Connecting You to Nature is published by SCCF, a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) founded in 1967 on Sanibel Island, Florida. Through stories about how we fulfill our mission to protect and care for Southwest Florida’s coastal ecosystems, we hope to deepen your understanding of how our land, water, and wildlife depend on our stewardship.
James Evans, CEO Barbara Linstrom, Editor Doug Cook, Design
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Audrey Albrecht, Denise Blough, Jack Brzoza, Matt DePaolis, Jenny Evans, Chris Lechowicz, Eric Milbrandt, Ph.D., Kealy Pfau, Shannon Rivard, Kelly Sloan
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Shane Antalick, David Meardon, Milissa Sprecher
OPEN TO THE PUBLIC Native Landscapes & Garden Center at Bailey Homestead Preserve 1300 Periwinkle Way (239) 472-1932
Sanibel Sea School 455 Periwinkle Way info@sanibelseaschool.org (239) 472-8585
Main Office (239) 472-2329
SCCF Sea Turtle Hotline (978) 728-3663
Shorebird Inquiries shorebirds@sccf.org
www.sccf.org | info@sccf.org
P.O. Box 839, Sanibel, FL 33957
Our Priorities are Your Priorities
Our dedicated staff received a seemingly simple editorial directive for this magazine — to focus on their Top 3 current priorities being pursued under our 5-year strategic plan. As you can imagine, the scope and breadth of our mission-driven work made that a tough challenge to meet.
When we think of our members’ support, there is also a seemingly simple Top 3 describing your contributions to SCCF: Time, Talent and Treasure.
Whether devoting volunteer hours, professional expertise, or financial contributions, those 3 simple words — Time, Talent and Treasure — comprise a much larger whole than the sum of its parts.
As you read through these pages, please know there is not a subject covered or a piece of information shared that isn’t directly supported by all of you. As we work towards the June 30 end of our fiscal year, allow us to make one more heartfelt plea for your philanthropic investment in SCCF. The work you will read about is just not possible without your tax-deductible contributions funding our annual operating budget.
Please consider donating online or using the enclosed envelope to secure your place as a valued member of the SCCF Family.
Please contact Development Director Cheryl Giattini at 239-822-6121 or cgiattini@sccf.org with any questions you may have. Thank you in advance for your consideration of this sincere request.
Thank you!
Please become a member or renew your membership by using the enclosed envelope or donating at www.sccf.org
Dear Members and Friends of the SCCF Family,
As we transition into spring and summer, I hope you find time to get outside and enjoy our natural treasures. Beyond the day-to-day activities associated with our ongoing hurricane recovery, it’s important to take time to get out on the water or take a hike, while reflecting on why you chose to put down roots in this inimitable place we call home.
James Evans, CEO
Over the past year, our Board of Trustees and staff have worked diligently to implement our five-year Strategic Plan. In this issue of Connecting You to Nature, we explore this year’s top priorities of each program area as they relate to the plan’s three main initiatives:
• Inspire and engage our communities to act in ways that preserve and enhance the land, water, and wildlife in the face of changing natural and human-driven conditions.
• Expand and leverage SCCF’s expertise and voice to improve water quality in Southwest Florida and beyond.
• Lead Sanibel and Captiva in becoming a nationally recognized model for resilience and sustainability for coastal communities.
These initiatives and our team’s related goals depend on a strong spirit of community collaboration and support.
This issue also invites you to share the word about the growing expanse of our experiential learning programs, which immerse students, young and old, in the unique ecosystems that abound on our barrier islands and in our surrounding waters.
Our programs connect island residents and visitors with nature in a way that provides meaningful experiences that will last a lifetime. Whether taking a guided bird or plant walk on our trails, volunteering to plant mangroves, restoring oyster reefs, monitoring sea turtles and shorebirds, or combing the beaches and coastal waters for sea life, our educational and outreach programs are designed to instill a sense of wonder. They deepen the relationship between our human residents and the wildlife and ecosystems that we are all working to protect.
Our barrier island communities have thrived because we embrace these ideals that also support our tourism-based economy. By sharing our successes, we seek to inspire other communities to do the same.
I hope you enjoy learning more about the great progress of our hard-working staff and devoted volunteers and what we have been able to accomplish with your generous support. Thanks to you, future generations will also experience the magic that drew us to Southwest Florida.
