SCCF Asks Corps to Restore Optimal Lake O Flows | | |
The water around Sanibel looks beautiful this time of year as we come to the end of the dry season, but there’s more to those azure hues than meets the eye.
With little to no rainfall and below optimal freshwater flows from Lake Okeechobee, conditions are becoming too saline to maintain oyster health during their spawning season. SCCF submitted comments to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers last week to urge the Corps to restore optimal flows from Lake Okeechobee to the Caloosahatchee Estuary until the wet season begins.
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They're Back! 10 Loggerhead Nests Marked on Islands
SCCF documented the islands’ first sea turtle nest of the year on April 25 — a loggerhead nest. Since then, our staff and volunteers have reported 10 loggerhead nests and 28 false crawls from loggerheads, and the season will only pick up from here! Help us protect sea turtles this season by turning off or shielding lights visible from the beach after 9 p.m., flattening sandcastles, filling in holes, and removing trash/furniture from the beach. Please call the SCCF Sea Turtle Hotline atto report issues related to nests or sea turtles.
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Protecting Precious Least Terns on Sanibel Causeway
SCCF has been working with the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC), Lee County, and our dedicated volunteers to protect least tern nesting areas on the Sanibel Causeway Islands, which opened to the public on May 1. Our education and outreach volunteers will be stationed on the Causeway on weekends and holidays to educate beachgoers about sharing the shore with least terns, which nest in colonies and are listed as threatened in the state of Florida.
We still need more volunteers — please email shorebirds@sccf.org if you’re interested.
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New Podcast Episode Takes on Timely Bear Hunt Issue
SCCF Environmental Policy Director Matt DePaolis and Policy Associate Allie Pecenka discuss why the FWC is proposing a bear hunt for December 2025, the first one since 2015. They talk about the driving factors behind the proposed bear hunt, how the passage of Amendment 2 in Florida last year may be impacting it, and how a hunt would affect the current population of Florida black bears.
Click here to comment on the FWC's proposed rules for the black bear hunt to be discussed at their May 21 meeting.
Comments are due by 5 p.m. on May 16.
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It's Bat Maternity Season!
Since May 2024, SCCF has installed 13 bat houses across Sanibel. Wildlife Biologist Mike Mills explains why that's especially critical now, as we have entered bat maternity season, which runs from April 16 to Aug. 14.
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Legislative Session Extended; Parks Protection Bill Passes
Florida’s Legislative Session has been extended through June 6, due to ongoing budget negotiations between the House and the Senate. Legislators will meet again next week to work to resolve discrepancies, including gaps in allotted funding for Everglades restoration. In positive news, House Bill 209, which will better protect Florida’s state parks from development, passed both the House and the Senate and is awaiting the governor’s signature.
As the budget process continues, SCCF will continue to advocate on behalf of funding for Everglades restoration and conservation land acquisition.
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SCCF Trustee Lisa Riordan Named Citizen of the Year!
Join us in congratulating SCCF Trustee Lisa Riordan for being honored by the SanCap Chamber as the 2025 Citizen of the Year! Aside from her dedication to SCCF's mission, Lisa has also served as the key spokesperson for the Protect Captiva Coalition, putting her long-time experience with media relations to great use for our community. Lisa also serves as Board Chair at the Charitable Foundation of the Islands (CFI), and President of the Captiva Civic Association (CCA). Thank you, Lisa!
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Applications Now Open for Preserving Paradise!
Join SCCF, Captains for Clean Water, the Everglades Foundation, and the SanCap Chamber this summer and fall for our 2025 Preserving Paradise leadership program. Founded last year, Preserving Paradise is targeted to regional business and community leaders who wish to enhance their environmental advocacy, leadership skills, and understanding of water quality, Everglades restoration, and the connection between our ecosystems and our economies.
