Holmes Beach preserve, parks take shape
by Lisa Neff. Islander Reporter
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| An aerial view of Grassy Point Preserve in Holmes Beach. Islander Photo: Jack Elka |
Kayakers linger under the mangroves, searching the shore for the bright eyes of raccoons and searching the clear water for sparkling fish.
Above them, pelicans, egrets, herons and osprey fly across the sky.
The bird’s eye view shows the lush, undeveloped land now known as the Grassy Point Preserve - 32 acres protected through a partnership between the city of Holmes Beach, the state of Florida and the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program. The area, consisting of uplands, wetlands and submerged land, is bordered on the west by East Bay Drive, the east by Anna Maria Sound, the north by Sunbow Bay condominiums and the south by 31st Street.
Planting to restore native species to Grassy Point was scheduled to begin this week, as The Islander went to press.
“They are going to be young,” Julia Burch of SBEP, said of the plants. “That actually ends up a lot of times being better. It may not look fantastic immediately. But the plants can grow and adapt - and we want a high success rate.”
In the area most visible to Islanders, the cleared area near the intersection of East Bay and Gulf drives, SBEP will likely plant Spartina grass.
“We did some earthwork there to reconnect some of these lagoons,” Burch said. “The exotics had damaged the hydrology of the area. This area in particular is going to have a lot of marsh grasses.”
The restoration phase has involved the removal of exotic, invasive trees that crowd out other plants, primarily Brazilian pepper trees and Australian pines.
Work to remove the exotic species began in May and is about 90 percent complete, according to Burch.
“That’s an ongoing process,” she said of eliminating exotic plants.
She added that some trunks of Australian pines were left behind. “They are going to die,” she said. “But the woodpeckers will like them. And the osprey like to perch on them.”
The removal of plants from Grassy Point somewhat disrupted the lives of both animal inhabitants of Grassy Point and human trespassers. The Islander received a citizen’s report of a campsite in the preserve that soon disappeared. The Islander also received a report of an increase in the number of animals, specifically raccoons and opossums, injured or killed on East Bay Drive after the clearing of trees.
State and county wildlife officials could not confirm an increase in animal deaths, noting that casualties on East Bay Drive, as well as the Palma Sola Causeway are not uncommon.
“It’s unfortunate,” Burch said, if animals were displaced or injured.
However, “raccoons in particular are probably not going to stay put anyway,” she said. “They are urban wildlife. It’s possible that the construction there disturbed them, but they probably cross that road anyway” to reach the goods left behind the restaurants and shops.
Plans for Grassy Point should improve the habitat for wildlife - and probably draw more wildlife, according to SBEP.
“What was in there was basically two species of plants with a few natives hanging on,” Burch said. “That’s reduced biodiversity. If you are raccoon, you don’t eat Brazilian peppers or Australian pines. We are reestablishing the biodiversity that was there to completely support wildlife - and support more wildlife.”
“We’re thrilled,” Burch continued. “I commend Holmes Beach for going after the Florida Communities Trust money.”
The Holmes Beach City Commission agreed to pursue the acquisition of the land for Grassy Point in 1997 to guard against development and “restore a coastal hammock community and thereby provide a rare habitat form for the education and enjoyment of future generations,” according to a news release from city hall.
Eight years ago, the Florida Communities Trust approved a grant to acquire the Grassy Point acres provided that the city removed non-native plants within 10 years.
Soon after the purchase of the land, the city invested about $7,500 for a survey, signs and limited access.
In 2005, the city and SBEP entered an agreement to develop a restoration plan that led to the removal of exotic plants this spring, to be followed by the plantings and creation of a nature trail this summer.
Eventually, city officials want to see the construction of elevated walking paths, an observation tower and an observation pier on the waterfront.
“I think you’ll be surprised,” Holmes Beach Mayor Rich Bohnenberger said referring to the sizable scope of the project, and the relatively small cost to the city.
Of the $40,000 the city committed to the first phase of Grassy Point, a resident donated $25,000.
Grassy Point is a fraction of some of Manatee County’s mainland preserves, including the 480-acre Robinson Preserve in northwest Bradenton that will open to the public July 19. But given the size of Anna Maria Island and the development over the past 30 years, Grassy Point is a significant preserve, Burch said.
“It’s all about scale - and every little bit helps,” Burch said.
Island size and scale
For Holmes Beach’s mayor, no green space can be too small.
Last week, Bohnenberger enthusiastically celebrated improvements to a small “pocket” park near the Regions Bank, 3900 Sixth Ave., and announced the city was close to opening a new pocket park on Sixth Avenue.
“And we’re beginning to look at some other areas,” said the mayor, who made adding green space a priority of his mayoral term.
“I’m really grateful we have citizens who care,” Bohnenberger said June 26, when the Rotary Club of Anna Maria Island donated a bench for the first-such park. “It’s about more than green space. It’s about making good use of land.”
Holmes Beach Commission Chair Sandy Haas-Martens, celebrating the green day, pointed out the tranquil qualities of the park, despite its proximity to the bustling East Bay Drive and Manatee Avenue corridors.
“It’s so restful,” she said.
Dantia Gould, a former member of the Holmes Beach Parks and Beautification Committee and a Rotarian, proposed the bench.
“The park bench is just one step in what is a continuing effort by many organizations and individuals to make sure that we do whatever possible to make our city as attractive and environmentally friendly as possible,” she said.
Gould discussed the lasting properties of the bench, purchased with money raised at the Rotary’s annual Casino Night and Extravaganza.
“It should last a long time,” she said. |
