CONTACT:
Karen Willey
(941) 704-4325  l  gardens@sarasotaaudubon.org

For Immediate Release:
October 26, 2021

Sarasota Audubon awarded $3,700 grant from the Community Foundation of Sarasota County to support the Retrofit of the Nature Center

Sarasota, FL – Thanks to a $3,700 grant from the Community Foundation of Sarasota County, visitors to the Celery Fields will soon be able to stop in at the Sarasota Audubon Nature Center for information on the birds, wildlife, ecology, and history of the surrounding habitat. Sarasota Audubon was recently awarded the funding through the Edward K. Roberts Emerging Needs Fund to support a Covid-retrofit of the chapter’s Nature Center.

“With approximately 15,000 visitors coming through our doors each year, we are very much concerned with everyone’s health and well-being,” said Jeanne Dubi, president of Sarasota Audubon. “This grant will enable us to retrofit the Nature Center to minimize the spread of viruses and other airborne pathogens.”

The grant will cover the purchase and installation of air purifiers, air conditioning unit ionizers and other measures to minimize the spread of virus within the information center and gift shop. The Sarasota Audubon Nature Center has been closed since March of 2020.

The Sarasota Audubon Nature Center is a LEED Gold certified building with numerous sustainable features. Upgrading the air quality is a commitment to the legacy of sustainability of the chapter’s Board of Directors and dovetails with the goal to provide a Covid-safe space for docents and visitors said Dubi.

The 6,000 square foot Nature Center opened its doors in October 2015. It is located at 999 Center Road in Sarasota County. Visit www.sarasotaaudubon.org for more information about this local Audubon chapter, the Celery Fields and the outdoor activities that are scheduled.

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About Sarasota Audubon Society: Sarasota Audubon is the local chapter of the National Audubon Society, dedicated to the protection, conservation and enjoyment of birds, wildlife and the environment in Sarasota, Florida. Using a combination of science and education, Sarasota Audubon conserves and restores natural ecosystems, focusing on birds, other wildlife, and their habitats for the benefit of humanity and the earth’s biological diversity.

About the Community Foundation of Sarasota County: The Community Foundation of Sarasota County is a public charity founded in 1979 by the Southwest Florida Estate Planning Council as a resource for caring individuals and the causes they support, enabling them to make a charitable impact on the community. With assets of $421 million in more than 1,500 charitable funds, the Community Foundation awarded grants and scholarships totaling $48.9 million dollars last year in the areas of education, the arts, health and human services, civic engagement, animal welfare and the environment. Since its founding, the Community Foundation has been able to grant more than $323 million to area nonprofit organizations to our community thanks to the generosity of charitable individuals, families, and businesses. For more information, visit www.CFSarasota.org or call (941) 955-3000.

Sarasota Audubon Nature Center       999 Center Road, Sarasota, FL  34240           941-312-6533