Culverhouse Gift — Nature Park, Trails, Garden — Debuts
Saturday saw the opening of the Culverhouse Nature Park to the public. The 82-acre park offers open space, bicycle facilities and of course the community garden — a gift to the community from the Eliza and Hugh Culverhouse Family Foundation.
[clearboth]Situated at the North end of the Legacy Trail on McIntosh Road, the park is now open for all to enjoy. Parks chief Carolyn Brown thanked the Culverhouses and Palmer Ranch, and said future components could include nature trails, a playground, and an open playing field.
[clearboth]County Commissioner Nora Patterson said the new park will enhance Sarasota County’s niche as a destination for eco-tourists. The Community Garden is the largest in the state, she added.
[clearboth]And former commissioner John Thaxton, now with the Gulf Coast Community Foundation, said arrangements are underway to bring the garden’s surplus produce (all organically grown) to some of the County’s neediest residents through a new pantry truck. The level of hunger in Sarasota County “would shock you,” Thaxton added. For more on the Culverhouse Community Garden, see below.
