Sarasota County adds 8-acre parcel to Pocono Trail Preserve to protect watershed and oyster reef

Sam Parker spoke with Bree Anderson of the Parks, Recreation and Natural Resources Department about Sarasota County's recent land acquisition at Pocono Trail, which the county added to the Pocono Trail Preserve in December 2025.

Bree Anderson said the county acquired the parcel as part of the Environmentally Assistance and Land Protection Program. "So this property was acquired in December 2025," Anderson said, adding that the purchase fills a previous one-acre inholding and expands the preserve by eight acres.

County staff described ecological benefits as the main justification for the purchase. "This 8 acre preserve now protects the watershed for Donna Bay and for Shacke Creek," Anderson said, and she added it also helps "protect the shoreline from things like erosion." Anderson also said the site provides habitat for nesting birds and "protection to an oyster reef, which serves as a great ecological filtration system for our water."

Officials also outlined how the public can use the area. Anderson said there are existing adjacent trails and picnic shelters and that visitors can park, fish from the shoreline, picnic and walk the trails. She emphasized stewardship precautions: "We do encourage people to stay on the upland because of the oyster reef," Anderson said, noting hazards and the need to preserve the reef's filtration function.

Sam Parker closed the update by thanking Anderson and directing listeners to the county's water-quality webpage for more information.

For more information, visit scgov.net/waterquality.