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What do Sustainability and Resilience mean?

sustainability

Sustainability is implementing projects and programs that meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their needs. Sustainability is about balancing the environmental, social, and economic impacts of our actions.

Resilience means making sure our city can handle and bounce back from climate challenges like stronger and more frequent storms. It’s about planning ahead, strengthening infrastructure, and supporting communities so that the city can keep running and recover quickly. Building resilience helps protect people, homes, and jobs while making the city stronger and more prepared for the future.

Sustainability helps care for the planet and everyone living on it, while resilience prepares us to face and adapt to change.

What does the Sustainability and Resilience Program do?

The City’s Sustainability and Resilience Program drives initiatives that strengthen resilience, reduce emissions, and implement strategies for a sustainable future. This includes securing grants and advancing programs, projects, and policies that support climate action, such as conducting greenhouse gas inventories, producing sustainability reports, and integrating sustainability principles into City planning. Additional efforts focus on expanding renewable energy, promoting green building practices, reducing waste, and collaborating with local, regional, and national networks to stay at the forefront of best practices. The program prioritizes resilience, renewable energy, green building, and waste reduction to enhance quality of life and create a more climate-ready Sarasota.

Community Resources

Science & Environment Council Institutional Members

The Bay

655 North Tamiami Trail
Sarasota, FL 34236
(941) 7203-5316

The Bay is a community, city and park conservancy initiative that is conserving and transforming 53 acres of city-owned land into a signature public park that sits on Sarasota Bay. From access to water, nature, wildlife and stunning sunsets every day, The Bay is designed to be open, accessible, free and welcoming to the full diversity of our community.

The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature

201 10th St. West
Bradenton, FL 34205
(941) 746-4131

The Bishop Museum of Science and Nature is the largest natural and cultural history museum on Florida’s Gulf Coast. The Bishop interprets the region from the Pleistocene to the present. The organization also includes the Planetarium and the Parker Manatee Rehabilitation Habitat.

Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute

249 Windward Passage
Clearwater, FL 33767
(727) 441-1790

The world-renowned research organization, Sea to Shore Alliance is now Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute (CMARI) and will continue to make critical advancements in their work with manatees, right whales and sea turtles. This important work will continue and expand as part of CMARI’s research efforts.

Coastal & Heartland National Estuary Program

326 West Marion Ave
Punta Gorda, FL 33950
(941) 575-5090

The CHNEP is a partnership of citizens, elected officials, resource managers, and commercial and recreational resource users who are working to improve the water quality and ecological integrity of the 5,416 square-mile CHNEP area in the Myakka, Peace and Caloosahatchee River watersheds.

Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast

400 Palmetto Ave
Osprey, FL 34229
(941) 918-2100

Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast is a nonprofit land trust that works with landowners, businesses, and government to protect the beauty and natural integrity of the bays, beaches, barrier islands and watersheds of Florida’s Gulf Coast. The Foundation purchases natural areas, holds conservation easements, and educates for responsible stewardship.

Gulf Shellfish Institute

1905 Intermodal Circle
Palmetto, FL 34221
(727)543-5738

Gulf Shellfish Institute facilitates, supports and encourages increased production of shellfish in Florida and the Gulf region for both economic and environmental benefit. GSI seeks to boost coastal economies and improve water quality and habitats through cooperative, industry-driven research and outreach to enhance and restore shellfish.

Lemur Conservation Foundation

(941) 322-8494

The Lemur Conservation Foundation is dedicated to the preservation and conservation of the primates of Madagascar through managed breeding, scientific research, education, and art. The Myakka City reserve, now home to over 50 lemurs, is 130 acres and encompasses diverse vegetation zones that range from freshwater marsh to scrub to oak-pine mixed forest.

Manatee County Natural Resources

415 10th St W
Bradenton, FL 34205
(941) 745-3727

Manatee County Natural Resources is responsible for managing over 30,000 acres of conservation properties in Manatee County. Staff monitor air and water quality, enforce hazardous waste and mining regulations, and oversee many aspects of development and wetland protection providing for the protection of the County’s natural resources.

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens

811 S. Palm Avenue
Sarasota, FL 34236
(941) 366-5731

Marie Selby Botanical Gardens strives to provide enjoyment and education to all 180,000 visitors who tour the Gardens each year. The Gardens maintains a collection of more than 20,000 plants across 13 acres and eight greenhouses, with a strong emphasis on scientific research, education, horticultural display and conservation.

