When you hear, as we did at the All Chapters meeting, that one Chapter – The Englewood Farmers Market – had 130,000 visitors last season, you begin to get a sense of the scale of the public reach of the Friends of Sarasota County Parks.

And where some have that direct encounter with the public, others like Culverhouse Community Garden are experimenting with growing techniques and developing methodological resources available for free on their websites.

The variety, public contact and opportunity for a fun niche in the many Chapter activities of the Friends are plentiful. Why not volunteer and see for yourself? Or, if you’re passionate about a park or recreational activity that’s not among the current Chapters, you can always start your own.