This Manatee land along the Myakka River is now protected from development

Conservationists are celebrating the protection of 13 acres of land along the Myakka River in East Manatee County.

Manatee County commissioners approved the land’s purchase over the summer with $420,000 from the county’s voter-approved conservation fund. The land buy also expands Crane Park in Myakka City to 40 acres.

Big Waters Land Trust, a nonprofit that works to protect Southwest Florida lands from development, helped the county facilitate the purchase from the Theolla B. Cannon Revocable Trust.

Now the organization is sharing more details about the new conservation land and what it will add to the county’s collection of protected wild places.

Land buy protects rare Manatee wildlife habitat

“Projects like this demonstrate what’s possible when dedicated partners come together to save the places that define our region,” said Brooke Langston, director of land protection at Big Waters Land Trust, in a news release. “We are deeply grateful to Theolla B. Cannon Revocable Trust and Manatee County Government for their shared commitment to protecting the beauty and health of our land and water.”

Cannon was a “deeply rooted and proud” fourth-generation Manatee County resident who died at the age of 93 last year, according to her obituary. The county is purchasing another 93 acres from her trust to create a new stormwater facility and public park in Parrish.

Big Waters Land Trust says the Crane Park addition protects habitat used by native wildlife, including threatened species like gopher tortoises, Florida sandhill cranes and the crested caracara, a tropical falcon with a bright orange face and wingspan of around 4 feet.

“The conservation of this 13-acre property permanently safeguards valuable upland and wetland areas, increases public access to nature through the expansion of Crane Park and contributes to the long-term health of the Myakka River,” the news release said.

County staff previously said they plan to seek grant funding to restore some disturbed habitat on the new property, which is approximately half forested and half wetlands.

Crane Park typically floods during the rainy season, making the park’s playground and shelters inaccessible for residents. But county staff said the new land purchase will allow them to move the park’s public amenities to higher ground.

Manatee County Government has not announced when the park expansion will open to the public.

This story was originally published October 31, 2025 at 5:50 AM.