The Connection Between Land and Water
Clean water is essential for life. In southwest Florida, surface water reservoirs provide drinking water for thousands, while coastal communities rely on clean waterways for fishing, recreation, and economic livelihoods. The health of these water sources depends upon the health of the landscapes around them.
Land conservation plays a pivotal role in protecting water quality. What happens on land directly affects the water flowing over, through, and from it. When natural areas are paved over, the land loses its ability to hold and store water, leading to increased flooding and pollution in local waters.
How Conserving Land protects clean water and our community
Conserving natural areas such as marshes, prairies, grasslands, and forests protects the places that naturally absorb, clean, and store rainwater. In more urban and industrialized areas, instead of soaking into the soil, water flows directly over the pavement, picking up pollution, fertilizers, and other contaminants before ending up in our rivers, bays, and, ultimately, the Gulf. By conserving land, we protect its ability to store and clean water for generations to come. This increases our community’s resiliency to flooding and reduces the amount of pollution that ends up in Southwest Florida’s waters.
We All Live Downstream
Our Myakka Island Conservation Corridor initiative aims to preserve and protect natural lands along the Myakka River and within its watershed. Conserving and restoring these crucial lands creates a resilient and interconnected landscape that positively impacts the health of both the Myakka River and the broader ecosystem.
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Bobby Jones Golf & Nature Park
Our collaboration with the City of Sarasota to protect and enhance Bobby Jones Golf and Nature Park is critical to the health of local waters. Enormous volumes of stormwater – including runoff from as far away as the Mall at University Town Center – are cleaned and stored by the property before flowing into Sarasota Bay.
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Planting Trees to Protect Water
Planting trees along shorelines increases the positive impact on water quality and the overall health of aquatic ecosystems. The roots of trees help stabilize soil and prevent erosion along shorelines. The trees also shade the water, cooling its overall temperature. Check out our upcoming volunteer events page to learn more about opportunities to join our tree planting efforts!
Volunteer Events
