Tennis and pickleball progress
Work continues on the Wheeler Road tennis and pickleball complex. The additions include new pickleball courts at the south end of the park, as well as the resurfacing of the tennis area. During a regularly scheduled staff-level project meeting on Nov. 20, the county’s contractor indicated that the base for the three pickleball courts has […]
The GICIA celebrates completion of Bike Path landscaping project
BY THE GASPARILLA ISLAND CONSERVATION AND IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION
The Gasparilla Island Conservation and Improvement Association (GICIA) has completed the restoration of the B…
2026 Gasparilla Island Tennis Classic begins in January; Register now
The Boca Beacon’s Gasparilla Island Tennis Classic opens on Saturday, Jan.17, 2026.
The annual all-island tournament will be held at the Boca Bay Pass Club, The Gasparilla Inn…
Back to back G.I.F.T. winners
BY CAPT. WILL WATERHOUSE
This year we have a back to back champion with Tina Sexton taking home the trophy with her two combined redfish measuring 52.5 inches. Congratulations…
Burrowing owl effort expands on Cape Haze
Just off Gasparilla Island, a small colony of Florida burrowing owls – a state-threatened species – is holding on as development increases around them. Fewer than 50 adult owls r…
Vertical oyster gardening at Don Pedro led by Ashley Cook
Coffee and Conservation invites the public to a special hands-on workshop, Vertical Oyster Gardening: Clean Water Starts Here, on Tuesday, Dec. 9, from 10 a.m. to noon at Don Ped…
Mote reports Sarasota County turtle numbers
Mote’s Sea Turtle Conservation and Research Program (STCRP) documented a historic nesting season in 2025, with 5,735 total nests recorded along 35 miles of Sarasota County beache…