Shore Acres' Backyard Preserve Got a One-Year Reprieve. Here's How to Spend the Season

"Next year, my focus will be to secure state funding for the continued operations of Weedon Island in perpetuity," Pinellas County Commissioner Chris Scherer told Poliverse, as the St. Pete Catalyst reported in mid-September. He said it right after the commission had kept the preserve's funding for another year. It shows how the county now treats the preserve that sits beside Shore Acres in northeast St. Petersburg. Weedon Island's funding is decided one year at a time.

For Shore Acres, the most useful way to read that decision is through the line items. The positions the county proposed cutting in August were five rangers, a supervisor and part of the education and outreach staff, along with maintenance money for the building. That building is the Weedon Island Cultural and Natural History Center at 1800 Weedon Dr NE, where most of this fall's calendar takes place. This season shows what the restored money pays for.

What the August proposal would have removed

On August 17, WUSF reported that county budget managers had proposed removing funding for Weedon Island and Shell Key. They recommended returning both preserves to the State of Florida and closing the Weedon Island Cultural and Natural History Center. Both preserves sit on land the county leases from the state. Under the proposal, they could have gone back to state control as soon as January 1, 2027.

The proposed FY27 budget itemized the cuts. WUSF quoted the document.

• Five park rangers, totaling $245,000
• One supervisor
• The equivalent of 1.7 education and outreach specialists, totaling $164,000
• $65,000 in Construction and Property Management for maintenance of the building

WUSF put the combined savings at nearly half a million dollars, out of a county budget of about $5 billion. That is a small fraction of the county budget. The proposal itself blamed "state unfunded mandates." WUSF also reported that the upcoming property-tax referendum was part of the county's reasoning. County Parks Director Paul Cozzie told FOX 13 that the preserve cuts were unrelated to the ballot measure. The two accounts were never reconciled publicly.

How the money came back, in three meetings

The Tampa Bay Times reported that the proposal drew hundreds of emails and a line of public speakers. One of them was Rachael Kangas, president of the Central Gulf Coast Archaeological Society, which conducts digs on the island. She argued that the preserve's archaeology, public artifact labs and education work depend on continued county support. Commissioners moved quickly after that.

1. August 20 work session. Scherer proposed covering the preserves with about $500,000 from reserves set aside for the county's new administrative campus, and Commissioner Kathleen Peters agreed, according to the Catalyst. Commission Chair Dave Eggers said the state should take responsibility for funding property it owns.
2. September 10 first public hearing. Commissioners tentatively voted to keep local funding and keep the Cultural and Natural History Center open.
3. September 24 final adoption. The county's announcement said that "funding for Weedon Island and Shell Key preserves was preserved for one year following strong public opposition to proposed cuts."

County Administrator Barry Burton gave the commission the exact figures in writing. The preserves would not be returned to the state, and $555,000 would be restored, with $490,000 going to the Parks Department and $65,000 to Construction and Property Management. In exchange, $4.237 million was redirected to debt service for a future bond payment on the administrative campus on Ulmerton Road. The Catalyst reported that Scherer's plan passed unanimously. The restored $555,000 is higher than the roughly half-million in savings WUSF described in August. Published reporting doesn't explain the difference.

The trade-offs elsewhere in the budget were large. The county cut more than $16 million across departments under the County Administrator. It also eliminated dozens of positions and reduced transportation infrastructure funding by $1.5 million. The preserves were spared in a year when most county departments took cuts.

Why "one year" matters more than "restored"

Scherer is focused on finding state money. The Catalyst reported that Rep. Linda Chaney of St. Pete Beach has promised to support that effort. Eggers has already said publicly that the state should fund property it owns. The Friends of Weedon Island, the nonprofit that supports the preserve, reacted carefully.

"The Friends of Weedon Island are most appreciative of the Commission's decision to fund the operation of the Preserve for the entire coming fiscal year. We look forward to working with the County to identify longer-term solutions to fund the Preserve in future years."

Bill Fehring, president of the Friends of Weedon Island, to the St. Pete Catalyst

The new fiscal year began October 1. The rangers, the education specialist time and the building maintenance money are funded for the twelve months that just started. Nothing has been decided beyond that. The first season under this arrangement is the fall that has just begun.

What is open, and what is not, this fall

The preserve is operating, though parts of it are closed for repairs. Here is where things stand under the county's own notices.

The fishing pier and parts of the boardwalk were rehabilitated in a county project completed in 2025. The Bay Boardwalk repair now underway is separate work. Before planning a paddle or a pier morning, it is worth checking the county's Know Before You Go page. The county updates it as conditions change.

The calendar between now and Thanksgiving

On October 17, the Center hosted International Archaeology Day. The program included hands-on pottery workshops, artifact identification and a 2 p.m. lecture by Dr. Anna Guengerich, associate professor of anthropology at Eckerd College, on her research in the cloud forest region of Peru. These are the kind of education programs the 1.7 outreach positions in the August proposal support. The rest of the season, as listed by the Friends of Weedon Island:

• Saturday, Oct. 24, 8 to 11 a.m. The 14th annual Gopher Weedon 8K Trail Run covers 4.9 miles of natural trail and starts at the Center. The preserve is closed to other visitors until noon.
• Sunday, Oct. 25. A Maze of Watery Roots, a program on the preserve's mangroves, at the Center.
• Friday, Oct. 30. The Night Shift: Bats in Florida, at the Center, the night before Halloween.
• Tuesday, Nov. 10. Tarpon Talks: Weedon Island Preserve, held off-site at the Tarpon Springs Heritage Museum. It is a chance to hear the preserve's story told outside St. Petersburg.
• Third Saturday of each month, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Meet a Master Gardener, with UF/IFAS Pinellas County Master Gardeners. Bring samples or photos for plant identification, or questions about attracting butterflies and birds. The next sessions fall on Nov. 21 and Dec. 19.

For the Master Gardener sessions, the RSVP through Eventbrite is optional, so a walk-in visit with a cutting or a photo works.

Most of the programs on this list take place at the building at 1800 Weedon Dr NE, which the August proposal would have closed. Rangers, education staff and building maintenance are the costs the county itemized in August and then restored in September for one fiscal year. For this fiscal year, the Center stays open and its calendar runs through November.

For anyone who lives next to Weedon Island, knowing what supports it, and how long that support is promised, is part of knowing the neighborhood well. If you're thinking about a move on this side of St. Petersburg, or just want an informed conversation about it, Kelli Welch is glad to help. Let's Curate Your Next Move.