The majority of the park is not
easily accessible to people, but
there are approximately 14 acres
where visitors can walk 1½ miles of
trails, mountain bike, birdwatch or
picnic. Amenities include comfort
areas, park benches along the trails,
picnic areas, tables and unpaved
walking trails. One important thing
to remember is that there are no
trash bins at the park, so be
prepared to haul away whatever
you bring into the Preserve.
There is a portion of the park west
of Bridge Street that is dog friendly,
but please keep them on a leash
and bring bags to clean up after
them.
The land was acquired by
Sarasota County in the early part of
the century, with money from the
Environmentally Sensitive Lands
Protection Program and the
Florida Communities Trust. In fact,
the program’s fi rst purchase was the
Manasota Scrub Preserve.
Because Southwest Florida has
grown so rapidly in the last 20
years, there are several types of
imperiled species, including
gopher tortoises, northern quail
and great horned owls, that were
in desperate need of the protected
scrubby fl atwoods, basin swamp,
uplands and wetlands found at
Manasota Scrub Preserve. Native
plant species not found as frequently
as they used to be, can be found
there as well, including grassleaf,
goldenaster, paw paw, lopsided
Indiangrass, staggerbush, sand live
oak, Chapman’s oak and blazing
star.
This preserve is a microcosm of
what coastal Florida used to be.
Florida scrub is a plant community
easily recognized by its evergreen
shrubs, and ground cover that
shows the bare, white sand just
underneath.
78 GASPARILLA MAGAZINE • July/August • 2020
A sign at the trailhead shows some of the fl ora and fauna that can be
found in the Manasota Scrub Preserve. Wooden walkways and wellmarked,
wide paths can be found throughout part of the preserve.
Shown on the facing page, the picnic area, trails and (facing top photo)
an example of mesic fl atwoods.