The Elling Eide Center, a private research archive and preserve, sits on 70 acres facing Little Sarasota Bay that has been owned by the Eide family since the 1930s.
Located near U.S. 41, Palmer Ranch and several shopping centers between Sarasota and Venice, it was long sought by developers. Elling Eide resisted those efforts; he also had a big battle with Sarasota County over zoning, and even ran unsuccessfully for a County Commission seat.
A noted Sinologist who died in 2012, Eide amassed what is believed to be the largest archive of ancient Chinese literature in the country, as well as an impressive collection of Chinese art and sculpture. But it was scattered in eight old buildings on the 70 acres until archivist Cindy Peterson started to catalog and curate it in 2008.
11 Best Resorts on Siesta Key, FL planetware.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from planetware.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Just as land animals can be affected by deforestation, marine animals can be affected by a decline in seagrass growth, and recent data shows area wildlife could be in trouble.
Following a variety of environmental and human-made factors, Sarasota Bay is experiencing a 12-year loss in seagrass growth.
Preliminary results from the Southwest Florida Water Management District show an 18% decline in seagrass across Sarasota Bay, Roberts Bay and Little Sarasota Bay from 2018 to 2020. The decline equates to loss of 2,300 acres of seagrass.
“A healthy bay leads to a healthy bay, so everything is tied together,” Sarasota Bay Watch Secretary John Ryan said. “Having healthy seagrass is really important to our bay ecosystem because about 75% of marine life have some part of their life in seagrass, so this is not great.”