Manatee River Conservation Area

Essential to local water quality, this land was protected in honor of Judge Claflin Garst, Jr.

The Story

In 2021, Bunny Garst generously donated a conservation easement on 14 acres in suburban Manatee County in honor of her late husband, Judge Claflin Garst, Jr. Judge Garst was the son of early Manatee County settlers and grew up on the land, located between Manatee County’s Braden River Park to the south and the Honi Hanta Girl Scout Camp to the north and east. By request, following the protection, the 14-acre property was sold to the adjoining landowners, James and Mary Parks, for continued grazing and other limited agricultural use subject to the conservation easement. The protection of these 14 acres was the first step in a larger initiative to permanently conserve an additional 58 acres owned by Garst, which is part of our ongoing effort to protect the remaining natural and agricultural lands along Gap Creek and the Braden River. In 2024, with funding from the Bishop-Parker Foundation, the William G. and Marie Selby Foundation, the Partnership for Gulf Coast Land Conservation, and the Bill and Mary Muirhead Fund of the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, we successfully protected the additional 58 acres of Garst Family land, benefitting residents of Southwest Florida now and forever.

Why it Matters

Located within both the Manatee River and Tampa Bay watersheds, this property plays a critical role in filtering rain and surface water runoff. In its natural state, the land helps clean the water before it enters Gap Creek and the Braden River, which flows into the Manatee River and eventually, Tampa Bay and the Gulf of Mexico. Conserving this land also helps prevents flooding in Manatee County in that it stores rain and surface water runoff. Additionally, the varied landscape found on the property supports numerous native plants and animals, providing room to roam plus food and shelter in the midst of an ever-growing Manatee County.