Manatee County's newest preserve opens at 9 a.m. Saturday

MANATEE -- Perico Preserve will officially open at 9 a.m. Saturday.

Manatee County's newest preserve, 11700 Manatee Ave. W. on Perico Island, is a 176-acre park, which has been extensively restored since 2012, transforming abandoned coastal farmland into a landscape with native wildlife habitats.

During the opening, the county Parks and Natural Resources Department ribbon-cutting ceremony will include "guest speakers, educational exhibits and naturalist-guided tours of the site," according to a news release.

Saturday is also International Migratory Bird Day and since the grand opening celebrates birds, it is "a perfect match for the intention of the preserve to serve as both rookery and reserve," according to the release.

In the center of the preserve, which has more than 100 plant species, there is a rookery island for wading

birds.

The Rookery at Perico Preserve won a 2016 National Environmental Excellence Award from the National Association of Environmental Professionals last month.

"It demonstrated verifiable results of innovation in compliance methodology and integration of decision making with environmental regulatory processes," according to a news release sent last month by Stantec of Sarasota, which designed The Rookery.

In 2007, Manatee County acquired the property for $6 million. Restoration cost approximately $2 million, which was funded by $300,000 from the Southwest Florida Water Management District and from enterprise utility funds for the use of removed soils to assist with construction of another project.

"It's important for us in building these special places to have the public appreciate and experience the location and get their feet wet, hands in the soil and get them part of the environment," Charlie Hunsicker, county Parks and Natural Resources Department director, said in February.

Claire Aronson, Manatee County reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7024. Follow her on Twitter @Claire_Aronson.

This story was originally published May 12, 2016 at 11:24 PM with the headline "Manatee County's newest preserve opens at 9 a.m. Saturday ."