Jacaranda EcoPark

Every Thursday – 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. – JEM Sessions (Jacaranda EcoPark Maintenance). We need volunteers. Contact Maria at: jacarandaecopark@gmail.com for more info.

Since its inception in November of 2023, the Jacaranda EcoPark has come a long way. There have been several planting phases, starting in February, 2024 and continuing on today. Inspired by ecologist Charles Reith, PhD, and embraced by former Jacaranda West HOA #1 board president Shari Thornton, the EcoPark is a way to counter the effects of more and more development in the Venice community. The trees sequester carbon dioxide in their trunks, absorb water from excessive rainfall or flooding, slow down high winds, offer habitat for displaced wildlife, and provide a pleasant diversion for members of the community. It is a real gem.

Inspiration: Charles Reith and the Miyawaki microforest method of planting
Initial Impetus: From Jacaranda West HOA #1 President Shari Thornton
Inception Date: November 2023

• See Video: EcoPark July 2025

Jacaranda EcoPark completed Phase 4

We’ve come a long way in two short years (video 1, video 2).  We have now completed Phase 4 of Jacaranda West EcoPark!!  

Volunteers showed up on Saturday, February 28, 2026 to put in this phase of the EcoPark. People from ages 6 through 80 helped plant 271 plants, including Beech Creeper, Dwarf Simpson’s Stoppers, Gamma Grass, Horizontal Cocoa Plum and many more. Now that the plants are in the ground, they need to be maintained. We need volunteers to help pull weeds, prune plants, design and put up signage identifying plants, and lay mulch along the trails. The EcoPark belongs to everyone in the community. Come stroll through the park’s myriad plants, look for pollinators and birds, breathe in the clean, fresh air unique to areas populated by trees and plants. Our EcoPark is a small answer to the development popping up everywhere in the county.  More 2026 activities at our EcoPark are coming, see our webpage!   Come out, meet your neighbors, enjoy these events.  We really have a great time together, whether you’re participating or just watching.  

A “Viva Florida” native wildflower demo garden took place on August 29, 2025 at our EcoPark! It was a large-scale planting event for the wildflower garden. Thanks go out to our dedicated volunteers who have spent many hours tending to our park. Watch this site for more EcoPark events!

Besides generous support from the Jacaranda West HOA #1 board, the EcoPark has enjoyed backing from the following:

We rely on volunteers to help install and maintain the EcoPark. Student volunteers from the River View and Pine View High School Interact Clubs, as well as their instructors; members of the Rotary Club; and community folks such as Norma Dayton, Eric Hutchins, Tim Crawford, Ismary Garcia, and Amber Clayton have spent countless hours making our park stand out. Pam Callender, Native Plant Specialist and founder of Lifelines, has been instrumental in helping us select and position Florida native plants that are ideal for our corner of the state.

Come out and visit your EcoPark, located just a block or so north of Indian Hills Boulevard on the right-hand side of Jacaranda Boulevard as you travel towards I-75. 

Project Progression: