SRQ DAILY Feb 25, 2026
Wednesday Philanthropy Edition
"Partnering with Satchel's Last Resort to find Magpie allows us to protect sea turtles while also giving a deserving dog a second chance."
Meet Magpie, the newest four-legged superstar of Project D.U.N.E. (Detection of Unknown Nests and Eggs).
When Magpie first came to Satchel’s Last Resort, a no-kill animal shelter and sanctuary dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming dogs and cats with nowhere else to go due to breed, behavior or medical issues, the team knew that her intensity would not make for an easy placement, but they did see potential. So, when Sea Turtle, Inc., an organization that protects sea turtles through conservation, medical care, applied research and education, reached out to them for a dog to help find and protect sea turtle nests, they knew Magpie—the high-energy, super-smart pup—was exactly what they needed.
"We had just finished up Muzzle Outreach Training for the community, and I came home and looked at my email, and there was a message from the CEO of Sea Turtle, Inc., Wendy Knight. Her subject line was, 'Can you help us find a dog for sea turtle nest detection?' and it immediately intrigued me,” shares Satchel’s Board President, Jill Creevy. “One of the things we love to do at Satchel's Last Resort is enrichment. We do agility, and we're starting a scent work class, so these are things that we love. Being able to help another nonprofit was an automatic yes for us."
"We were given some specific qualities they were looking for in a dog–a dog that was focus-driven, that really enjoyed treats, was toy motivated and a little bit crazy. That's how we picked Miss. Magpie," adds Satchel’s Executive Director, Michal Anne Vander Woude.
Sea Turtle, Inc. is training Magpie to sniff out sea turtle nests along the coast. Harnessing a dog’s extraordinary sense of smell enables the organization to locate and protect nests faster and more accurately than traditional human patrols alone, helping ensure more hatchlings reach the ocean.
“Innovation in conservation means thinking differently and acting boldly. Bringing a nest-detecting dog into our program felt like a natural extension of our mission, and doing it through rescue made it even more meaningful," says Wendy Knight. "Partnering with Satchel’s Last Resort to find Magpie allows us to protect sea turtles while also giving a deserving dog a second chance. That’s the kind of impact we believe in.” 
Pictured: Magpie identifying the nest scent in the sandboxes. Provided photo.
Each year, SRQ Media invites the community to nominate individuals with hearts of giving who have made a significant impact with local nonprofit organizations—from volunteers and board members to individual staff members and donors. This year, attendees were thrilled to be together as we recognized these individuals at our annual Giving Coast and Good Hero Awards luncheon and panel discussion on December 10 at Michael’s on East in Sarasota. In the coming weeks, we are happy to feature each of the ten honorees in our Wednesday Philanthropic edition of SRQ Daily.
Today, we are recognizing Carey Houghton who volunteers with Meals on Wheels and exemplifies the spirit of compassion and community that the organization stands for. Carey goes far beyond delivering meals–she delivers kindness, dignity and care to those who need it most. During one of her regular deliveries, Carey learned that one of our clients did not have a functioning laundry machine and had been sleeping on unwashed sheets for some time. She took it upon herself to purchase fresh sheets, pillows and a new pair of shoes for him—simple items that brought comfort, health and renewed dignity to his daily life. Carey’s quiet generosity and action remind us that small gestures of care can make an immeasurable difference in someone’s world. Congratulations, Carey.
The Suncoast Black Arts Collaborative (SBAC) has announced that the Wimauma-based artist Omar Melvin Richardson was awarded First Place and a $500 prize in its 2026 Art Innovation Zone exhibition, “Celebrating Artists of African Descent: Past and Present,” on view through March 13 at the Manatee Performing Arts Center. Richardson is among 10 artists featured in the regional exhibition, which highlights creative voices of African descent while advancing SBAC’s mission to support artists both artistically and professionally. His winning work, “Divine Beauty,” was recognized by the exhibition jury for its compelling visual language and emotional resonance.
Charles & Margery Barancik Foundation recently awarded $11,285,000 in new grants to support a range of local organizations serving the community. The grants include significant investments in: affordable housing for adults with developmental disabilities and for local artists and arts workers, hands-on, real-world learning opportunities in two Sarasota County high schools, expansion of All Faiths Food Bank’s DeSoto Food and Resource Center. In addition to these grants, Barancik Foundation awarded nearly $2.3 million in operating support to more than 25 nonprofit organizations that were long supported by founders Chuck and Margie Barancik. For more information, visit www.barancikfoundation.org.
