SARASOTA COUNTY – The collaborative efforts of New College of Florida and Sarasota County are on view on the Oral History pages of the Sarasota County Water Atlas. The goal of these interview is to the memories of area residents, so that future generations will be able to understand and appreciate the county's colorful origins and how these stories contribute to this unique waterfront community, said Lorrie Muldowney, Sarasota County Historical Resources manager.

New College students, who are also county interns, interviewed four longtime area residents and combined those interviews with historical photographs to create video vignettes that bring Sarasota's County's history to life, while also emphasizing the importance of the area's natural environment, especially its water resources.

The featured residents are:

Sandra Sims Terry	She is a third-generation Florida native whose family moved to the Laurel area to work in turpentine production. Terry is an active community leader and recounts the waterfront from her childhood, one that was open and available to everyone.
Bob Richardson	He was active in real estate and development. He is also an advocate of a balanced approach of having a healthy natural environment amidst the developed landscape. Richardson leads birding tours at Myakka River State Park.
Waldo Proffitt	He was a former editor and columnist for the Sarasota Herald Tribune newspaper. Proffitt covered environmental stories and editorial positions for the paper, including groundbreaking work on the negative impacts of phosphate mining.
Betty Dailey-Nugent	A Lemon Bay resident, she has a passion for the history of the Englewood area. She has restored her historic home, known as the Jessee "Pat" and Edith Lampp House, which is open to visitors interested in learning about local history.

This is the fifth year of this successful, collaborative project, said Muldowney.

All the oral histories that have been produced by current and former program participants may be viewed on the Sarasota Water Atlas at www.SarasotaOralHistory.org.