Conservation. Collaboration. Community.
Ecosphere Restoration Institute is a non-profit organization with deep roots in the Tampa Bay region and an outstanding track record of success in cutting-edge conservation techniques.
Created in 2007 to foster public and private partnerships for environmental restoration, we have facilitated 19 projects that have restored more than 270 acres of critical habitats and enhanced over 1,000 acres in Hillsborough County alone. Our expertise in building innovative partnerships has secured $5 million in grants and $4 million in matching funds involving participants ranging from federal agencies, regional/local governments, and large industries to small businesses, community groups and citizen-volunteers.
See our at-a-glance map of completed and current projects.
Our streamlined operational structure allows us to emphasize direct, in-ground restoration to benefit fish, wildlife and people, by:
Created in 2007 to foster public and private partnerships for environmental restoration, we have facilitated 19 projects that have restored more than 270 acres of critical habitats and enhanced over 1,000 acres in Hillsborough County alone. Our expertise in building innovative partnerships has secured $5 million in grants and $4 million in matching funds involving participants ranging from federal agencies, regional/local governments, and large industries to small businesses, community groups and citizen-volunteers.
See our at-a-glance map of completed and current projects.
Our streamlined operational structure allows us to emphasize direct, in-ground restoration to benefit fish, wildlife and people, by:
- Creating or enhancing habitat for manatees, waterfowl, wading birds and economically important fish and shellfish.
- Restoring wetlands that improve water quality and absorb storm surges, reducing property damage and mitigating the long-term effects of rising seas.
- Building innovative “living shorelines” that employ natural, organic materials such as native plants and oyster reefs instead of hardened seawalls to reduce erosion while providing habitat for marine life.
- Providing outdoor recreational opportunities for the 2.6 million residents of the Tampa Bay watershed through paddling trails, boardwalks, observation towers and hiking trails.
- Employing 86 local companies and contractors, from engineering and survey firms to heavy equipment operators to archaeologists and wildlife biologists.
Who We Are
Small but mighty. That's how we like to describe ourselves. Our non-profit status and dedicated team allow us to operate with low overhead, spending grant funds and local contributions where they matter most -- on restoring our natural legacy for future generations. Our streamlined approach works. Ecosphere projects have received numerous regional and local awards for environmental excellence, and securing millions of dollars in grant to leverage local funds. In 2013, Ecosphere founder and President Tom Ries was honored with a National Wetlands Award from the National Environmental Law Institute in Washington, DC. Learn more about our team |
What We Do
We know that the best natural areas in the Tampa Bay watershed are not always in public ownership, and that governments and non-profits can't buy all the land they would like to preserve. That's where we come in, working collaboratively with both private and public partners to restore land that might not otherwise be protected. From small "frog ponds" used by amphibians and wading birds, to curvy creeks flanked by statuesque sabal palms, we focus on work that benefits the fish, wildlife and people of Tampa Bay. We're especially proud of our contribution to the local economy through our commitment to hiring local businesses at every stage of our restoration projects. Take a closer look at what we do |
NEW! Unique Partnership Helping to Feed Florida Manatees
Ecosphere Restoration Institute is spearheading an innovative partnership to harvest and deliver eelgrass to rehabilitation centers caring for famished manatees rescued from Florida waters where their natural food sources have disappeared.
From late December-March, the effort has distributed more than a ton of eelgrass – a natural and preferred food for manatees – to five facilities housing malnourished manatees. The facilities are Zoo Tampa, the Jacksonville Zoo, Sea World, Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park and the South Florida Museum’s Parker Manatee Aquarium.
Most of the rescued manatees came from the Indian River Lagoon, where free-falling seagrass losses continue to take a severe toll on Florida’s iconic marine mammal. A record 1,100 manatees died last year in Florida, with 30% of those in the Indian River Lagoon. Another 326 manatees have died statewide through Feb. 18 of this year, according to state wildlife biologists.
Ecosphere was approached late last year by Soldiers for Animals, a non-profit organization that engages military veterans in wildlife conservation programs. The group wanted to do something to help Florida’s starving manatees. The result was a 3-month effort to collect floating eelgrasses from canals in Crystal River and deliver it directly to manatee rehab centers.
“It’s really a win-win because the grasses we’re taking are clogging up canals, just floating on the surface. The homeowners who live on the canals are happy to get rid of the grass, and the rehab centers are happy to get a natural food that manatees prefer over lettuce,” said Tom Ries, Ecosphere’s President.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the lead agency overseeing manatee protection, approved the eelgrass delivery project. The grass is collected weekly by AquaTech Eco Consultants and delivered on a rotating basis to one of the five rehab centers. The program will continue through at least the end of March.
If you would like to contribute to extend this program; donations are welcome, feel free to contact us to learn more.
Ecosphere Restoration Institute is spearheading an innovative partnership to harvest and deliver eelgrass to rehabilitation centers caring for famished manatees rescued from Florida waters where their natural food sources have disappeared.
From late December-March, the effort has distributed more than a ton of eelgrass – a natural and preferred food for manatees – to five facilities housing malnourished manatees. The facilities are Zoo Tampa, the Jacksonville Zoo, Sea World, Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs Wildlife Park and the South Florida Museum’s Parker Manatee Aquarium.
Most of the rescued manatees came from the Indian River Lagoon, where free-falling seagrass losses continue to take a severe toll on Florida’s iconic marine mammal. A record 1,100 manatees died last year in Florida, with 30% of those in the Indian River Lagoon. Another 326 manatees have died statewide through Feb. 18 of this year, according to state wildlife biologists.
Ecosphere was approached late last year by Soldiers for Animals, a non-profit organization that engages military veterans in wildlife conservation programs. The group wanted to do something to help Florida’s starving manatees. The result was a 3-month effort to collect floating eelgrasses from canals in Crystal River and deliver it directly to manatee rehab centers.
“It’s really a win-win because the grasses we’re taking are clogging up canals, just floating on the surface. The homeowners who live on the canals are happy to get rid of the grass, and the rehab centers are happy to get a natural food that manatees prefer over lettuce,” said Tom Ries, Ecosphere’s President.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the lead agency overseeing manatee protection, approved the eelgrass delivery project. The grass is collected weekly by AquaTech Eco Consultants and delivered on a rotating basis to one of the five rehab centers. The program will continue through at least the end of March.
If you would like to contribute to extend this program; donations are welcome, feel free to contact us to learn more.
NEW! ERI Founder Tom Ries talks about partnering with the Tampa Bay Estuary Program to advance community-based habitat restoration in this short video produced for TBEP by filmmaker G. Steve Jordan.
NEW! From the Creative Loafing weekly newsmagazine: "Tampa's Ulele Spring is a ‘symbol of hope’ when it comes to restoring Florida’s natural water sources"
https://www.cltampa.com/news-views/environment/article/21153452/tampas-ulele-springs-is-a-symbol-of-hope-when-it-comes-to-restoring-floridas-natural-water-sources
https://www.cltampa.com/news-views/environment/article/21153452/tampas-ulele-springs-is-a-symbol-of-hope-when-it-comes-to-restoring-floridas-natural-water-sources
NEW! Check out this retrospective about habitat restoration projects funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, including our Lost River Preserve project in lower Tampa Bay. The project restored 70 acres of saltwater wetlands that serve as nurseries for popular sportfish like snook and spotted seatrout, while providing jobs for small local businesses and directly funding the work of several graduate students.
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/restoring-habitat-support-coastal-communities-look-back-recovery-act-part-1
https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/feature-story/restoring-habitat-support-coastal-communities-look-back-recovery-act-part-1
Crews install plants at the Lost River Preserve restoration project site.
Credit: Southwest Florida Water Management District.
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