Celery Fields volunteers clear the path at to a new season

Since the flooding caused by Hurricane Debby in August, the trails outside the Sarasota Audubon Nature Center at Celery Fields have seen the growth of weeds and invasive plants through the mulch surface.

Hurricane Helene also left some debris behind in the pathways, though its impacts were far milder.

However, a dedicated group of volunteers has been turning out each week to keep the trail maintained with methods such as plucking, cutting and raking, as the nature center approaches its on-season starting Oct. 1. 

“I'm weird. I like pulling weeds, and there's plenty of them here,” said volunteer Marti Ramos on Sept. 21. 

The cleanups have included two hosted after Hurricane Debby, as well as the regular Sunday cleanups preceding the season.

“This is what we do," said Sarasota Audubon Society president Sara Reisinger. "We get out here on Sunday mornings and get on our hands and knees and make it happen so that everybody can come out and enjoy these trails."

The organization is also being assisted with the cleanup by a part-time contractor and Audubon member, while Reisinger seeks to increase volunteer involvement. 

The season has activities lined up that include eagle nest and rookery tours, kids' art days, a kids' activity to create nesting material mobiles and more.