As we approach the end of our fiscal year on June 30, we hope reading this issue will inspire your continued support in reaching our Annual Fund Drive goal.
With Sincere Gratitude,
James Evans Chief Executive Officer
Expanding Our Reach
Since Sanibel Sea School and Coastal Watch joined the SCCF Family in 2020, SCCF’s education department has expanded its outreach and engagement efforts. Through our adult education, youth and family programming through Sanibel Sea School, and volunteer engagement through Coastal Watch, we are continually reaching
more individuals.
Together, we envision a future where everyone values and takes action to care for Southwest Florida’s coastal ecosystems, and Sanibel Sea School, Coastal Watch, and SCCF staff work as a collaborative team.
From observing nature while walking on a trail to creating oyster beds — one 5-gallon bucket
at a time — education takes many forms. Our education team works closely with all program areas to develop curriculum, and all staff at SCCF educate — from answering beachgoers’ questions to informative presentations for community organizations. Here are some of the ways the SCCF education department is working toward our shared vision.
We aim to connect residents and visitors to nature through hands-on courses, experiences, and unique learning opportunities that make SCCF stand out by:
• Offering a robust course catalog
• Being a leading scientific voice
• Providing immersive education programs and experiences
• Ensuring year-round availability
• Fostering community engagement
• Prioritizing sustainability
EXPANDING CUSTOMIZED SMALL-GROUP EXPERIENCES
Sanibel Sea School is expanding its family-focused private experiences to encompass SCCF program areas. Currently, Sanibel Sea School offers three options for shore-based private sessions: seining in the seagrass, beachcombing on the Gulfside, or exploring mangroves.
Over the next year, we’re adding more options that combine Sanibel Sea School’s hands-on approach with SCCF’s diverse projects and expertise to create tailored, immersive experiences for small groups. From marsh walks to learning telemetry to using state-of-theart lab equipment, each session will offer a unique way for families to connect to nature. These private sessions, offered on a seasonal basis, provide an opportunity to engage with different SCCF departments while increasing exposure to new audiences.
THE SANIBEL SCHOOL
Over the next year, it’s vital for Sanibel Sea School to continue growing and nurturing partnerships, especially with The Sanibel School. SCCF has a long history of visiting students in their classrooms once or twice a year. However, these last two years have marked a new chapter as educators are visiting every grade level (K-5) at least twice annually, with increased interactions with middle schoolers. These visits include hands-on science labs, such as water quality tests, squid dissections, mangrove restoration projects, and plankton studies.
The recent expansion of offerings also includes spring field trips to the beach for grades K-5 and regular after-school sessions. Our marine science educators pick students up at school, alleviating the need for securing transportation. It’s essential for us to connect with students who are intimately tied to our islands — helping them build a strong foundation of knowledge and passion for the Southwest Florida coastal ecosystems in their own backyard.
A WEEK IN THE FIELD
For the last four years, Sanibel Sea School has offered a transformative camp for rising freshman and sophomore high school students called “A Week in the Field.” This free, week-long experience marries the work of Sanibel Sea School and SCCF to fuel students’ passions for pursuing STEM careers, deepen their understanding of Southwest Florida’s coastal ecosystems, and to equip them with the necessary skills to apply in the real world. Each day focuses on a different project and skill. Sanibel Sea School is excited to expand “A Week in the Field” by adding a second week for rising juniors and seniors. Week 2 participants will work with Coastal Watch to study gradual changes at select restoration sites, allowing campers to apply the skills they learned during Week 1. The older students will collect data that will contribute to answering important questions about best practices for mangrove planting and other living shoreline projects. In addition, a mentorship program will be established, offering returning campers the opportunity to assist incoming Week 1 participants, fostering leadership and continuity within the program. This expansion provides even more opportunities for handson learning, interpersonal skillbuilding, and making meaningful contributions to local conservation efforts.
— Shannon Rivard, Sanibel Sea School Director
MARSH RESTORATION
In response to three storm surge events, Coastal Watch has expanded marsh restoration efforts at SCCF preserves. Planting thousands of salt-tolerant marsh plants is more than just volunteer recruitment and coordination. The Coastal Watch team works closely with our Native Landscape & Garden Center and Habitat Management departments to determine best plants and practices for restoring our marshes. These teams bring essential knowledge on ecological restoration, ensuring that plantings are strategically chosen to support biodiversity, wildlife habitats, and the best chances of success. Engaging volunteers in the process creates an educational opportunity and fosters a sense of community stewardship, while directly contributing to the preservation and sustainability of the natural landscape.
