Joan M. Durante Park

Joan M. Durante Park, located at 5550 Gulf of Mexico Drive, is the result of a private/public partnership to enhance and restore one of the few remaining vacant island properties on Longboat Key to a viable wetland and coastal hammock forest. The 32 acre site is located on Sarasota Bay two miles from the north end of Longboat Key. The site had previously been developed with cabins, these had been demolished and invasive exotic vegetation had taken over the site by the time the Town acquired it in the late eighties. The wetland and coastal dune forest represents a major public/private success story, with participation from local, State and Federal governmental agencies and a private donor. The park has also won a number of awards, including the “1998 Outstanding Ecosystem Restoration Award” from the Florida Urban Forestry Council, the “Public Landscape Award” from the Keep Manatee Beautiful organization, and the “Image Manatee Beautification Award” from the Manatee County Chamber of Commerce. The park represents a unique oasis for both wildlife and man in an urbanized area.