Sarasota County's newest green space opens to the public Saturday, Oct. 24, after crews planted more than 21,000 trees and shrubs on an 11-acre parcel next to the Celery Fields.

The Southeast Quad, at the intersection of Palmer Boulevard and Apex Road in eastern Sarasota County, is the first completed phase of a larger effort to rewild three parcels along the western edge of the Celery Fields. Big Waters Land Trust and Sarasota Audubon Society are hosting a free grand opening from 9 a.m. to noon, with guided tours, birdwatching, children's activities and information about the next phase of the project.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony Wednesday, Oct. 21, drew about 50 civic leaders and community members, ABC7 reported. Sarasota County Commissioners Ron Cutsinger, Teresa Mast and Mark Smith attended, along with former Commissioner Charles Hines and County Administrator Jonathan R. Lewis.

Speakers included Big Waters President and CEO Christine Johnson, Sarasota Audubon Director of Special Projects Jeanne Dubi, Gulf Coast Community Foundation Director of Policy and Advocacy Jon Thaxton and Commissioner Cutsinger.

The project dates to 2019, when the Sarasota County Board of County Commissioners granted Big Waters Land Trust, then known as the Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast, a perpetual conservation easement on three quad parcels. Sarasota Audubon signed a management agreement to rewild and maintain the land. The two organizations stepped in to prevent the properties from being sold for light industrial development, according to ABC7's earlier preview.

"We offered them the opportunity to conserve it, place a conservation easement on it with us, Big Waters Land Trust, and then enter into a management agreement with Sarasota Audubon Society and allow us to rewild these parcels for people and nature," Johnson told ABC7.

Construction on the Southeast Quad began in January 2025, according to the Herald-Tribune. Crews and volunteers built trails, dug a new pond and installed a wildlife-viewing gazebo. The work was completed in July, according to the Gulf Coast Community Foundation.

The Celery Fields, a 440-acre floodwater protection area, is an internationally recognized birding destination where Sarasota Audubon has recorded more than 250 bird species. The rewilded parcels serve as a buffer between the preserve and industrial areas to the west.

Attention now shifts to the Southwest Quad. A $1 million matching challenge backed by the Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation, Gulf Coast Community Foundation and three local philanthropic families would double community donations toward Phase II. Plans for that parcel include a nature-themed playground, restrooms, shaded picnic facilities and ADA-compliant trails.

The match pool breaks down to $350,000 from Barancik Foundation, $350,000 from Gulf Coast and $300,000 from Gulf Coast donors, according to the foundation.

Saturday's grand opening

  • When: Saturday, Oct. 24, 9 a.m. to noon
  • Where: Southeast Quad, adjacent to the Celery Fields
  • Entry: Apex Road, just south of the Palmer roundabout
  • Parking: Vacant SW Quad across Apex Road
  • Cost: Free
  • Activities: Guided nature walks, birdwatching, children's activities, educational presentations