ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A historic St. Petersburg site that was submerged during Hurricane Helene is continuing recovery work nearly two years after the storm, with new projects aimed at protecting the property from future storm surge.
Sacred Lands Preservation and Education, a nonprofit that protects part of the Jungle Prada site near Boca Ciega Bay, is upgrading the property after seven feet of water covered the land during the storm. The site includes part of a former Tocobaga Indian village and a shell mound that is more than 500 years old.
David Anderson is the president of Sacred Lands Preservation and Education. The nonprofit protects part of the Jungle Prada site which is home to a portion of a former Tocobaga Indian village.
The shell mound is a central feature of the property.
“It’s a 900-foot long, 25-foot tall shell mound, and it’s one of the best preserved on the Gulf Coast of Florida,” Anderson said.
During Hurricane Helene, storm surge from Boca Ciega Bay submerged the site. A greenhouse museum that housed artifacts was destroyed.
“That was a hard time after the hurricane to walk into the room and see the damage here,” Anderson said. “It was a sinking feeling.”
The museum has since been rebuilt and reopened last year. Anderson said the nonprofit also received a grant from the National Park Service to build a living seawall intended to reduce future storm damage.
“Mangroves are going to help prevent that sort of damage to our ecosystem, because the storm surge hits the mangroves and it absorbs the energy of the waves,” Anderson said. “So the water still comes through, but it won’t be as destructive by a long shot.”
Sacred Lands also received a grant from Florida Humanities, with support from the Mosaic Corporation, to restore its gardens. The nonprofit lost about two dozen trees after the 2024 hurricanes. The new plants will be native and salt tolerant.
Catherine Wilkins, a member of the Sacred Lands board of directors, said the recovery has created an opportunity to make changes at the site.
“Honestly, I’m so encouraged by the way that our site is coming back online, and it’s giving us the opportunity to do new things, too,” Wilkins said.
Work remains at the museum, which still needs display cases. Tours are running, and Anderson is thrilled to share the sites rich history.
“This is a cultural resource that I feel like belongs to all the people of Tampa Bay and should be preserved,” Anderson said.
On Aug. 1, the nonprofit will host the Native Plants and Native People event. The free event is open to the public and will focus on native plantings and celebrate the nonprofit’s new garden.