For the Birds

Binoculars? Check. Nature journal? Check. Lindsay carefully packed her bag before our first trip to the Celery Fields in Sarasota, a spot much loved by local birdwatchers for the variety of winged creatures found there.

 

We strolled along a boardwalk to a gazebo overlooking the restored wetlands at this former agricultural area, which now serves as a storm-water collection site for Sarasota County. All of the aquatic plants and trees put in here during the restoration have helped to attract some 200 (and counting) species of birds to the park.

 

A bird naturalist from the Sarasota Audubon Society pointed out the different birds that were out and about during our visit, like anhingas, turkey vultures, egrets, and pied-billed grebes. Lindsay peered at them through her binoculars, then whipped out her nature journal to take notes and draw pictures. Handy checklists of birds found in Sarasota County available on-site offer another way to keep track of what you might spot.

 

Though busy Interstate 75 is in sight, that doesn’t stop the feathered visitors from swooping in and out, or take away from the park’s peaceful atmosphere. It’s a great place to slow down and reconnect with the area’s wild side. And the next time we visit, we plan on tackling the trails leading to the top of the park’s 85-foot, manmade mound (a byproduct of the wetlands restoration) for a totally different perspective of the Celery Fields.

Home Away from Home

I recently took my daughter to my former hometown of Walpole, Massachusetts, to see my grandmother and aunt. And during that wonderful family visit, we got to spend some time at one of Walpole’s greatest natural assets, Francis William Bird Park.

I’ve always loved this park, with its wide open green spaces, ponds, and bridges that span gurgling brooks. More than three miles of paths meander through the site, which is home to red maple, white pine, white and northern red oak, and yellow birch trees. I attended day camp here as a youngster, tried (and failed) to perfect my forehand on its tennis courts, and even had my engagement pictures taken at the park.  

On this most recent visit, Lindsay had a ball in the new playground area, which proved a major improvement on the old-school equipment found at the park during my childhood. She hopped onto the outdoor stage, once slightly rundown but now nicely renovated and used for concerts and other events. She admired the flowering trees, lush lawns, and little waterfalls she encountered during her exploration.

In addition to soaking in the scenery, I learned of the park’s connection to my current hometown of Venice, Florida. Both the city of Venice and Francis William Bird Park were designed by city planner John Nolen, a disciple of Frederick Law Olmsted. Bird Park was created and endowed in 1925 by local industrialist Charles Sumner Bird Sr. and his wife in memory of their oldest son, Francis William. Nolen’s network of paths and waterways were designed to help easily connect the public with the natural surroundings.

In 1926, Nolen would complete his plan for the city of Venice, a plan that would include plenty of parks and other green space still prized by residents of Venice today. In fact, one of my daughter’s favorite playgrounds in Venice is at the city’s John Nolen Park. As she skipped through Bird Park, she may not have realized the connection, but I was struck by how lucky I was to have lived in two places that benefited from Nolen’s vision.