White Plume productions announces the Sarasota premiere of Naga-Mandala ("Play with a Cobra") by legendary playwright Girish Karnad. This is a masterwork by one of the foremost contemporary playwrights from India. Featuring live music, dance and theatre, Naga-Mandala celebrates imagination and transformation through the lens of South Indian folklore. This is a professionally-mounted production uniting local and international artists in a co-production with the Circus Arts Conservatory. Recommended for audiences 10 and older. Limited engagement: one weekend only.
Performances Friday 3/13, Saturday, 3/14 and Sunday, 3/15.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Sarasota and Manatee Counties has been selected by the American Red Cross to lead a $914,872 grant supporting mental health recovery and resiliency efforts across 11 Florida counties following Hurricanes Helene and Milton in 2024. The Hurricane Helene and Milton Recovery and Resiliency Project is a multi-faceted initiative focused on helping individuals and families process trauma, rebuild emotional well-being, and strengthen long-term resilience through peer support, education, and community-based outreach. Counties covered by the grant include Sarasota, Manatee, DeSoto, Hernando, Orange, Osceola, Seminole, Brevard, Baker, Clay, and Duval. For more information on the Hurricane Helene and Milton Recovery and Resiliency Project, contact NAMI Sarasota and Manatee Counties at NAMISarasotaManatee.org or by calling (941) 376-9361.
This event (lunch is included) is designed to empower you with practical coping skills, tools to support mental wellness in your community, and inspiration to help break the stigma surrounding mental illness.Whether you’re a client, clinician, parent, or advocate, you’ll gain expert insights from mental health professionals, opportunities to connect with others who care about mental wellness and access to community resources that can make a real difference. Don’t miss this chance to learn, connect, and be inspired!
The Community Foundation of Sarasota County recently awarded $191,985 in grant funding to 15 nonprofits that provide care and rehabilitation to wild and domestic animals. Each grant helps an organization either purchase advanced equipment to more effectively treat animals in critical condition or provide animals with emergency treatments that may otherwise be unaffordable. Some grant recipients focus on caring for domestic cats, dogs and birds, while others concentrate their efforts on rehabilitating and releasing wild birds, rabbits, turtles, manatees and more. For more information, visit cfsrasota.org or call 941-955-3000.
Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders are among the leading preventable causes of intellectual and developmental disabilities, yet they remain one of the most under-recognized and misunderstood neurodevelopmental conditions in the country. Because symptoms are often subtle and misinterpreted as behavioral issues, many individuals with FASD go undiagnosed and unsupported for years. The recent passage of the FASD RESPECT Act—specifically Section 104 of the federal SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act of 2025—marks a historic shift in how the United States addresses these challenges. The federal law creates a mandate for coordinated national and state-level systems for prevention, identification, intervention, and lifelong support for individuals and families impacted by FASD. For more information, visit TheFloridaCenter.org.
Applications for Gulf Coast Community Foundation (Gulf Coast)’s highly anticipated 2026 Gulf Coast Leadership Institute (GCLI) will open on Wednesday, February 25 and close on Wednesday, March 18. Led by faculty from the Leadership Development Institute at Eckerd College, the program develops participants who are prepared to take meaningful action in their communities. Through hands-on projects and collaborative sessions, GCLI equips attendees with practical skills in leadership and problem-solving. The program brings together individuals from Sarasota, Charlotte, and DeSoto counties to learn from one another and strengthen their ability to lead with intention. Up to 25 participants will be selected for the 2026 class. The program is free for attendees and runs over two months starting in May at Gulf Coast’s Sarasota Philanthropy Center. Candidates can apply online and access the statement of commitment and program overview at GulfCoastCF.org/GCLI.
Make your Saturday mornings even more fun! Check out the Backyard Science program for elementary-aged learners at The Bishop’s incredible indoor Mosaic Backyard Universe. This wildly popular learning program offers a wide range of activities, observations, and crafts that are sure to spark curiosity and ignite learning.
