Solutions to Avoid Red Tide (START) Launches Regional Healthy Ponds Collaborative

September 15, 2021 – Sarasota

Building on a successful pilot program that helped about a dozen Sarasota County communities bolster (and beautify) their stormwater retention ponds, Solutions to Avoid Red Tide (START) has secured a $250,000 grant from Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation to develop a regional “Healthy Pond Collaborative” initiative.

The effort will officially kick off during a press conference on Wednesday, September 22^nd, 2021

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens – The terrace behind the event center (enter at the North Gate by the Payne Mansion)
1534 Mound St, Sarasota, FL 34236

9:00 a.m. – 9:30 a.m.

According to START, stormwater contributes 65% of the nitrogen in Sarasota Bay, which feeds red tide and causes other damage to water quality and wildlife. You may call them lakes, but the more than 6,000 bodies of water in Sarasota County are all manmade and only operate at 40% to 60% efficiency in removing the excess nutrients that contribute to water pollution.

This new collaborative will help more neighborhoods upgrade their ponds and cost-share the improvements. It also will create and distribute a step-by-step pond enhancement guide, host educational focus groups, and do follow-up monitoring of pond enhancements. 

This unique effort and collaboration will help establish state-wide and national models that can be recreated in other communities.

Partners include START, Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation, Sarasota County’s Neighborhood Environmental Stewardship Team, the UF/IFAS Extension Sarasota County, and the Science and Environment Council of Southwest Florida. The work was in part inspired by Gulf Coast Community Foundation’s Water Quality Playbook.

Program:

• Welcome and impetus
  Teri A Hansen, Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation

• Overview of the program and partners
  Sandy Gilbert, START
  
• The science behind stormwater pond management
  Abbey Tyrna, Sarasota County UF/IFAS Extension 

       *     Q & A: Healthy Pond Collaborative