Sebastain Arbor Day: Plant Tulip Pond Habitat

Sebastian residents can help restore Tulip Pond, a local ecosystem and stormwater management site near the Barber Street Sports Complex, by participating in the next phase of the Tulip Habitat Restoration Project.

The Phase 2 Planting event is set for 9 a.m. Friday, April 26, 2024, on National Arbor Day at Tulip Pond. Volunteers will plant companion and shoreline plants to supplement the trees previously installed, aiming to transform the area into a vibrant pocket park. The project seeks to enhance the pond's appearance and its function within the city's stormwater system, while creating wildlife habitat inspired by the nearby Indian River Lagoon.

Participants will plant various shoreline and littoral zone flora. These plants filter pollutants from stormwater runoff before it reaches the Indian River Lagoon and Saint Sebastian River watershed, helping reduce nutrient loadings into these vital waterways.

Volunteers should park at the Barber Street Sports Complex and walk west on Tulip Drive to Tulip Pond. Early arrival for check-in is encouraged.

The project, funded by a cost-share grant from the Indian River Lagoon Council, partners with the UF/IFAS Extension of Indian River County and follows Florida-Friendly Landscaping Principles. The Tulip Stormwater Pond was built in 2016 as a wet retention pond and neighborhood pocket park with funding from a FDEP Section 319 grant.