Bishop Museum of Science and Nature, 201 10th Street West Bradenton FL 34205
Thursdays, 10am. Discover with our expert guide, Kendra Cross, why Sarasota is the only place in the world that the Amish and Mennonite communities come to vacation en masse. In Pinecraft, enjoy the tour stops at Alma Sue’s Quilt Shop, The Carlisle Inn and Der Dutchman Amish Kitchen Cooking Restaurant for shopping and a pie shooter sample of their delicious pie!
This exhibition highlights contemporary Native design, craftwork, and art that employ the formal and aesthetic elements of abstraction as meaningful motifs and coded tools of Indigenous expression to communicate tribal cultures and histories, ancestral knowledge, and the lived experiences of the artists and their communities. Explored in a variety of media, including basket weaving, beadwork, collage, clay, textiles, photography, metalwork, and printmaking rooted in ancestral technologies, their work shares similar stylistic and social concerns, such as vibrant color, hard-edged geometries, curvilinear patterns, and bold mark-making, all infused with personal stories and those of their kin.
Ringling Museum, 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota, FL 34243
This exhibition highlights contemporary Native design, craftwork, and art that employ the formal and aesthetic elements of abstraction as meaningful motifs and coded tools of Indigenous expression to communicate tribal cultures and histories, ancestral knowledge, and the lived experiences of the artists and their communities.
Ringling Museum, 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota, FL 34243
Join us for a weekly guided tour of the night sky in our state-of-the-art planetarium. As Earth moves around the sun, different objects come into view. We'll not only discuss what you can see this season, we'll fly you there!
Bishop Museum of Science and Nature, 201 10th St W, Bradenton
Award-winning Hermitage Fellows offer a unique glimpse into their creative process, sharing original works in process with our Gulf Coast audiences. These free hour-long programs take the shape of musical performances, playreadings, concerts, visual art demonstrations, panel discussions, master classes, exhibitions, open studios,and more. The presentations are often works in process, giving Hermitage audiences a look into the creative process before these works go on to leading theaters, concert halls, and museums around the world.
Hermitage Artist Retreat, 6660 Manasota Key Rd, Englewood, FL 34223
Showcasing 100 rare posters along with sculptures, cocktail shakers, and furniture pieces, this exciting exhibition celebrates the centennial anniversary of Art Deco and the artistic significance it brought to the early 20th-century.
Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 S Tamiami Trl, Sarasota, FL 34236
Selina Román blends photography, abstraction, and self-portraiture to explore themes of beauty and the politics of size. Roman’s photographs transform the gallery into a space of quiet resistance, subverting traditional ideas of feminine beauty.
Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 S Tamiami Trl, Sarasota, FL 34236
Art immersion class for children ages 6-18. Small classes with fine arts materials. Visit linarinconart.com for more information and to register.
Creative Liberties Artist Studios, Gallery & Creative Academy, 927 N Lime Ave., Sarasota, FL 34237
The summer 2026 exhibition at Selby Gardens will celebrate the creative collaboration between two legendary figures and longtime friends, photographer Lynn Goldsmith and singer-songwriter Patti Smith, who is Selby Gardens’ artist in residence. The exhibition will feature Goldsmith’s photographs of Smith, past and present, in the Museum of Botany & the Arts. The images will offer an intimate portrait of an iconic artist over the course of her remarkable career.
Selby Gardens, 1534 Mound St, Sarasota, FL 34236
Juana Romani (1867–1924) was one of the most fascinating and successful painters in late-nineteenth-century Paris. Born in Italy, Juana—whose given name was Giovanna Carlesimo—moved to Paris with her mother and stepfather at the age of ten. She took up painting, studying under the well-known painters Jean-Jacques Henner (1829–1905) and Ferdinand Roybet (1840–1920). Romani quickly earned both critical praise and significant fame for her deftly painted, richly colorful depictions of strong, sensual women adorned in lavish textiles.
Ringling Museum, 5401 Bay Shore Rd, Sarasota, FL 34243
Mayer explores the impact of technology on the human body through this interactive sculpture series. Slumpies invites viewers to sit and slump on these sculptures, much like furniture, and find a place of comfort while using their technological devices.
