The Florida Department of Environmental Protection is investigating a report of industrial runoff found in a creek at the Peace River Botanical & Sculpture Gardens in Punta Gorda.
Opening in 2017, the gardens display carefully curated collections of unique plants and artwork the public can view.
Watch Fox 4’s Alex Orenczuk’s full report:
Peace River Botanical & Sculpture Gardens finds potential pollutants in creek
“We are a 27-acre sanctuary of art and nature,” said Tanna Horner, executive director. “We have five unique ecosystems here on the property, we abut the Peace River and also, our property lines run along Hunter’s Creek.”
Approximately three weeks ago, Horner said staff began noticing an oily substance intermittently appearing on the surface of Hunter’s Creek, which empties into the Peace River.
Fox 4.“We are a beautiful location but we are bordered by an industrial area, an industrial zone that has many businesses and we are experiencing some runoff issues that are a threat to our ecosystem,” said Horner.