In the field of engineering, human achievements receive the most recognition, but Eco Engineers, the new temporary exhibit at the Bishop Museum of Science and Nature, shifts the spotlight to the flora and fauna that shape ecosystems with their own engineering feats.

Director of museum experience Ashley Waite came up with the exhibit’s concept while reflecting on ways to explore engineering from different perspectives. “2023 is our year of engineering, which is the narrative theme for the exhibitions,” she says. “My background is in marine biology, and I’m always thinking of how to incorporate the environment and natural world into the museum.” Inspired by creatures like the gopher tortoise, which dig extensive burrows that house a myraid of other animals, Waite and her team researched other similar species. “The more we started to think about it, we realized that Florida is home to a lot of eco engineers that modify the environment with profound effects, then narrowed it down to 9 native species,” she adds. The exhibit pays homage not only to furry friends like beavers, but also to plants like red mangroves and live oaks that leave an indelible mark on the landscape. “Plants can be considered engineers too, and I liked incorporating them since sometimes they are overlooked because they are not as dymanic as animals.” 

The exhibit is divided into three zones, including the land, water’s edge, and sea sections. Giant photos of the featured species fill the space, creating an immersive environment for guests. A selection of beautiful photos bring each species to life, with the largest photos measuring about 3 by 6 feet. According to Waite, the coral photos, lent to the Bishop by the Coral Restoration Foundation, will stun visitors. 3D elements, like corals and a beaver skull from the museum’s collections complement the photos and text. Waite and her team kept the tone of the information presented appealing to all visitors. “Our goal was to make it fun and lighthearted,” she says. “We wanted David Attenborough with a bit of Steve Irwin.” The accessible text and photos hung at children’s eye level means that visitors of any age can connect to the content. Kids can complete a scavenger hunt of the exhibit, which can be found at the Bishop’s front desk. The exhibit, sponsored by The Mosaic Company, is also bilingual in English and Spanish, representing the museum’s efforts to make all of its new in-house exhibits available in both languages.

“I want people to really be in awe of our local ecosystem, how beautiful it is and how the animals that make it up are so vitally important in ways that aren’t always obvious to us,” she says. “I hope that people walk away with an appreciation for our local environment.”

Eco Engineers runs from April 7 through Sept. 3 and is included in regular museum admissions. Bishop Museum of Science and Nature, 201 10th St. W., Bradenton, bishopscience.org. 

Photo courtesy of Bishop Museum of Science and Nature.

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Sarasota County Commissioner Nancy Detert, a long-time elected official who previously served on the School Board and in the Florida Legislature, unexpectedly died Wednesday. She was 78.

A statement from Sarasota County government released on social media confirmed Detert’s passing. At the time of her death, Detert served as Vice Chair of the County Commission.

“It is with deepest regret and sadness that Sarasota County and the Board of County Commissioners must acknowledge the death of our dear friend and colleague Sarasota County Commission Vice Chair Nancy C. Detert,” the statement reads.

“Commissioner Detert passed away peacefully in her home on April 5, and no foul play is suspected, according to the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office. Our focus right now is on supporting Nancy’s family and ensuring the continuity of government. Details regarding forthcoming memorial services will be made public as information becomes available. We ask that the community respects the privacy of Nancy’s family and friends at this time.”

Republican Party of Sarasota Chair Jack Brill also released a statement. He called Detert a “good friend” to the community.

“She is well-known and respected by people in both parties who agreed and disagreed with her,” Brill said. “Nancy did her homework, knew the issues and knew the people in her community. She was always an honest broker, doing what she believed was right, even if it hurt her politically. She was a beloved mother, grandmother and friend to so many. Nancy leaves a legacy of caring, fighting for the people in her community, and being a quiet friend to countless people. Her passing on Tuesday leaves a huge hole, not just in the Republican Party or in politics, but in our community.”

One person who often disagreed was Christian Ziegler, a former Sarasota County Commissioner who now chairs the Republican Party of Florida.

