In the course of our day-to-day going from home to work and school and shops along convenient roadways and across bridges, we don’t think much of how the landscape used to look and function. In pre-development landscapes, rainfall soaks into the ground and nutrients are recycled, preventing large pulses of polluted stormwater from rushing into our creeks and bays.  Yet even in developed landscapes, there are still many opportunities for us to implement small-scale solutions to help bring back some of the historic function of our yards to retain, clean, and store water before it reaches Phillippi Creek.

What Did Your Yard Look Like?

Learning about the historic landscape you live on could be a fun place to start in deciding how you can steward your property in a way that fits its natural characteristics and benefits those downstream. Check out the University of Florida’s historic aerial photos archives. You can zoom into your area to see what used to be under your feet!
Use the slider below to see what the landscape along Phillippi Creek used to look like. 

Water World: Do you live in what once was a wetland or floodplain? Your yard may have a lot of potential to help clean and store water and reduce pollution to Phillippi Creek. Check out resources on how to build a rain garden or bioswale.

High and Dry: If you live in an upland area, you may have the perfect spot for some native trees and plants. Check out resources for local native nurseries.

Solutions for Every Landscape: No matter what your land once was, everyone can implement easy steps to take care of Phillippi Creek:

A healthy creek means more fish and wildlife, higher property values, better recreational opportunities and a stronger economy. Improving and maintaining the health of our natural resources is going to take all of the little “backyard” tweaks as well as the larger municipal actions. Alright, let’s go!
Phillippi Creek landscape along Proctor and Tuttle roads.
Phillippi Creek landscape along Bee Ridge and Tuttle roads.