A $1-million community matching campaign has been launched to continue rewilding the Quad Parcels at the Celery Fields.

With matching support from local foundations and generous donors, Big Waters Land Trust is seeking additional gifts from the community to fully fund the rewilding of the Southwest Quad, adding native habitat for wildlife and eco-friendly amenities for community access and enjoyment. The effort brings together funders Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation and Gulf Coast Community Foundation (Gulf Coast) and 3 local philanthropic families.

“This is an important opportunity to enhance one of our region’s most environmentally significant places at a time when the chance to restore land like this is becoming increasingly rare,” said Jon Thaxton, Director, Policy and Advocacy at Gulf Coast. “Gulf Coast has worked alongside Big Waters, Sarasota Audubon Society, and Barancik Foundation for many years, and now, with generous donor support, the community can help preserve its own backyard.”

To donate to the project, go to bigwaterslandtrust.org/donate and select “Re-Wilding the Quad Parcels” for your gift purpose.

Building on a Successful First Phase

Located in fast-growing eastern Sarasota County, the Celery Fields is an internationally recognized birding destination where Sarasota Audubon has recorded more than 250 bird species. It also serves as one of the county’s primary flood-mitigation zones, protecting thousands of downstream homes from flooding. The Quad Parcels comprise 33 acres of public conservation land along the western edge of the Celery Fields, providing a natural buffer between the preserve and industrial areas to the west. Rewilding these parcels will create more habitat for birds and other wildlife while providing the community with more opportunities to enjoy the natural area.

“We are thrilled with the collaboration of Gulf Coast, Barancik Foundation and other key donors to bring this matching challenge to life,” said Jeanne Dubi, Director of Special Projects for Sarasota Audubon Society. “The rewilding of the Quad parcels is the result of partnerships between Sarasota Audubon and Big Waters and also with Sarasota County, which had the foresight to trust our two organizations to expand the Celery Fields with this wildlife buffer for all to enjoy.”

The first phase of the rewilding project, launched in January 2025, involved improving the 11-acre Southeast Quad by planting over 21,000 trees and plants while creating trails, a pond, and wildlife-viewing gazebo. It was completed in July of this year and will open to the public on October 24, 2026. The new matching opportunity will support the next phase, which aims to transform the Southwest Quad into a nature-based community space with improved wildlife habitat. Phase II will include not only planting hundreds more trees and plants, but also adding public amenities like a restroom, nature-themed playground, flex lawn, and shaded picnic facilities.

“We’re grateful for the years of partnership and investment that have conserved and improved the Quad Parcels,” said Christine Johnson, President of Big Waters Land Trust. “This next phase will build on that foundation, expanding the ecological benefits and advancing a vision for what these lands can provide for wildlife and people.”

The $1-million pool of matching funds includes:

• $350,000 from Barancik Foundation
• $350,000 from Gulf Coast
• $300,000 from Gulf Coast donors Bob and Joan Geyer, the Elizabeth Moore Sunrise Fund, and the Elsa & Peter Soderberg Charitable Foundation

“This is a terrific example of the power of collaboration,” said John Annis, President & CEO of Barancik Foundation. “We are so much more effective when we row in the same direction, coming together to make the whole greater than the sum of its parts. Now, the community can join us in this important work and enhance a natural resource that belongs to all of us and benefits so many of us.”

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To request an interview with organizational leadership, please contact the following:

Charles and Margery Barancik Foundation
Greg Luberecki, Chief Communications Officer: gluberecki@barancikfoundation.org

Gulf Coast Community Foundation
Alyssa Holcomb, Associate, Brand Engagement: aholcomb@gulfcoastcf.org

Big Waters Land Trust
Shalla Ashworth, Director of Philanthropy: s.ashworth@BWLT.org

Sarasota Audubon Society

Jeanne Dubi, Director of Special Projects: Quad@sarasotaaudubon.org

About Barancik Foundation
The Charles and Margery Barancik family has long believed in the power of philanthropy to shape our world and enrich the lives of all people. It was the expression of this belief that led them in 2014 to establish Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation—a private, family foundation located in Sarasota, Florida. Barancik Foundation creates initiatives and awards grants in Sarasota and beyond in the areas of education, humanitarian causes, arts and culture, the environment, and medical research. For more information, visit www.barancikfoundation.org.

About Gulf Coast Community Foundation

Since 1995, Gulf Coast Community Foundation has powered bold philanthropy and collaborative leadership to drive meaningful change across our region. Guided by values of authenticity, curiosity, collaboration, grit, and a trailblazing spirit, we work side-by-side with donors, partners, and community members to tackle our region’s biggest challenges and unlock its greatest opportunities. Together with our donors, we’ve invested more than $650 million in health and human services, education, civic & economic development, arts & culture, and the environment. Headquartered in Venice, with a second office in downtown Sarasota, Gulf Coast is nationally recognized for excellence, earning multiple “Best Nonprofits to Work For” honors and accreditation from Community Foundations National Standards®. Learn more at GulfCoastCF.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

About Big Waters Land Trust
Big Waters protects Florida’s land and water for the benefit of people and nature. Through strategic collaborations with individuals, groups, organizations, and government, they work to ensure all people have access to clean water, fresh air, nutritious food, abundant wildlife, beautiful natural areas to enjoy, and all the other physical and mental benefits nature provides. Their vital work strengthens Florida’s resiliency to storms and floods, enriches lives, and helps safeguard our community for generations to come. Learn more at bigwaterslandtrust.org.

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. Learn more at SarasotaAudubon.org.

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