Manatee County Traffic Cabinet Artwork Program

Manatee County Traffic Cabinet Artwork Program

by | Jun 24, 2026 | Highway Beautification, Scenic Interesections - Landscaping

Manatee County rolled out a brand-new initiative to help beautify the area and minimize exposure to typical urban infrastructure.  They are wrapping the traffic signal cabinet to enhance the community’s character and celebrate the history and story of Manatee County.  Traffic cabinets are boxes that hold control panels, electrical wiring, and sensors for traffic lights.  The project is a great collaboration with the Public Works Department, Government Relations/Communications, and the Board of County Commissioners.

This project is meant to enhance the attractiveness and vibrancy of our community and provide a physical sense of character and identity through artwork and photography.  The county is using county-generated imagery and publicly submitted artwork, trying to make your drive through Manatee County a thing of beauty.  As part of their countywide beautification effort, Manatee County partnered with local artists to transform these everyday structures into public art displays.  For more information about the program, please contact Casey Zempel at casey.zempel@mymanatee.org or 941-748-4501 Ext. 3082.

To date, 33 traffic cabinets have been wrapped.   Here are a few of them. 

Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway

Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway

by | Jun 24, 2026 | Highway Beautification, Landscaping, Scenic Highways

New Native Greenery and Wildlife Educational Signs Added to Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway

Scenic W.A.V.E.S. Partnership Committee, Anna Maria Island Garden Club, Keep Manatee Beautiful partner to revitalize Bradenton Beach landmark and parks

 

On May 1, 2026 significant beautification and environmental upgrades were completed on Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway, which is Gulf Drive/SR 789 within Bradenton Beach city limits. The initiative was coordinated through the City of Bradenton Beach Scenic W.A.V.E.S. Partnership Committee in which Citizens for a Scenic Florida is a member. The City of Bradenton Beach Scenic W.A.V.E.S. (Waterfronts: Accessible, Viable, Ecological, Sustainable) Partnership Committee is the city advisory committee that represents the Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway Byway Organization for the Florida Department of Transportation Designated Scenic Highway Program.

The Anna Maria Island Garden Club and Keep Manatee Beautiful partnered to revitalize the roundabout landmark on Gulf Drive at the intersection of Bridge Street. In response to damage and landscape decline caused by recent hurricanes, flooding, and storm events, the project began last year with the replacement of Sabal palm trees. This year, the project introduced 200 native, salt-tolerant, and drought-resistant plants specifically selected for the challenging coastal conditions – Muhly Grass, Candelabra aloe, Blanket flower and Beach Dune Sunflower. Installation was on April 28th and the ribbon-cutting ceremony on May 1st.

In addition, the City of Bradenton Beach Scenic W.A.V.E.S. Partnership Committee coordinated design and manufacturing of the “Wildlife of Anna Maria Island” educational signs installed on Bradenton Beach Scenic Highway. Users of this scenic highway and adjoining parks will be educated about how to protect the wildlife and their habitats. The educational signs were installed at the Bridge Street Beach Access, Jan Vosburgh Beachfront Park, Katie Pierola Sunset Park and John Chappie Park. The educational signs were funded by AMI Moose Lodge 2188, Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring, Suncoast Waterkeeper, and Tampa Bay Estuary Program Mini-Grant. The sign design was done by Drawn by Dawn Witherington Illustration & Design, then manufactured by iZone Imaging. Each sign is 60″ x 24” high-pressure laminate CHPL and was installed atop aluminum posts by the Bradenton Beach Public Works Department staff. The sign design and content were reviewed for scientific accuracy by Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring, as well as Wildlife Inc.

“This project represents an important investment in one of the most visible and highly traveled areas of our city,” said Mayor John Chappie of Bradenton Beach. “We are grateful to the all partners for their leadership and commitment to enhancing the beauty and environmental resilience of our community.”

Renitia Bertoluzzi, president of the Anna Maria Island Garden Club, emphasized the collaborative impact of the effort. “We are proud to support beautification projects that benefit our island communities,” she said. Now in its 75th year, the Anna Maria Island Garden Club is committed to the beautification and preservation of Anna Maria Island. The organization promotes gardening education, supports the protection of native plants and wildlife, and provides charitable and civic contributions to the community.

“The Garden Club is one of Manatee County’s strongest advocates for the environment and protection of our local resources, so naturally we love partnering with them,” said Jennifer Hoffman, Executive Director of Keep Manatee Beautiful. “This initiative is one of the many ways we work together to make Anna Maria such a gorgeous place to visit.” Keep Manatee Beautiful is a nonprofit organization that inspires community involvement through its commitment to making Manatee County a cleaner and more beautiful environment. Established in the spring of 1991 as an affiliate of Keep America Beautiful and Keep Florida Beautiful, Keep Manatee Beautiful has developed networks of volunteers who help provide grassroots solutions to littering, recycling, illegal dumping, beautification and solid waste disposal.

 

Arbor Day 2026

Arbor Day 2026

by | Jun 24, 2026 | Trees

Island Cities Celebrated National Arbor Day 2026 with Tree Plantings Across Anna Maria Island on Florida’s Suncoast

National Arbor Day was celebrated across Anna Maria Island on Friday, April 24. The island’s three cities—Anna Maria, Holmes Beach, and Bradenton Beach—each hosted commemorative tree plantings and community canopy-growing events.

Participants in the annual Arbor Day events included city officials from the three Anna Maria Island cities, the Anna Maria Island Garden Club, Keep Manatee Beautiful, the Scenic W.AV.E.S. Partnership Committee in which Citizens for a Scenic Florida is a member, the Florida Forest Service, the Modern Woodmen of America and other community advocates.

Events were free and open to the public. Highlights from the island’s 2026 Arbor Day events included:

  • Anna Maria: Officials joined members of the Anna Maria Island Garden Club to plant a native gumbo limbo tree at Jacaranda Park (714 Jacaranda Road).
  • Holmes Beach: A ceremonial silver buttonwood tree was planted at Prince Park (121 52nd St.), honoring the island’s coastal environment. The City of Holmes Beach and the Islanders 4 Clean Water initiative hosted a coinciding “Free Tree Giveaway” on the city hall property, during which silver buttonwood and green buttonwood trees were given away.
  • Bradenton Beach: City officials and the state forester planted a seagrape tree, Sabal palm and coconut tree at Katie Pierola Sunset Park (2212 Gulf Drive N.) on Bradenton Beach Scenic. The ceremony also included a presentation on the new wildlife signage by the Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring.

The tree planting ceremonies were followed by an All-American Cookout Lunch featuring free hot dogs and hamburgers hosted by the Annie Silver Community Center in Bradenton, where Arbor Day participants could meet the County Forester with the Florida Forest Service.

Ceremonies included remarks from city officials and community advocates followed by tree plantings. “Arbor Day celebrates the importance of trees to our Island environment, health and community spirit,” AMI Garden Club President Renitia Bertoluzzi said in a press release distributed in advance.

All three Island Cities have been designated “Tree City USA” by the National Arbor Day Foundation. Tree City USA is a program sponsored by the National Arbor Day Foundation in conjunction with the National Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters that recognizes cities and towns for committing to effective urban forest management. To qualify, municipalities must meet a set of standards for tree care in their communities.

About National Arbor Day was first celebrated in 1872, Arbor Day is a nationally recognized holiday that encourages tree planting and care. Trees play a critical role in combating climate change, improving air quality, conserving water, and beautifying communities.