How a Stormwater Project Became an International Birding Destination
Located east of I-75 at the end of Palmer Boulevard, the Celery Fields began in the 1920s as drained agricultural muck land producing celery for northern rail markets. In the 1990s, Sarasota County engineered the 360-acre site into a regional stormwater retention system—excavating deep ponds, planting native emergent marsh vegetation, and piling the excavated earth into a 75-foot grass hill.
Today, the Celery Fields hilltop provides the highest natural-feeling vantage point in coastal Sarasota County, while two wooden boardwalks along Palmer Boulevard and Raymond Road allow birders and photographers to observe roseate spoonbills, wood storks, snail kites, and wintering waterfowl at close range.
Top Waterfront Launches & Nature Preserves in Sarasota County
Whether you bring your own kayak, rent a paddleboard, or lace up trail shoes, these county parks provide public parking and direct water or trail access:
1. Ken Thompson Park & City Island (1700 Ken Thompson Pkwy)
Situated between St. Armands Circle and New Pass on Sarasota Bay, featuring mangrove boardwalks, fishing piers, a public boat ramp, and calm bay launches.
2. Nathan Benderson Park (5851 Nathan Benderson Cir)
Just west of I-75 near University Town Center, offering a flat, breeze-cooled 3.5-mile paved loop around a 400-acre regatta lake.
3. Scherer Thaxton Preserve (Osprey) & Jelks Preserve (Venice)
Scherer Thaxton Preserve protects rare scrub-jay habitat and a freshwater sinkhole lake along Oscar Scherer’s border in Osprey, while Jelks Preserve features over eight miles of shaded trails bordering the Myakka River.
4. Lemon Bay Park & Indian Mound Park (Englewood)
In south county, Lemon Bay Park spans 210 acres of mangrove shoreline and butterfly gardens, while Indian Mound Park offers a direct boat launch and historic Calusa shell mound access on Lemon Bay.