Sarasota Bay Estuary Program Recognizes Award Winners

Sarasota Bay is recognized for being full of life, and the Sarasota Bay Estuary Program recognized people Wednesday who share the same charaterstic by protecting and preserving it.

This is the first-ever awards ceremony for the organization, presenting the Blue Dolphin Award, to folks and organizations for their local environmental efforts.

The winners include:

• Charles Edwards, a long term volunteer member of the SBEP Citizens Advisory Committee,

• Jack Merriam, the recently retired environmental manager with Sarasota County and an advocate of low impact development,

• Martha B. King Middle School in Bradenton, an active supporter of the Bay Guardian volunteer program managed by SBEP in partnership with Around the Bend Nature Tours,

• Raindrops Cisterns, a Sarasota business focused on rainwater harvesting and water storage solutions, and

• Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring, a non-profit group focused on protecting sea turtles, shorebirds and their habitat.    

Martha B. King Middle students helped plant native plants at Neal Preserve, remove invasive species at Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage Preserve and Quick Point Nature Preserve and have fundraised for various environmental groups, said Bradenton City Commissioner Marianne Barnebey, who presented the award.

"We're taking these young people and they're becoming newly minted environmentalists, and that's incredibly important for us to be able to continue to have the quality of life we have here," Barnebey said.

Principal Robin Hardy says 50 students participate in the school's environmental club.

Manatee Commissioner Michael Gallen said he first took notice to the Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring when walking home from a bar on Anna Maria at 3 a.m in 1997 and stumbled upon chickenwire and saw baby turtles trying to get out. He called a number attached and Susie Fox and her group came out to rescue the turtles.

But it's not just Fox that makes up the organization. She says 87 people help and volunteer with the organization, and the organization now focuses on educating people what to do when they see sea turtle habitats, which is love it.

"What we have in Manatee County is not high rises, it's not casinos. It's not late night, 3 a.m. entertainment — it's natural resources," she said.

Raindrop Cistrens harvesting systems reduce rainwater run-off, which can carry fertilizers and other pollutants into Sarasota Bay and other local waterways, said Jack Burden, company owner. 

“Our objective is to provide high quality, field tested rainwater harvesting systems to control storm water runoff, conserve water, and keep our waterways clean,” Burden said in a news release.  “We are honored to be among this year’s champions and hope this will remind everyone to do what they can to protect our waterways.”

Raindrops Cisterns offers a line of durable, easy-to-install rainwater harvesting systems and products for green build developers, builders and homeowners through its online store, Rainwater Warehouse.  The company also provides commercial grade harvesting components for commercial properties.