Sarasota Art Museum, 1001 S Tamiami Trl, Sarasota, FL 34236
Enjoy live jazz weekly on Fridays with many of the area's best musicians and some visiting or touring artists. We present various genres of jazz; straight ahead jazz, music from the American Songbook, swing, dixieland, blues, bossa and cabaret jazz.
Unitarian Universalists of SRQ, 3975 Fruitville Rd., Sarasota
This new speaker series, Art, Actually, explores how art intersects with identity, community, and change through conversations with artists, curators, and cultural leaders.
ArtCenter Sarasota, 707 N Tamiami Trl, Sarasota
The monthly Saturday Night Sketch Club offers chill, creative vibes with costumed models or themed still lifes, and refreshments. Come solo or bring a friend. No experience needed.
ArtCenter Sarasota, 707 N Tamiami Trl, Sarasota
Enjoy music, theater, literature, dance, and more as part of the Hermitage Sunsets at Selby Gardens series. Each hour-long program features selections of work as well as candid and engaging conversations with the world-class artists who come to the Hermitage to create art in an inspirational environment.
Selby Gardens
Thursdays and Saturdays, 7:30pm. Step right up to solve the murder of Dahlia the Queen of the High Wire on this interactive murder mystery who-dunnit.
Wednesdays, 10am. Go back in time to the 1920’s in Sarasota to hear from three leading ladies (Bertha Palmer, Marie Selby and Mable Ringling) as portrayed by Kathryn Chesley, who shaped Sarasota into a cultural icon.
Performed at WBTT in 2016 and then featured at the National (now International) Black Theater Festival in 2017, this high-spirited show raises the rafters and celebrates the music of renowned singers like Mahalia Jackson, Aretha Franklin, Mighty Clouds of Joy, The Staple Singers, James Cleveland, and other gospel greats. It features traditional songs like “Travelin’ Shoes,” “Amazing Grace” and “His Eye Is On The Sparrow” combined with more upbeat, popular tunes such as “Elijah Rock,” “Oh Happy Day,” and “When The Saints Go Marching In.”
Westcoast Black Theatre Troupe, 1012 N Orange Ave, Sarasota, FL 34236
From the writer of television's Dr. Who, Sherlock, and Dracula comes a hilarious new play about an unwanted house guest. After twenty years of marriage, Peter and Debbie are enjoying a cruise and a break from their annoying teenagers, when they meet an eagerly friendly, but perhaps dangerous, fellow passenger named Elsa. Before you know it, she's taken up residence in their suburban home. Asolo Rep stages the US premiere of this hugely entertaining and satirical look at the terrifying lengths we go just to be nice.
Asolo Repertory Theatre , 5555 N Tamiami Trail, Sarasota
Café on St. Armands is introducing Prime Rib Sundays, a new weekly dining feature available every Sunday beginning at 11 AM. Guests are invited to enjoy a classic prime rib dinner, thoughtfully prepared and served as part of Café’s elevated all-day dining experience. The featured Prime Rib entrée includes chianti herb and Dijon-crusted prime rib, garlic confit mashed potatoes, roasted Brussels sprouts, rich au jus, and creamy horseradish. The dish is available for $55.
Cafe on St. Armands, 431 St. Armands Circle, Sarasota, FL
Poetry, poverty, and passion in 1830s Bohemian Paris. Puccini’s most beloved opera and one of the most performed in the repertoire, La Bohème takes us through the streets of the Latin Quarter in 19th century Paris when the poor embroideress Mimì has a fateful chance encounter with the poet Rodolfo. Laugh and cry as a group of friends struggle and celebrate through the Bohemian lifestyle and experience the heartbreak of a lover’s impending demise.
Sarasota Opera House, 61 N Pineapple Ave, Sarasota, FL 34236
SRQ DAILY is a daily e-newsletter produced by SRQ MEDIA. Note: The views and opinions expressed in the Saturday Perspectives Edition and the Letters department of SRQ DAILY are those of the author(s) and do not imply endorsement by SRQ Media. The views expressed by individuals are their own, and their appearance in this section does not imply an endorsement of them or any entity they represent. SRQ DAILY includes content excerpted from news releases as a public service. Reference to any specific product or entity does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation by SRQ DAILY. For rates on SRQ DAILY banner advertising and sponsored content opportunities, please contact Robinson Valverde at 941-365-7702 x703 or via email |
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