T. Mabry Carlton Reserve

In the 1920s, the Ringling brothers invested in large tracts of land within the eastern portion of Sarasota County. It was then bought by the MacArthur Foundation and subsequently known as the Ringling–MacArthur Tract or Ringling–MacArthur Reserve. A referendum approved by county voters on November 2, 1982, permitted the county to issue up to $30 million in general obligation bonds ($ in dollars) to purchase the land for a water wellfield along with conservation and recreational uses. The county initially purchased of the land from MacArthur Foundation for $18.5 million in 1984. An additional was purchased in 1987 for $4.9 million. Southwest Florida Water Management District (SWFWMD) purchased through the state's "Save Our Rivers" program in 1994. A land swap between the water district and Sarasota County was done as part of the purchase and added to the preserve. He died in a plane crash at his family ranch in 1989. ==Environment==

Habitats in the preserve include dry prairie, pine flatwoods, mesic hammocks and seasonal wetlands. The wildflowers pine lily, tarflower and Iris versicolor, the purple iris, have been identified on the property. Approximately of the Myakka River abuts the reserve. The preserve also connects east to the Big Slough Preserve and Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park through the South Powerline Trail. ==References==