ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. \u2014 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.<\/p>\n
Sacred Lands Preservation and Education<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n The shell mound is a central feature of the property.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a 900-foot long, 25-foot tall shell mound, and it\u2019s one of the best preserved on the Gulf Coast of Florida,\u201d Anderson said.<\/p>\n During Hurricane Helene, storm surge from Boca Ciega Bay submerged the site. A greenhouse museum that housed artifacts was destroyed.<\/p>\n \u201cThat was a hard time after the hurricane to walk into the room and see the damage here,\u201d Anderson said. \u201cIt was a sinking feeling.\u201d<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n \u201cMangroves 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,\u201d Anderson said. \u201cSo the water still comes through, but it won\u2019t be as destructive by a long shot.\u201d<\/p>\n