Blog: 5 Reasons to Love Living in North Port: Our Natural Environment

Published on August 24, 2026

In this weekly five-part series, I’m highlighting five of the many reasons people choose to call North Port home. From education and local businesses to our natural environment, quality of life and the dedicated public servants who make it all possible, these are the amenities, investments and people that help our city prosper.

One of the things I love most about North Port is that nature isn’t something we have to drive somewhere else to experience. It is part of who we are.

We live beneath a canopy of oak and pine trees. We have miles of trails and waterways, abundant wildlife and some of the most remarkable natural spaces in Southwest Florida, including the only warm-water mineral spring in the state.

At Myakkahatchee Creek Environmental Park, residents can hike, bike or ride horseback through more than 160 acres of wooded land, with the creek winding through the heart of the park. The Myakkahatchee Creek Greenway provides another opportunity to walk and experience the natural landscape, as does the Legacy Trail, a regional network that connects North Port to greater Sarasota County.

We are also home to the Myakka State Forest, an 8,000-plus-acre expanse of protected land that offers miles of trails and an extraordinary glimpse of Old Florida. And then there is Warm Mineral Springs Park, our most unique natural treasure. Its history stretches back thousands of years, making it not just a recreational asset but an important part of our region’s cultural and natural heritage.

For those who prefer to explore from the water, North Port has nearly 80 miles of freshwater canals, along with nine miles of the Myakkahatchee Creek and portions of the Myakka River. Whether you are kayaking, fishing, birdwatching or simply enjoying a quiet morning outdoors, there are countless ways to connect with nature right here at home.

Of course, enjoying these resources also comes with a responsibility to care for them.

Florida is growing quickly, and North Port is growing right along with it. I understand why that growth can create concern, particularly for residents who worry about losing the natural character that makes this community special. Those are legitimate concerns, and they deserve to be taken seriously.

Responsible growth means recognizing that protecting our environment and building a thriving community are not competing goals. They are both essential to North Port’s future.

That is why we created the City’s Natural Resources Division in 2024. This dedicated team works every day to protect wildlife and habitat, strengthen tree preservation, support environmental resilience, monitor our natural assets and help ensure development occurs thoughtfully and responsibly.

One of the most important tools we now have is our Land Acquisition Program, approved by the City Commission in 2025. Through this voluntary, willing-seller program, the City can proactively identify environmentally sensitive properties and purchase them for permanent conservation. The goal is not simply to preserve individual parcels, but to protect wetlands, wildlife habitat, waterways and ecological corridors that benefit the entire community.

Today, roughly one-third of North Port’s land area is already designated as green space or protected land. That is something worth celebrating - and something worth continuing to build upon. The latest example is 60 acres of City-owned land surrounding Warm Mineral Springs Park that is being conserved and protected from future development.

Growth will change North Port. But growth does not have to mean losing the natural beauty that brought so many of us here in the first place.

If we plan carefully, invest wisely and remain good stewards of the land and water around us, we can welcome new neighbors while preserving the places that make North Port feel like home.

That balance is not always easy. But it is worth pursuing, because our natural environment is part of our identity, our quality of life and our promise to future generations.

Jerome Fletcher is the North Port City Manager. He can be reached atjfletcher@NorthPortFL.gov.