Community Foundation funds water quality monitoring at Quad Parcels ‘re-wilding’

SARASOTA COUNTY – Sarasota Audubon recently received a $10,000 grant from the Gulf Coast Community Foundation for interns to test water quality at the 33-acre Quad Parcels near the celery fields.

The water quality monitoring is a feature of the “Re-Wilding of the Quad Parcels," an effort to transform the land into suitable wildlife habitat.

“Working with partners like Sarasota Audubon to improve our environment and include area students in the process is a win-win for our region,” Jon Thaxton, senior vice president of community leadership for Gulf Coast Community Foundation, said in a prepared statement. “We are grateful for organizations like Sarasota Audubon Society who conserve and restore our natural ecosystem, creating thriving opportunities for all.”

The Quad Parcels, so named because they straddle the intersection of Palmer and Apex roads, are just east of Interstate 75 off Fruitville Road, east of downtown Sarasota.