Volunteers to clean up Sister Keys nature preserve in Manatee County

SARASOTA, Fla. (WWSB) - An annual cleanup project is scheduled for April 12 at the Sister Keys, a 74-acre nature preserve in Manatee County restored with native vegetation.

The area is made up of two islands. The land was once used as World War II bombing test sites and was the subject of multiple development deals, all of which left the land bare.

The land is now uninhabited and made up of native vegetation and wetlands.

A board member and founding member of the Sister Keys Conservancy said the event is important in helping to preserve the islands.

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“I was one of the founders of the Sister Keys Conservancy that we formed in the late 90s to try to keep the Sister Keys from being sold and being another development in Sarasota Bay,” the board member said.

The board member said the yearly cleanup events help keep the area the way it is.

The event is scheduled from 8 a.m. until noon. Volunteers will pick up trash, debris and invasive plants.

The first 40 volunteers will receive a free packed lunch from the Mara Vista Dockside Restaurant.