Wetlands at the FISH Preserve - Cindy Lane | Sun
New mangrove - Cindy Lane | Sun
White pelicans - snowbirds - and native brown pelicans at the FISH Preserve. - Cindy Lane | Sun
Birds hunt for mullet at the FISH Preserve - Cindy Lane | Sun
An osprey hunts at the FISH Preserve. - Cindy Lane | Sun
Native plants are replacing invasive species. - Cindy Lane | Sun
A mangrove island forms off the FISH Preserve. - Cindy Lane | Sun
Wetlands at the FISH Preserve - Cindy Lane | Sun
Wetlands at the FISH Preserve - Cindy Lane | Sun
Wetlands at the FISH Preserve - Cindy Lane | Sun
FISH Preserve from Sarasota Bay - Cindy Lane | Sun
Juvenile fish are protected in the FISH Preserve wetlands. - Cindy Lane | Sun
FISH Preserve wetlands draw white ibis and other shorebirds. - Cindy Lane | Sun
A turkey vulture at the FISH Preserve. - Cindy Lane | Sun
Mangroves have been planted at the FISH Preserve, part of many efforts to restore the bayfront land to a natural state. - Cindy Lane | Sun
The FISH Preserve from Sarasota Bay - Cindy Lane | Sun
The eastern boundary of the FISH Preserve. - Cindy Lane | Sun
The FISH Preserve is nearly 100 acres east of 119th St. W. in the historic fishing village of Cortez, whose residents began raising money more than three decades ago to purchase the land, one plot at a time, with proceeds from the annual Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival held each February.
FISH, the Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage, intended the preserve to create a buffer between encroaching development and Sarasota Bay, known as “The Kitchen,” because Cortezians find much of their food there.
FISH continues to work on restoring and expanding the preserve, clearing it of invasive species, planting native vegetation and working on plans for hiking and kayak trails.
