The Elling Eide Center
An irreplaceable slice of Sarasota’s historic coastal natural areas.
The Story
Big Waters Land Trust worked with The Elling Eide Center and Sarasota County to ensure the permanent protection of this coastal land on Little Sarasota Bay. Big Waters initially brought the conservation opportunity to Sarasota County in 2022 and then worked with The Elling Eide Center and County throughout the protection process. Sarasota County purchased a conservation easement on the acreage in 2025 using funds from the Environmentally Sensitive Lands Protection Program.
To learn more about The Elling Eide Center, visit ellingoeide.org.
Why it Matters
Located near the Vamo community along US-41, the Eide property showcases an irreplaceable slice of Sarasota’s historic coastal natural areas, which have largely been lost to development. The newly protected acreage is on Little Sarasota Bay, an estuary of national significance, protecting against future erosion and flooding, while also safeguarding critical shoreline habitat including rare maritime hammock home to many tropical plants nearing the northern extent of their range in coastal Sarasota County. The land is adjacent to the 11-acre Bayonne Preserve (ESLPP) and part of the Bayonne Protection Priority site, which protects important cultural resources and provides a small refuge for gopher tortoises and other imperiled species.
ConnectivityHabitat/WildlifeWater
Big Waters Values
Just the Facts
14
acres
Date Acquired
2025
- The Elling Eide Center is a 72-acre preserve of rare coastal uplands which houses the largest private Asian Studies library and research center in the western hemisphere.
- Sarasota County’s Environmentally Sensitive Lands Protection Program (ESLPP) purchased the conservation easement on February 4, 2025.
- The land remains privately owned and managed by The Elling Eide Center.
- This protection marks the 24th property Big Waters Land Trust conserved in partnership with Sarasota County.
