Duette Preserve in Manatee County is a wild Florida paradise. Home to the headwaters of the Myakka River, it hosts weekend hunts and boasts a magnificent population of deer, turkey, quail, and an increasing number of imperiled Florida scrub-jays. But the 21,000-acre preserve also required rejuvenation, namely seeding to build up the native groundcover wildlife forages on and a new archery range.
Thanks to a grant from our Foundation, Manatee County completed their renovation plans, purchasing a new Grasslander seeder alongside native seeds. This allowed the county to plant over 700 pounds of seed in the restoration area, providing food and cover for deer, turkey, and quail. Seed was also collected onsite and used to start a nursery, ensuring that the preserve is ready to plant more in the future. The new seeder and nursery will restore 10 acres of groundcover each year. The archery range was completed in September 2020 and new equipment was purchased for the other ranges. With the additions, the preserve’s archery hunts were completely sold out for the first time! And game animals are not the only ones enjoying the improvements: An endangered Florida panther was spotted in the Preserve for the first time in early 2024.
