Update on Puschel Preserve Restoration |
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Everyone is eager to see the completed restoration of the Puschel Preserve on Periwinkle Way. The front acreage will showcase many wonderful features including a welcome plaza, pollinator garden, walking/biking trail, sculpture garden, and demonstration marsh. Those improvements can’t be made until the 12 acres of wildlife habitat have been cleared of all invasive exotic trees and vegetation, which is expected to be complete by mid-March. Following rain delays, there’s been a lot of activity on the site. READ MORE
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Coastal Watch Hosts Ocean Love Causeway Cleanup
Show your love of the Gulf of Mexico on Valentine’s Day during Coastal Watch’s Ocean Love Causeway Cleanup from 10-11:30am on Feb. 14. Volunteers will check in on Causeway A (the island closest to the toll booth). Gloves and trash buckets will be provided. Sign up here for the Ocean Love Causeway Cleanup or contact SCCF Community Conservation Coordinator Kealy McNeal at kmcneal@sccf.org. READ MORE
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SCCF and Captiva Cruises Partner on Recent “No Child Left on Shore” Field Trip
“No Child Left on Shore” is a collaborative environmental education outreach partnership of SCCF and Captiva Cruises. This hands-on learning program fills a vital need by providing Southwest Florida children with an informative and fun way to gain experiential knowledge of the local marine ecology. A recent field trip to Cayo Costa State Park for 30 children and teens from Fort Myers was the first beach experience for several participants. READ MORE
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Sanibel Sea School Summer Camp Registration Opens in February
Mark your calendar: General registration for Sanibel Sea School's summer camp programs will open at noon on Saturday, Feb. 12. A variety of exciting ocean camps are available for campers ages 4-17 at two locations—the Flagship campus on the East End of the island and at the Bailey Homestead Preserve. An extensive slate of new and innovative programming is planned for children ages 4 to 17. READ MORE
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Banded Sanderling Returns
During her January surveys, SCCF Shorebird Biologist Audrey Albrecht spotted several banded birds, one of which was a familiar banded sanderling (Calidris alba). It was first observed on Sanibel in April 2016. This bird was banded as an adult in 2014 in Canada. Over the last six years, this banded sanderling has returned to Sanibel each winter and has been observed as far east as the lighthouse and as far west as Bowman’s Beach. READ MORE
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Marine Lab Partners with FSW Professor to Create Phytoplankton Guide
Florida SouthWestern State College (FSW) Oceanography Professor Michael Sauer, Ph.D., has been volunteering at the SCCF Marine Lab since 2016. Sauer was awarded an FSW Academic Research Council (ARC) grant to purchase a microscope and plankton net to mentor students in phytoplankton ecology. READ MORE to find out how he and his students are partnering with the SCCF Marine Lab.
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Meet the Native Landscapes Intern
With a longtime interest in plants and their role in the ecosystem, Sophie Carpenter is excited about her internship at the SCCF Native Landscapes and Garden Center. Carpenter graduated with a degree in wildlife biology from the University of Vermont, where she took classes in plant biology, dendrology, and ecology. After taking field courses in plant biology and dendrology, Carpenter discovered her passion for plant ecology. READ MORE
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Meet the Natives: Coralbean
There are a handful of native plants that are semi-deciduous in the winter season. One example is Coralbean, also known as Cherokee bean (Erythrina herbacea). This tall shrub or small tree tends to drop its distinctive, triangular-shaped leaves prior to blooming. The blooms are showy stalks of tubular red flowers which are a nectar source for pollinators. However, its scarlet seeds are poisonous to humans and pets. READ MORE
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Titanic Explorer Robert Ballard to Speak at SCCF on Feb. 4
Famed underwater explorer Robert Ballard is the speaker for the 4th Annual Paul McCarthy Memorial Lecture on Friday, Feb. 4, at 5:30pm. In-person tickets to the lecture at Bailey Homestead Preserve have sold out. Purchase your $10 virtual ticket here.
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Weekly Nature and Botanical Walks
Lace up your walking shoes for naturalist-guided immersions in nature.
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Welcome Walkabout: Island Ecology for New Residents
Are you a new property owner on Sanibel or Captiva? Or would you simply like to learn about what makes our islands special? Join SCCF on a walking tour to learn about unique plants and animals, the island’s steeped conservation history, and current challenges in keeping the islands as a sanctuary. The next one is Tuesday, February 1 at 10am. Pre-registration is required Register Here; a $5 donation is suggested. Regular Welcome Walkabouts will occur every two weeks so check the schedule Here
Weeds ‘n’ Seeds Virtual Walk
Join us for a virtual Weeds 'n' Seeds walk on Monday, Jan. 31, through Zoom. The walk will feature a leader in the field, showing plants on location and highlighting how they look at this time of year. Another leader will join on screen, talking through the identification of the plant and showing photos of the plant up-close for easier study. Participants will receive the information in a Word document to use for reference. Register here.
Lindblad Preserve Trail
Participants get an up-close look at the Sanibel Slough and rare plants each Tuesday & Thursday at 10am. No registration is required; a $5 donation is suggested.
Bailey Homestead Preserve Shipley Trail
Learn about SCCF’s mission-driven work on the historic property, along with stories about its history each Wednesday and Thursday at 10am. No registration is required; a $5 donation is suggested.
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Last Pine Island Sounds Concert of the Season
SCCF, in partnership with Todd and Leanne Marcum and Captiva Cruises, is closing out the second season of Pine Island Sounds, its signature series of onboard fundraising concerts, with the band Twisted Pine. There are a few seats remaining, tickets here.
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Evenings at the Homestead: A Season of Change
SCCF Coastal Resilience Manager Carrie Schuman and Hydrologic Modeler Paul Julian discuss SCCF’s priorities in their fields in the second part of this two-part series description that’s taking the pulse of the islands’ natural systems and local efforts to keep them healthy.
Register to attend in person here,
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FGCU Day
Visit SCCF and the Sanibel Sea School at FGCU Day on Saturday Feb. 12. Find us in The Water School Tent on the Great Lawn from 9am-noon, where we will have activities and information available for kids and adults alike. Celebrate FGCU's 25th anniversary at this community-wide event on the FGCU campus. Learn more and register at FGCU Day.
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Wildlife Photos to Share
Thanks to Noel Howard for sending in this photo of a bobcat.
Do you have wildlife photos to share?
Please send your photos to
info@sccf.org to be featured in an upcoming issue.
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