Mote Marine Laboratory

1600 Ken Thompson Parkway
Sarasota, FL 34236
(941) 388-4441

Mote Marine Laboratory has been a leader in marine research since it was founded in 1955. Today, the organization operates seven centers for marine research, the public Mote Aquarium and an Education Division specializing in public programs for all ages. Nearly 350,000 visitors from around the world experience Mote Aquarium each year.

Myakka River State Park

13208 State Road 72
Sarasota, FL 34241
(941) 361-6511

Myakka River State Park is one of Florida’s oldest and largest state parks. The “Florida Wild and Scenic Myakka River” flows through 57 square miles of wetlands, prairies and woodlands. Myakka is popular for hiking, fishing, camping, and wildlife observation. Friends of Myakka River is a non-profit organization that exists to support Myakka River State Park and the Wild and Scenic Myakka River.

New College of Florida

5800 Bayshore Rd
Sarasota, FL 34243
(941) 487-5000

New College of Florida is a nationally ranked leader in the arts and sciences, the State of Florida’s honors college for liberal arts and sciences, and a top Fulbright producer with a waterfront campus on Sarasota Bay. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10:1, New College offers a personal and collaborative learning environment.

Oscar Sherer State Park

1843 South Tamiami Trail
Osprey, FL 34229
(941) 483-5956

A large acreage of scrubby flatwoods makes this park one of the best places to see Florida scrub-jays, a threatened species found only in Florida. Fifteen miles of trails through these beautiful natural areas provide opportunities for hiking, bicycling, and wildlife viewing with paddling along South Creek.

Ringling College of Art & Design

2700 N Tamiami Trail
Sarasota, FL 34234
(941) 351-5100

Ringling College of Art + Design is a private, not-for-profit, fully accredited college offering Bachelor’s degrees in 14 disciplines. In addition to its degree program, Ringling College offers courses, lectures, exhibitions and other art-related services to the local and regional community through its gallery, library, continuing education and community service programs.

City of Sarasota

Sarasota Bay Estuary Program

111 S Orange Ave Ste 200W
Sarasota, FL 34236
(941) 955-8085

SBEP is an intergovernmental partnership dedicated to restoring and protecting Sarasota Bay. Our partners include Sarasota and Manatee counties; cities of Sarasota and Bradenton; Town of Longboat Key; Southwest Florida Water Management District; Florida Department of Environmental Protection; and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Sarasota Bay Watch

P.O. Box 1141
Osprey, FL 34229
(941) 918-2700

Sarasota Bay Watch is a grass-roots community-based organization committed to protecting and restoring Sarasota Bay’s ecosystem through community education and citizen participation, including a multi-year citizen-driven initiative to restore scallops to Sarasota Bay using community fund-raising and volunteers.

Sarasota County

Natural & Water Resources
UF/IFAS Extension
(941) 861-5000

Sarasota County monitors, protects and conserves its air, water and land with a focus on maintaining and improving its natural systems across 563 square miles and 37 miles of Gulf beaches. Sarasota County is a leader in innovative environmental management and sustainable living. Sarasota’s focus on quality of life outshines many growth communities.

Sarasota Dolphin Research Program

1600 Ken Thompson Pkwy
Sarasota, FL 34236

Chicago Zoological Society’s Sarasota Dolphin Research Program has been studying the Sarasota Bay Dolphin population for over four-decades, the longest running dolphin research program in the world. Pioneering the use of systematic long-term dolphin surveys, we have learned about dolphin social behavior and habitat needs, and natural and human threats to dolphin health.

Save Our Seabirds

Sarasota Audubon Society

999 Center Road
Sarasota, FL 34240
(941) 312-6533

Sarasota Audubon is the local chapter of the National Audubon Society, dedicated to the protection, conservation and enjoyment of birds, wildlife and the environment. Visit us at our LEED GOLD Certified Nature Center at the Celery Fields, an oasis of restored wetlands and prime birding and wildlife habitat. Join us for local birding trips and conservation projects.

Southface Sarasota at Florida House

4454 Beneva Rd
Sarasota, FL 34233
(941) 924-2050

Florida House was the country’s first green demonstration house open to the public. Now it is positioned to be the nation’s first high-performance retrofit demonstration house. Florida House aims to be the go-to place for facilitating continuous improvement to homes, neighborhoods and communities through cooperation, partnership, and collaboration.

Tampa Bay Estuary Program

253 13th Avenue S
St. Petersburg, FL 33701
(727) 893-2765

The mission of the Tampa Bay Estuary Program is to restore and protect Tampa Bay through implementation of a scientifically sound, community-based management plan. TBEP is an intergovernmental partnership that works with a variety of formal and informal partners to achieve specific measurable goals for bay improvement.