Q & A

Friends of Myakka River Executive Director Miri Hardy on the Future of Myakka River State Park

"We want to find new, meaningful ways of engaging people."

03/11/2024 By Stephanie Churn Lubow

Take a Hike

Myakka State Park Plans Updates to Encourage Backcountry Exploration

A financial donation from Athletic Brewing Company will blaze a trail that will allow safer backcountry wayfinding for hikers, including trailhead kiosks and trail markers.

12/20/2023 By Sarah Owens/Community News Collaborative

48 Hours in Sarasota

The Dog Lover's Guide to a Long Weekend in Sarasota

We’re a dog lover’s destination, with plenty of pet-friendly accommodations and eateries that will keep you and your furry friend busy.

11/06/2023 Photography by Cooper Levey-Baker

Flashback

Myakka River State Park, Circa 1950

One of the first protected lands in our area, the park opened in 1942.

05/18/2023 By Bethany Ritz

A Whole New World

10 Neighborhoods Where Everything Is Changing

From new roundabouts and a downtown condo boom to expansive sprawl and new McMansions, our region’s profile is in flux.

03/03/2023 By Kim Doleatto

Conservation

Sarasota County Purchased a Portion of Myakka River Lands for Conservation

Last month, the county acquired 25 acres of environmentally sensitive land along the Myakka River, to preserve in perpetuity.

01/18/2023 By Kim Doleatto

Conservation

Conservation Foundation’s Myakka Headwaters Preserve Grows by 69 Acres

The newly conserved land is adjacent to the existing 363-acre Myakka Headwaters Preserve—conserved in October 2020—where seven streams converge to create the Myakka River.

12/12/2022 By Staff

Keeping Heads Above Water

Hurricane Ian Put Triangle Ranch Underwater

Ranchers wait for the water to recede before they can put the land back in working order.

10/10/2022 By Isaac Eger

Conservation

Community Collaboration Permanently Protects 191 Acres in Sarasota County

The property is a birding hotspot, and a portion of the land is part of the largest floodplain marsh in the Myakka River basin, called Tatum Sawgrass Marsh.

09/02/2022 By Staff

Volunteers

Florida State Parks Foundation Recognizes Volunteer Contributions

The recognitions include volunteers in Sarasota-Manatee.

04/07/2022 By Staff

Nature

Myakka River State Park Purchases All-Terrain Wheelchair to Improve Accessibility

A grant from the William G. & Marie Selby Foundation made the move possible.

01/05/2022 By Staff

Free & Freeish

We Live in Paradise—Enjoy It With These Free Outdoor Actvities

From birdwatching to outdoor yoga to hiking, biking and swimming, there's an activity for every outdoor enthusiast.

12/01/2021

Conservation

Conservation Foundation Protects 228 Acres in Old Miakka

The land is a critical link between Sarasota County’s Old Miakka Preserve and the Conservation Foundation’s Tatum Sawgrass Scrub Preserve.

10/14/2021 By Staff

Events

'Control Growth Now' Group to Honor Old Miakka Activist

The group will present longtime local activist Becky Ayech with its 2021 Citizen of the Year award.

10/11/2021 By Staff

From the Editor

Can Nature Sue Florida?

Giving nature a voice in Florida might be a powerful way to save it.

09/27/2021 By Susan Burns

Losing Our Country

Rural Hi Hat Ranch Gets Closer to Becoming a Major Development

Despite protests, Sarasota County commissioners approve an allowable density amendment for the sprawling Hi Hat Ranch.

06/10/2021 By Elizabeth Djinis

High Stakes Decision

Sarasota County Commission to Consider Turning Hi Hat Ranch Into Large Housing, Commercial Development

It's another battle in the fight between the preservationists who want to keep some of the region’s land rural and the developers who want to maximize its profit.

06/09/2021 By Elizabeth Djinis