There’s something so magical about getting up in the morning and knowing you’re going to do something fun, educational, and good for the planet. This weekend the Marine Science Club and I went out to Robinson Preserve to go paddle, sight see, and clean up the mangroves!
Read more: An Egg-cellent Kayak Clean UpFor this wonderful adventure, we went to Robinson Preserve in Bradenton, one of Manatee County’s great coastal gems. We launched from the north kayak launch, slid our boats into the glassy morning water, and immediately got reminded why we do this: the place is absolutely teeming with life.
Into the Mangroves
The north launch drops you right at the edge of a winding network of tidal channels flanked by red mangroves. We paddled slowly, partly to avoid spooking the wildlife, and partly because it’s genuinely impossible to rush through a place this beautiful. The prop roots reach down into dark water like fingers, and every bend reveals something new. That’s where the cleanup work started. Mangroves are master debris catchers; the same tangle of roots that shelters juvenile fish and invertebrates also snags plastic bags, monofilament, foam, and all the other stuff people leave behind or that blows in on a storm tide. We worked our way along the channels, pulling trash from the roots and tucking it into bags. It’s satisfying, unglamorous work, and exactly the kind of thing that makes a difference.
Wildlife in Abundance!
We were absolutely spoiled for bird sightings. Robinson Preserve is one of those places where you almost have to stop paddling just to keep track of everything you’re seeing.
The roseate spoonbills never get old. Every single time you see that impossible flamingo-pink wading through the shallows, sweeping that ridiculous spoon bill side to side, you feel lucky to live in Florida. We had several close passes — they’re less skittish than you’d expect from a kayak, especially if you keep your paddle quiet and your movements slow.
We also saw an abundance of snowy and great egrets up in the roots and branches. I even got to teach about how you can tell the difference between the tiny snowy egret and the large great egret! (if you don’t know the adage, snowy egrets have yellow feet because they stepped in yellow snow… cue chuckle here)
The mullet were putting on a full show, launching themselves clear of the water in what biologists think may be an attempt to escape parasites, gulp air, or just confuse us. Crown conches were scattered across the sandy flats in incredible numbers — those thick, spiraling shells are a sign of a healthy intertidal community, since they’re voracious predators of bivalves and keep things in balance.
A Sight to Behold: The Observation Tower
After working the mangrove channels, we pulled out and made our way to the observation tower — and if you’ve never climbed it, put it on your list immediately. The tower gives you a sweeping 360-degree view over the entire preserve: the marsh grasses, the tidal flats, Tampa Bay shimmering in the distance, and the mangrove canopy stretching out below you like a lumpy green carpet. From up there you can see wading birds that were totally invisible from the water.
It’s also a good moment to just appreciate the scale of what’s been preserved here — hundreds of acres of coastal habitat in the middle of one of the fastest-growing metros in the state. That doesn’t happen by accident. It takes funding, advocacy, volunteers, and the collective decision that some things are worth protecting.
Why it Matters
Kayak cleanups are one of the best ways to reach the debris that land-based volunteers can’t get to. The mangrove fringe along tidal waterways collects trash that would otherwise break down into microplastics, entangle wildlife, or leach chemicals into the water column. Every bag we pull out is a direct win for the fish, birds, and invertebrates that call this place home.
Robinson Preserve is a special place — the kind that reminds you why conservation work is worth showing up for, muddy hands and all. We’ll be back.
This Easter, I’m happy to say we made a difference for creatures big and small, from the birds that decorate the mangrove branches, to the eggs that produce new individuals that populate our estuaries. Overall, we had a hopping good time!
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