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Giving Thanks for Our Community's
Commitment to Conservation
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As we head into the Thanksgiving holiday, we are grateful for our community's long-standing and diehard commitment to conservation. In our ongoing monthly series celebrating the City of Sanibel's 50th Anniversary, we revisit the years leading up to the Nov. 5, 1974 vote to incorporate and how much different our islands could look if Lee County's development plans had moved forward.
Learn about the conservation-driven steps islanders took amid intense development pressure that led to home rule.
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Save the Date to Celebrate Sanibel's 50th!
Community & Visitors Invited to Join Cleanup Effort
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Join us in celebrating Sanibel’s 50th Anniversary with a special roadside cleanup on Saturday, Dec. 14, from 9 - 11 a.m. Together, we’ll clean up lingering debris from recent hurricanes, keeping our streets safe and litter-free while honoring Sanibel’s commitment to conservation. Stay tuned — more details are coming soon here! | |
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Joel Sartore to Highlight Global Biodiversity
at this Year's McCarthy Memorial Lecture
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We’re welcoming National Geographic Photographer Joel Sartore for our 7th Annual Paul McCarthy Memorial Lecture on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2025!
Sartore has photographed over 16,000 species as part of the National Geographic Photo Ark, which aims to document every species living in the world’s zoos, aquariums, and wildlife sanctuaries to inspire conservation action. Photo by Ellen Sartore.
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SCCF Sights Banded Tern from Virginia Nesting Site
Our team recently spotted banded sandwich tern “A44” from Virginia — one of thousands of seabirds that use a temporary nesting site in Hampton, VA, that was created after construction to expand the Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel paved over crucial seabird nesting habitat. This is the first banded sandwich tern SCCF has documented from this banding project!
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'Scoping Out' Gopher Tortoise Burrows Enhances Surveys
Biologists are using a new technique this year in their annual gopher tortoise burrow surveys — video scoping.
Learn what they are finding and how hurricanes have impacted this keystone species, known for sharing its burrow with more than 300 other species.
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Big Sugar Lawsuit Against EAA Reservoir Continues
The Sugar industry’s lawsuit against the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers regarding the Everglades Agricultural Area (EAA) Reservoir took its next steps last week at the Eleventh Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Atlanta. Learn why this lawsuit threatens the intended outcomes of Everglades restoration and puts our coastal ecosystems, communities, and economies at risk.
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Enjoy a Sunset Cruise with Caleb Caudle to Support our Water Quality!
On Sunday, Dec. 15, support our water quality work by sailing with SCCF and Captiva Cruises on a sunset concert cruise! Our guest artist is Caleb Caudle, who’s known for his distinct sound that Rolling Stone Country calls "the musical equivalent of high-proof bourbon — rich in flavor, with a subtle, satisfying bite.”
Proceeds support SCCF’s critical water quality monitoring and research.
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SCCF Helps Restore Historic Chapel by the Sea Cemetery & Grounds
On Saturday, Nov. 16, Coastal Watch volunteers came together to tackle a special project at Captiva’s beloved Chapel by the Sea. After Hurricanes Helene and Milton wreaked havoc on the island, leaving areas buried in sand, the historic cemetery at the Chapel was in need of careful restoration.
With shovels and equipment at the ready, a team of volunteers joined us to meticulously remove several feet of sand and transport it to a nearby staging site. This wasn’t just about sand removal — it was about preserving a piece of Captiva’s story, honoring lost loved ones, and standing strong as a community. Thank you to everyone who lent their hands and hearts to this project!
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SCCF Speaks at Right to Clean Water Event
On Nov. 12, Environmental Policy Director Matt DePaolis and FGCU Professor Mike Savarese joined a panel organized by ‘Engage Estero’ to discuss the pressures facing southwest Florida due to climate change, as well as potential solutions.
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SCCF Advocates to Protect Manatees & Water Quality
This week, our environmental policy team submitted public comments to support designating new critical habitat for Florida and Antillean manatees, as well as to oppose a pollutant discharge permit for a proposed fish farm off the coast of Sarasota.
