On mornings when Sarasota feels like a luminous shell just lifted from the Gulf, I point my compass toward the bayfront and step into Selby Botanical Gardens the way a man steps into a tidepool—slowly, reverently, ready to be surprised by what the water has been tending all night. Even before the gate closes behind […]
Sarasota Destinations
Leffis Key (Sarasota, FL)
Leffis Key… for some reason, there are almost always interesting birds that hang out at the preserve and today I saw an American Redstart (in migration), and overhead were a couple of magnificent frigatebirds, which I rarely see this far north. They are common in the keys, and I have also seen them down at […]
Ringling Grounds (Sarasota, FL)
There are days when I walk into a place in Florida and feel—before even seeing anything—that the land has something to show me. Not merely a display or an exhibition, but a conversation, a story waiting in a shadow, a rustle, a shaft of light. The Ringling Museum Grounds in Sarasota—John and Mable Ringling’s sprawling […]
Historic Spanish Point (Sarasota, FL)
Make sure to check out the butterfly tent when you go. I have gone to Spanish Point a few times since it became part of Selby Gardens, and it is definitely fun to visit. Very different from Selby downtown, and I would say that I prefer it. There are places in Florida where the past […]
Red Bug Slough Preserve (Sarasota, FL)
The first thing you notice about Red Bug Slough Preserve is how improbable it feels. One moment you’re on Beneva Road—traffic lights, grocery stores, lawn crews—and the next you’re stepping into a pocket of old Florida, 70-ish acres of hammock, wetland, and water tucked right into the middle of Sarasota. (sarasotacountyparks.com) As a Florida naturalist, […]
Pinecraft Park (Sarasota, FL)
On some days, Pinecraft Park feels less like a city park and more like a tiny rainforest that somebody accidentally dropped into the middle of Sarasota. Tucked along the shady banks of Phillippi Creek and wrapped in the quiet hum of the Amish and Mennonite neighborhood around it, this little 15–20 acre patch of mesic […]
Urfer Family Park (Sarasota, FL)
If Sarasota had a beating green heart tucked inside its suburban chest, it would be Urfer Family Park—a 72-acre blend of pine flatwoods, wetlands, history, wildlife, and playful modern comforts, all stitched together in one of the most walkable nature parks in the county. It’s a place where families picnic, runners jog, toddlers conquer playgrounds, […]
North Lido Beach (Sarasota, FL)
This is one of the best beaches in Sarasota for seeing plants and birds, and on arrival, we sawa northern harrier hunting in the scrub. There were also a bunch of Sandwich Terns on the beach.
Myakka Hardwood Hammock (Sarasota, FL)
I spent some time in the beautiful hardwood hammock at Myakka River State Park. The hike I went in on is called Fox’s High Trail which is that the north end of the park where there are lots of big oaks and cabbage palms it’s a super wet environment this time of year, wet underfoot, […]
Myakka Pinelands (Sarasota, FL)
I headed out to the mesic flatwoods site reference in Myakka River State Park, which you can get to by going from the main park road to the Ranch House Road trail. Head straight out there all the way to Bee Island Campground and right there is a big stand of longleaf pines, which are […]