BUILDING OYSTER REEFS
Coastal Watch also relies on collaboration with the Marine Lab for oyster reef restoration efforts. Volunteers have moved several tons of shell substrate to damaged reefs in Pine Island Sound and local waterways, which is no easy task. With 20 acres of damaged oyster reef habitat permitted for restoration, Coastal Watch is expanding restoration efforts over the next few years. Volunteers will join Coastal Watch and Marine Lab staff on one of SCCF’s research vessels to travel to the more delicate restoration sites that need a small-scale effort, opposed to a contracted barge operation. Rebuilding oyster populations enhances biodiversity, improves water filtration, and supports coastal shoreline resilience.
ADOPT-A-MANGROVE
For the past few years, the Coastal Watch team sought ways to engage more children and families in hands-on restoration efforts. Through the Adopt-A-Mangrove program, students at The Sanibel School and the Children’s Education Center of the Islands (CECI) are nurturing mangrove seedlings. The Sanibel School students not only take part in the general care of the adopted mangroves, but they also monitor growth and learn about the importance of these unique ecosystems in preventing erosion, providing habitat for wildlife, and improving water quality by planting their adopted mangroves at a restoration site on Sanibel’s bayside.
— Kealy Pfau, Coastal Watch Director
Adult Education
for New Residents and Businesses program immerses participants in our local ecosystems, provides an in-depth understanding of all of SCCF’s program areas, and shows them how the islands came to be the special places that they are. Providing an understanding of the flora and fauna and showing the importance of conservation to the islands is SCCF’s way of saying, “Welcome to your new home.”
CULTURAL CONNECTIONS
To highlight how science, conservation, and art intersect, SCCF continued its collaboration this year with the Sanibel-Captiva Art League (SCAL) to present two exhibitions at the Bailey Homestead, entitled “Flight” and “Water.”
SCCF also partnered with the San Francisco-based ClimateMusic Project for an evening of music that explores the urgent topic of climate change to inspire and
motivate audience members to act in ways that positively affect our planet.
The annual Brush of Excellence program highlights the work of artists impacting the environmental field, and this year, SCCF was excited to partner with photographers Charlie McCullers and Cecilia Montalvo. The artists gave a talk about their work and led two hands-on workshops guiding participants through the camera-less process of creating images on photographic paper with sunlight, called lumen printing.
IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCES
In addition to offering a diverse range of active programmatic activities, SCCF is proud to preserve places where community members can connect with nature on their own terms and at their own pace. Though the majority of SCCF’s preserves are set aside for wildlife conservation, we have seven properties where the public
We look forward to connecting with more individuals and inspiring everyone to take action to preserve and care for our coastal ecosystems!
is welcome to visit and walk the trails. Like the entire island, all our trails sustained varying levels of damage from recent hurricanes, though all have been reopened for visitors.
The recently renamed William and Ruth Brooks Nature Trail, located on Sanibel-Captiva Road behind SCCF’s headquarters, connects people to the island’s interior wetland ecosystem along the Sanibel Slough. The longest SCCF trail system, it is being reopened in stages as it is restored. The Birmingham Family Trail at the newly opened Puschel Preserve is also welcoming visitors for the first time and showcases restoration in action as we work to create wildlife habitat and demonstration gardens for native plants. All our preserves offer something different depending on your interest.
— Jenny Evans, Adult Education Director
Strengthening Coastal Science
This year, the SCCF Marine Lab is focused on three strategic goals.
RECON 2.0
The River, Estuary and Coastal Observing Network (RECON) remains a cornerstone of the Marine Lab’s research and monitoring program, with hourly data transmitted from throughout the region. The data are used to demonstrate the effects of Lake Okeechobee discharges and watershed runoff on water quality and marine life, including seagrass, oyster reefs, and fish and invertebrate diversity.
The RECON sensors — attached to the tops of pilings — have also proven to be valuable before and during tropical storms and hurricanes. Although they are subjected to damage, the network continues providing vital information, including the magnitude of stormforce winds and tidal and storm surge measurements, making them important to public safety.
During Hurricane Ian, the functionality of RECON was severely compromised. Nearly $200,000 in grant funds are being used to replace equipment and to redeploy, troubleshoot, and return RECON to complete functionality. This project is made possible with funding by the Gulf of America Coastal Ocean Observing System; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; Lee County Natural Resources Department; and West Coast Inland Navigation District.