“I’m pretty sad,” he said upon news of her death. “We went and had our blows every once in a while, but she was refreshing. She always told you what she was thinking. You don’t often see that in politics.”

State Sen. Joe Gruters, R-Sarasota, holds her former seat in the Florida Senate, and said she will be remembered by the chamber as a strong voice for the community.

“She did a lot for the community,” Gruters said. “Very few people fought for foster children like she did, or fought for the Sarasota funding requests like she did. She was a champion of things like the Loveland Center, and she was still fighting for Loveland Center these past few weeks.” 

Photo courtesy Sarasota County.

Florida Studio Theatre (FST) is proud to announce the winning plays of this year’s annual youth playwriting competition. Now in its 32nd year, FST’s WRITE A PLAY program is an arts-in-education initiative, providing students with the example, the inspiration, and the skills to write their own original plays. Over the course of the 2022-2023 academic year, FST received submissions from more than 4,000 playwrights.This year, the WRITE A PLAY experience culminates on Florida Studio Theatre’s five-theatre campus with Young Playwrights Festival (YPF) Day, an annual celebration of children’s imagination and creativity. On Saturday, May 20, participating students, teachers, and families from across the state of Florida will come together to enjoy live performances of the year’s winning plays brought to life by professional actors. This year’s compilation of winning plays is titled The Last Acorn & Other Winning Plays. Following these live performances, playwrights are honored in an awards ceremony and are presented with certificates and medals on stage. The 2023 Young Playwrights Festival Day is a private event, reserved for the winning playwrights, their families, and educators who participated in this year’s WRITE A PLAY program. Thanks to generous support from individual donors, WRITE A PLAY continues to inspire the next generation of playwrights. Support from the Community Foundation of Sarasota, Manatee Community Foundation, The Patterson Foundation, The Shubert Foundation, Suncoast Credit Union Foundation, Publix Super Markets Charities, Wells Fargo Foundation, Embracing Our Differences, Sister Cities Association of Sarasota, and the Greenfield Foundation also made this year’s WRITE A PLAY program possible. WRITE A PLAY is also sponsored in part by the Bank of America Client Foundation and by the State of Florida, Department of State, Division of Arts and Culture, the Florida Council on Arts and Culture, and the National Endowment for the Arts. For more information, contact FST’s Education and WRITE A PLAY Manager, Shelby Lynhall, at SLynhall@floridastudiotheatre.org. 

Pictured: The Last Acorn 2: Jeric Gutierrez, Storm Tracy, Gemma Vodacek, and Athena Jean-Étienne in The Donut Adventure by Mrs. Buchoffer’s Class. Photo by FST.

The School District of Manatee County announces the following middle school administrative changes for the 2023-2024 school year. Kate Barlaug has been named Principal at Dr. Mona Jain Middle School. She has served as Principal at Haile Middle School since 2017. She replaces David Underhill, who is currently serving as interim since Angela Lindsey’s retirement. Irene Nikitopoulos has been named Principal at Haile Middle School. She has served as the Assistant Principal at Lincoln Memorial Middle School since 2021. Her previous positions include Assistant Principal at Johnson K-8 School of International Studies, curriculum specialist, dean and teacher. Ms. Nikitopoulos was awarded the 2022 Outstanding Assistant Principal Achievement Award for Manatee County. She has worked for the School District of Manatee County since 2006. Lorie Starkweather will remain Principal at Sugg Middle School. She was named interim principal this year following the retirement of Ann McDonald. Ms. Starkweather has served in Manatee County schools since 1985. These administrative changes take effect for the 2023-2024 school year. 