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APPLY HERE
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Marine Science Panel Inspires FGCU Students
SCCF Marine Lab Research Associate Amy Oxton joined four other panelists for a presentation organized by the Florida Gulf Coast University's Chapter of the Society for Women in Marine Science to candidly discuss what it takes to pursue a career in marine and environmental sciences.
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Educators Attend Project WILD Workshop
Sanibel Sea School Marine Science Educators Jordyn Sateren and Izzy Lutz recently attended a Project WILD/Aquatic Workshop at Manatee Park, where they learned more about educational practices and theory to apply to our programs at Sanibel Sea School to better share ocean love!
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Coastal Watch Joins Earth Day Swap & Shop!
To support sustainability on the islands, SCCF Coastal Watch’s Adopt-a-Mangrove program joined the Sanibel Captiva Young Professionals (SCYP) on April 22 to adopt out mangroves during an Earth Day swap-shop event.
SCCF Communications & Marketing Coordinator Ali Reece, pictured here, and Policy Associate Allie Pecenka are both members of the SCYP, which organized the community event at the Sanibel Captiva Island Association of REALTORS office.
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Sanibel School Students Celebrate Earth Day by Planting Marsh Grasses
In celebration of Earth Day, Sanibel School students partnered with SCCF to plant marsh grasses in SCCF’s Pick Preserve. After seeing the changes the preserve underwent after recent hurricanes, students were inspired to plant marsh grasses to help restore this recovering habitat.
A huge thank you to Bank of the Islands for funding 500 marsh grasses for this planting!
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Meet the Natives: Jamaica Caper
The Jamaica caper (Quadrella jamaicensis) is a wonderful planting choice for coastal South Florida, given its resistance to high winds, saltwater inundation, and high heat and drought. During spring and summer, its pollinator-friendly blooms change from white to pink throughout the day!
Learn more or purchase Jamaica caper at our Native Landscapes & Garden Center.
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Way to Go, SCCF Sluggers!
The SCCF Sluggers just finished their first season in the Spring Adult Co-Ed Softball League, packing the bleachers with friends, family, and co-workers during nine games at the ball fields at the Sanibel Recreation Center. The Sluggers were the only team from a nonprofit that played in the league this spring, with other teams from Doc Ford’s, Whitney’s, the Bubble Room, and Trader’s.
READ SEASON RE-CAP
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Mariner Middle School Explores the Estuary
Students from Mariner Middle School in Cape Coral recently took a field trip in Pine Island Sound to one of SCCF’s RECON stations to study technology in marine science and take a closer look at water quality issues of the estuary. Since 2010, SCCF has partnered with Captiva Cruises for No Child Left on Shore, an environmental education outreach program that offers field trips to children and teens who — despite living close to the ocean — rarely interact with the marine ecosystem. Click below and make a note of "No Child Left on Shore" in the donation form to support this amazing program!
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A Few Spots Open for Red Tide Study this Friday
The Roskamp Institute is returning to Sanibel this week to give islanders the opportunity to participate in a 4-year study examining the health effects of aerosolized brevetoxin exposure from red tide. Please call 941-256-8010 to reserve a spot in the study at SCCF headquarters on May 9.
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Sanibel School Students Plant Mangroves to Complete Year-Long Project
Last week, sixth-grade students from The Sanibel School planted over 200 mangroves at the Woodring Road restoration site as a part of their year-long mangrove study.
After collecting mangrove propagules at the beginning of the school year, students learned about mangrove ecology by experimenting with how the propagules grow in different soil types and various concentrations of salinity, as well as looking at mangrove habitats around the islands. The experiment ended with students planting their own mangroves at Woodring Road!
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Still Time to Celebrate Mom with a Mangrove Pendant
Show your love for the Mangrove Mama in your life this Mother's Day with a beautifully crafted mangrove pendant from Congress Jewelers.
These stunning pendants are a part of Congress Jewelers' Give Back Collection. For every necklace sold, Congress makes a generous donation to SCCF. To date, $15,900 has been donated, benefitting coastal resilience projects.
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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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