Planting Roots for the Future
Community Works to Establish Habitat for Birds at Bruce Beach by Gina Castro Photos by Joelle O’Daniel-Lopez & FMWAS
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n the first decade of the 20th century, Bruce Beach played a major role in Pensacola’s maritime industry. In fact, it’s believed that this waterfront was created in the early 1900s as a result of dredging, the process of removing sediments from the bottom of waterways to make way for boats and ships. In 1917, the Bruce Drydock Company dredged thousands of cubic feet of sand creating several acres of Bruce Beach. The environmental degradation from the maritime industry came to light more than a decade after the shipyard closed. In the 1950s, Bruce Beach was among the only recreational areas open to black residents under segregation, so the waterfront became a beloved gathering place for the black community. Because residents were unaware of the toxins, sunken debris and the steep dropoff feet from the shoreline, several young black children drowned at Bruce Beach. Black citizens filed a $1 million lawsuit against the City of Pensacola for its negligence— resulting in the waterfront being left dormant for nearly 50 years. In October 2018, the City cleared the overgrowth, picked up trash and created a road to the waterfront. From there, they installed lights in the dirt parking lot, created a handicap parking spot, installed a fence around the property, put in benches and built an overlook. The City also added signage detailing the history of the site. Now, Bruce Beach has been given the opportunity to be reborn once more as a bird habitat.
Eastern Bluebird perching next to a recently planted Bald Cypress tree.
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