Event to be held at Myakka Headwaters Preserve in Myakka City
The Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast, which is based in Osprey, has announced the return of its celebrated farm-to-table luncheon, Feast Upon the Fields. It will be held at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 3, at the Foundation’s 432-acre Myakka Headwaters Preserve in Myakka City, the nonprofit notes in a news release.
Each year, the event takes place on a different piece of land that the Conservation has protected, the release points out.
“Located where seven creeks converge to form the Wild and Scenic Myakka River, Myakka Headwaters Preserve is an exceptional part of Myakka and the greater Florida ecosystem,” the release continues. “The property contains numerous diverse landscapes, including floodplain forests, marshland, longleaf pine flatwoods, and oak hammocks.” Since it purchased the preserve’s first 363 acres in 2020, the Conservation Foundation “has been diligent in its efforts to restore the shoreline, strengthen the health of the river, and support the wildlife who call this special place home,” the release adds.
In 2022, the Foundation conserved an additional 69 acres at the southern end of the original property, the release notes. “Over the past year, volunteers have planted thousands of native trees and wildflowers along the shoreline and throughout the 432 acres as part of the organization’s ongoing Myakka Restoration initiative,” the release points out.
“Myakka Headwaters Preserve is also part of the growing Southwest Florida Wildlife Corridor, a land conservation initiative that stretches from south Tampa Bay to the Everglades and connects to the Florida Wildlife Corridor,” the release continues. To date, the Conservation Foundation has protected more than 19,200 acres across 56 properties; almost 18,000 acres are within the Southwest Florida Wildlife Corridor, the release says. “These critical lands provide vital habitats for plants and animals, help capture pollution, act as natural buffers along coasts and riverbeds, and absorb rainfall from intense storms,” the release points out.
“Experience this stunning landscape firsthand and enjoy a one-of-a-kind menu from Chef Paul Mattison at this year’s Feast Upon the Fields,” the release invites the public.
Proceeds from the event will support the Conservation Foundation’s “vital mission to protect the land and water of Southwest Florida for the benefit of people and nature,” the release notes. Both tickets and sponsorships are available, the release adds. “Learn more and secure a seat at conservationfoundation.com/feast2023.