This blog is dedicated to the environmental well-being of our Florida coastal habitat.

This blog is
dedicated to the environmental well-being of coastal habitat.

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Palmer Point Restoration Project

Our John Sarkozy and the Southeast American Littoral, with help from Sarasota County Natural Resources, the Selby Foundation, Friends of Oscar Scherer State Park, and a local homeowner, completed the Palmer Point restoration. The project is seen over time below.
1993 - Looking north. Australian Pines almost hide the buildings at Turtle Beach and are progressing across the dunes from the bay side to the high-tide area of the gulf.
2001 - Looking north. Australian Pines have been removed up to the private property, native dune grasses have returned, and the dune has grown several feet higher.

Exotic tree invasions - mainly Australian Pine and Brazilian Pepper - crowd out native plant species and thus reduce the diversity of native plants and wildlife. Many native plants, such as Red Mangrove, play a vital role in the local ecosystem as a source of food, a sink for excess nutrients and pollution, a soil stabilizer, and a buffer against storms.

2011 - looking north from Palmer Pt Park.
This is what the beach looks like today.