Celery Fields

The Celery Fields is a 400 acre facility located just east of I-75 and south of Fruitville Road. Sarasota County purchased most of the property in 1995 and developed the site into a stormwater detention facility. An unplanned benefit of the facility is the abundant wildlife. The Celery Fields is one of premiere birding destinations in Southwest Florida with more than 200 unique species of birds identified since the facility was constructed in 1995. The facility mainly consists of open marshlands, deep ponds, shallow pools, and canals, the Celery Fields are edged by oaks, willows, and pines on the eastern and southern boundaries. Historically the area was a sawgrass marsh and evidence of early native settlement has been found. The site is also rich in paleontological artifacts.