Celery Fields circa 1920s with its expansive crops
In 1994 Sarasota County purchased more
than 300 acres of Celery Fields land area
following record-setting rains. This was
to ensure that the land could perform its
natural fl ood storage function and prevent
downstream fl ooding along Phillipi Creek,
just as it had previously done. During the time
of construction, well-preserved prehistoric
animal bones, such as teeth from mammoths,
mastodons and sharks were recovered.
The farms, which were sold off as private
units, continued to produce celery until the
property was acquired by Sarasota County in
1995.
Sarasota County currently owns four
pieces of land at the intersection of Palmer
Boulevard and Apex Road that have come to
be known as the “quads.” These four publicly
owned pieces of property were purchased by
Sarasota County back in the early 1990s, as
part of the land acquisition deals necessary to
build the Celery Fields Regional Stormwater
Facility. This 400+ acre site owned by
Sarasota County is the county’s primary fl ood
mitigation zone. It is managed by the Division
of Storm Water and Sarasota County Parks &
Recreation. The Sarasota County Department
of Transportation is also involved in its
management and maintenance. Primarily
consisting of open marshlands, deep ponds,
shallow pools, and canals, the Celery Fields
are edged by oaks, willows, and pines on the
eastern and southern boundaries.
The Fields are roughly divided into three
segments – The North Cells, The Central
Cells and the South Cells. The North Cells
receive water from the Fruitville Road entry
74 GASPARILLA MAGAZINE • November/December • 2021
canal and have the deepest ponds. From
there, the water is channeled into the Central
Cells which cover the area that you see when
looking west from the hill. The water then
fl ows under Palmer Boulevard into the South
Cell and then southward into Phillippi Creek.
Wetlands restoration of 100 acres in the
southern cell was completed in May of 2011.
More than 200,000 aquatic plants and trees
were planted, and two boardwalks installed,
one off Palmer Boulevard and the other off
Raymond Road. Lemon Bay Conservancy’s Dr.
Bill Dunson remarked, “I was pleased to see
a young purple gallinule feeding on fl owers
and seeds of alligator fl ag that was planted
in these created wetlands. This success is
something we hope to repeat locally at the
Wildfl ower Preserve in Placida when those
wetlands are restored.”
The Celery Fields provide visitors with
numerous low-impact activities: walking,
biking, fi shing, kayaking and wildlife viewing.
Also, it is no fi gment of your imagination
should you happen to hear roaring out in
the distance during your visit, as the Big Cat
Habitat is located at the foot of the hill directly
behind the park.
Bird watching is for
everybody and every
body. Boardwalks provide
great accessibility to bird
watching sites.