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.