New College of Florida today announced that it has launched an intercollegiate athletics department and has named Mariano Jimenez as its athletic director and head baseball
coach. During his career, he has also served as a coach for Team USA Baseball, been a pro-baseball sports agent, and is an alum at IMG Academy where he played and coached for a decade. He also played and coached at his alma mater, Palm Beach Atlantic University, before playing professionally in Texas. Jimenez was most recently the president of baseball operations at the prestigious Inspiration Academy and was a professional consultant to players across Major League Baseball. New College of Florida has a vision for high-level athletics that will compete for conference and national championships while offering unique scholarship opportunities to graduate with an elite academic degree. Jimenez will be tasked with identifying outstanding coaches and student-athletes. 

DreamLarge, the first registered benefit corporation on the Gulf Coast of Florida, is thrilled to announce the return of BLVD Bike Rides - a free community bike ride that aims to bring residents, neighbors and friends together to celebrate the community and cycling in downtown Sarasota. The community is invited to join on a group ride every quarter from April to December for a specially-themed bike ride, each led by a different local guide. Guides for the series include John McCarthy, Marie Selby Botanical Gardens V.P. For Regional History, Bill Waddill, Chief Operating Officer of The Bay Park Conservancy, and Jeffrey Vredenberg, Sustainability Program Educator for the City of Sarasota.The guided group ride will begin at 5:30 p.m. and will end at a different local restaurant or bar. Riders are encouraged to stay and mingle with their fellow bikers after the ride. The event is free and open to all who wish to participate. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own bikes and water bottles for the ride. 

Attendees are encouraged to register for the ride online by clicking here.

Learners of all ages are invited to engage with nature using their five senses at Multi-Sensory Earth Day!, a free educational event on Saturday, April 22, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Historic Spanish Point campus of Marie Selby Botanical Gardens. This fun, interactive program is presented by Selby Gardens in partnership with Lighthouse Vision Loss Education Center and the Suncoast Science Center. It is part of Suncoast Remake Learning Days, a 10-day regional festival of free educational events for children and families. “Our Historic Spanish Point campus will provide a big, beautiful outdoor classroom for this engaging, multisensory learning event,” said Anastasia Sallen, Director of Environmental Education at Selby Gardens. “We want to welcome everyone to explore their appreciation for nature this Earth Day.” Multi-Sensory Earth Day! will offer a variety of learning activities designed to engage participants’ different senses while they experience and learn about the environment. There also will be a make-and-take craft, a plant scavenger hunt, and access to the campus’s Native Butterfly Garden and Butterfly House—the only such butterfly house in the region. The different learning stations are being designed by Selby Gardens’ Education staff in collaboration with staff from the Lighthouse and teen volunteers of the Suncoast Science Center. For more information about “Multi-Sensory Earth Day!,” go to selby.org/events/multi-sensory-earth-day/. No advance registration is required to participate in “Multi-Sensory Earth Day!” Participants may stay after the program to further explore the 30-acre Historic Spanish Point campus. Suncoast Remake Learning Days is a festival of experiential learning events throughout the region taking place from April 21 to 30. Suncoast Remake Learning Days is presented by the Suncoast Campaign for Grade Level Reading and supported by The Patterson Foundation. To learn about the festival and other local events, visit remakelearningdays.org/suncoast/. 

Photo courtesy of Selby Gardens.

Mental health conditions do not discriminate based on race, color, gender or identity. Anyone can experience the challenges of mental illness regardless of their background. However, studies show that people in the Latinx community can experience disparities in access to treatment and in the quality of treatment they receive. To address this issue, Art Center Sarasota is presenting a free panel discussion, “Mental Healthcare in the Latinx Community,” Wednesday, April 12, 6-7:30 p.m., at Art Center Sarasota, 707 N. Tamiami Trail, Sarasota. The event is presented in conjunction with an exhibit of work by Karen Arango of documentary photography highlighting the need for mental healthcare in the Latinx community. Panelists include Karen Arango, Dr. Stacie Herrera, Yesenia Reta, and Carolina Zuluaga. The event will be held in English with closed captions in Spanish. Participants are required to register in advance at ArtSarasota.org.  

Tribute to Balanchine | Sarasota Ballet Director Ian Webb expounds on the importance of George Balanchine to American Ballet, April 2023. 

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