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SFWMD Makes Progress Towards Everglades Restoration
This month, the South Florida Water Management District hit multiple milestones toward Everglades restoration. First was a groundbreaking celebration for the new Clewiston Field Station in Hendry Country, which will increase the district’s capacity to prepare and respond to hurricanes and manage Everglades restoration projects as they come online throughout South Florida.
The groundbreaking was followed by a celebratory ribbon cutting for the C-139 Flow Equalization Basin Project, marking the end of the construction phase of the Everglades Restoration Strategies Project. The Flow Equalization Basin provides an 11,000 acre-foot reservoir to store basin runoff and control water flowing into the nearby stormwater treatment area.
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Get in the Holiday Spirit! | | |
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Shop Small at Sanibel Sea School Retail Store!
Looking for the perfect holiday gift? We've got you covered! Our newly revamped retail is OPEN at 455 Periwinkle Way! Come shop ocean-inspired gifts — from Sanibel Sea School apparel to eco-friendly gear and beach essentials. Every purchase helps support our mission to improve the ocean's future, one person at a time. If you’d like to have an order shipped to you, email us at sanibelseaschool@sccf.org.
Stop by, shop small, and spread the ocean love this holiday season!
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Give Yourself the Gift of Propagule Parenting this Year!
Last week marked our third Adopt-A-Mangrove Adoption Day of the year. We’ve now placed 326 mangrove seedlings into loving foster homes across Southwest Florida.
Missed it? There’s still one more chance! Join us for our final Adoption Day of the year on Dec. 11 at the Bailey Homestead from 9-11 a.m.
We can’t wait to see you there!
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SCCF Hosting Master Naturalist Course
A group of dedicated environmentalists has joined SCCF over the last month for a Florida Master Naturalist Course in Coastal Systems. The 40-hour course, led by Adult Education Director Jenny Evans and SCCF Volunteer and Assistant Educator Jim Winn, includes a mix of classroom instruction, field trips, and hands-on activities to increase students’ knowledge for use in education programs as volunteers, employees, docents, ecotourism guides, and more.
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Sanibel Sea School Now a Step up for Students Provider!
We’re thrilled to announce that Sanibel Sea School is now officially approved by Step Up For Students Scholarships Florida! This opens up new opportunities for Florida families to access financial assistance for their children’s ocean education. Sanibel Sea School services are approved for the FES – UA and PEP scholarships. Current service offerings include homeschool, after-school, and day courses.
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Meet the Natives:
Seven Year Apple
The seven year apple is yet another native plant that is proving its resilience on Sanibel following multiple hurricane-heavy years. This showy small tree or large shrub has apple-like fruits that attract Northern mockingbirds and other wildlife, and its spring and summer-blooming flowers provide a food source for butterflies and moths.
WATCH VIDEO
The SCCF Native Landscapes & Garden Center will be closed for the Thanksgiving holiday and will re-open next week Tuesday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
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New Horizons Ventures to Cayo Costa with SCCF!
Thirty-two middle and high schoolers from New Horizons of Southwest Florida joined SCCF and Captiva Cruises for an educational trip to Cayo Costa Island, during which they learned about marine creatures, explored the shoreline for shells, and immersed themselves in our coastal ecosystem. The trip had a lasting impact for many of the students, as they tell us below!
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Seeking Marine Science Educators: Feb. - Aug. 2025! | |
Do you love the ocean and have a passion for teaching? Sanibel Sea School is looking for Seasonal Marine Science Educators to join our team from February to August 2025! As part of our dedicated crew, you’ll be able to lead impactful programs, foster stewardship, and inspire the next generation of ocean advocates. | |
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Full-Time Shorebird Technician | |
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Join our Coastal Wildlife team as a Shorebird Technician! This position will assist with shorebird monitoring and research on Sanibel and Captiva Islands and the surrounding area.
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Check out all our upcoming events and program offerings on our website calendar! | |
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SCCF is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) founded
in 1967 on Sanibel Island, Florida
EIN 59-1205087
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