MANATEE PULSE: Keep Manatee Beautiful Seeks 300 Volunteers for Record-Breaking Sea Oat Planting Ahead of Hurricane Season

As hurricane season intensifies along Florida’s Gulf Coast, one local nonprofit is calling on the community to take action. Keep Manatee Beautiful is rallying 300 volunteers for what it hopes will be the largest sea oat planting and dune restoration event ever held in Manatee County.

Scheduled for Friday, July 26, the event will begin at 7 a.m. at Coquina Beach. Organizers aim to plant 12,000 sea oats—native grasses known for their ability to fortify sand dunes and protect coastal areas from storm damage.

The initiative is timed strategically ahead of the peak of hurricane season, which typically occurs in August and September. By establishing a strong root system early, these sea oats are expected to help reduce wind erosion, block storm surge, and minimize flooding threats on Anna Maria Island.

Keep Manatee Beautiful is leading the effort in collaboration with the Anna Maria Garden Club, the City of Holmes Beach, the City of Bradenton Beach, and the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Volunteers of all ages are encouraged to participate and help bolster the island’s natural defenses. Registration is open now at Eventbrite.