sarasota County's Neighborhood Environmental Stewardship Team (NEST).  NEST is all about connecting people with the land and water around them. It is a voluntary association of people - neighbors, civic groups, student organizations and others - who want to better understand and improve environmental conditions in their watershed. It invites citizens to explore ways that they can make their neighborhood a better place for people, wildlife and our water resources.

Homeowner Association newsletter article menu (coming soon)

Resources

Sarasota County Fertilizer Ordinance Brochure
Living on the Water’s Edge Brochure - A Homeowner's Guide to Low Maintenance Landscaping Along Seawalls, Bayfronts and Canals

Living on the Water's Edge Brochure - A  Homeowner's Guide to Low Maintenance Landscaping Along Stormwater Ponds

National Coalition for Pesticide-Free Lawns

Community Organizations

Sarasota County Council of Neighborhood Associations Inc.
Indian Beach Sapphire Shores Association

Your Green City

Neighborhood Success Stories!

Pelican Cove is a condominium community situated on 75 acres on Little Sarasota Bay and has 731 units with a population of approximately 1200 residents. Clower Creek, an impaired waterway, runs through the property and on into the bay, and two ponds flow directly into the creek. Restoration of the Brookhouse ponds and informative workshops and newspaper articles educated the residents about watershed BMPs, stormwater pollution, and how the health of our ponds directly impacts Little Sarasota Bay.

During two events in the springof 2008, fifty-three volunteers planted approximately 1600 aquatic and upland plants to improve water quality, reduce erosion and stormwater runoff, and improve wildlife habitat. A storm drain marking event was also held to mark drains in Pelican Cove and the nearby neighborhood. The project was funded in part by grants from Sarasota Bay Estuary Program and the Manasota Basin Board of the Southwest Florida Water Management District.