An integrated invasive species management program that sets the standard for ecosystem enhancements in the region

At a Glance

  • 119

    Acres Restored

  • 19

    Preserves

Location
Sarasota, Florida
Offices
Client
  • Stoneybrook Golf and Country Club
Partners
  • Sumner Land Management, LLC
  • Sarasota County Environmental
  • and EEPD

Stoneybrook Golf and Country Club Invasive Species Management

Stoneybrook Golf and Country Club is a 550-acre golf course community with 165 acres of ponds, wetlands, and uplands. Over the years, their natural assets became overrun by invasive vegetation, creating an eyesore and safety issue for residents, degrading habitat, and diminishing coastal resilience to future flooding and erosion. To address these issues, Stoneybrook embarked on an ecosystem restoration program to bring back plants and wildlife native to this region of Florida.

Following our creation of an ecological resource management plan, Stoneybrook hired Stantec to begin removing invasive vegetation utilizing hand labor and specialized low-impact equipment. Upon completion of the initial treatment, 19 preserves were added to a maintenance schedule that has been working successfully for the past four to five years. This work has also included planting hundreds of native trees and shrubs, and thousands of herbaceous plants.

What was once an eyesore is now a sense of pride for this Palmer Ranch community. This local community has become a case study, encouraging other communities and local government to implement best management practices for managing natural assets. There is an educational outcome to this story as well: the Stoneybrook staff regularly provide informative tours of the restored areas, which has now become a regular meeting location for the Florida Master Naturalist Program. 

At a Glance

  • 119

    Acres Restored

  • 19

    Preserves

Location
Sarasota, Florida
Offices
Client
  • Stoneybrook Golf and Country Club
Partners
  • Sumner Land Management, LLC
  • Sarasota County Environmental
  • and EEPD

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