Thus far, weather stations at two (of three) locations have been replaced and water quality sensor equipment is broadcasting at five (of nine) sites.
The Marine Lab’s goal is to get all sites operational by the end of 2025.
Water Quality
Water Quality and Weather
Wave Buoy
Moore Haven Alva Beautiful Island
Fort Myers
Shell Point
Redfish Pass Tarpon Bay
Wave Buoy McIntyre Creek Gulf
WATER LEVEL MONITORING ON SANIBEL
Flooding in 2024 was beyond the capacity of the extensive interior island wetlands used for stormwater treatment. The Marine Lab has received funds from the City of Sanibel to deploy four additional realtime water level monitoring sites to complement two sensors deployed at Beach Road and Tarpon Bay to assist the city in stormwater and storm surge management.
Oyster Reef Restoration
Through field research and pilot studies, the Marine Lab has advanced restoration of oyster reefs by adding oyster or fossilized shell to degraded reefs so they can be colonized by oysters. As a result of pilot studies in Clam Bayou in 2009, the Marine Lab obtained state and federal permits to restore reefs at several locations, which totaled about 20 acres.
A new partnership with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Marine and Estuarine Restoration team; State Wildlife Grants Program (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service/FWC); Lee County; and Coastal Conservation Association Florida will provide $210,000 for oyster reef restoration near Skimmer Key in San Carlos Bay. This will provide more than one acre of substrate for colonization by oysters and the large number of species that depend on reefs as habitat.
Seagrass Research
The Marine Lab received a competitive grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to research the cause of seagrass losses in Matlacha Pass in relation to nitrogen and macroalgae overgrowth. Nitrogen fuels uncontrolled macroalgae growth in shallow waters. In 2024, Marine Lab teams visited 60 seagrass study sites to estimate seagrass abundance and macroalgae cover, and to collect macroalgae for analysis of nitrogen content. Our research will help guide a seagrass recovery strategy to offset extensive losses documented since 2017. The teams plan to revisit the 60 study sites this year to reassess their status and macroalgae nitrogen content will be analyzed when the results are available from the stable isotope facility.
— Eric Milbrandt, Ph.D., Marine Lab Director
Guardians of Coastal Wildlife
The SCCF Coastal Wildlife team’s top priorities this year include monitoring and leading sea turtle and shorebird protection during a beach renourishment project, investigating the impacts of warming Gulf waters on sea turtles, and expanding outreach to inspire and engage our communities to act in ways that strengthen our efforts.
CAPTIVA BEACH RENOURISHMENT
An island-wide renourishment project is slated to occur on Captiva during sea turtle and shorebird nesting season in 2025. Our Coastal Wildlife team is contracted to conduct monitoring surveys for sea turtles and shorebirds to minimize potential impacts to the imperiled species that use Captiva’s beaches as nesting and migration grounds. Our shorebird team will monitor the beach for nesting shorebirds during the project, and for two years following they will survey for migratory shorebirds.
Our sea turtle team will move sea turtle nests from Captiva to Sanibel beginning 65 days prior to the start date to ensure no nests are still incubating on the beach when dredging begins. A carefully studied technique for moving eggs is used to avoid disrupting embryonic development. Thanks to careful training, hatching rates in nests moved by our team in the past have not been statistically different from those left in situ.
Warming Waters and Sea Turtle Behavior
Rising temperatures brought on by climate change are already affecting sea turtle populations in a variety of ways. Studies have focused on how turtles adjust their migration pathways to avoid cold water temperatures or exhibit preference for warmer temperatures in cooler climates, but little is known about how turtles may alter their movement patterns when water temperatures exceed their thermal threshold.
This summer, we have proposed to satellite-tag 10 nesting loggerhead females from Sanibel Island to investigate how warming water temperatures may influence inter- and post-nesting movements and dive patterns. These results will be used to try to identify and predict how sea turtles are impacted by climate change and warming waters in the Gulf.
Expanding Conservation Conversations That Lead to Action
Engaging residents and beachgoers in our conservation and research work is critical in maintaining hospitable beachnesting habitat. We are fortunate to have a sea of community support, and our sea turtle education efforts have been consistent since the 1950s, initially led by island resident and researcher Charles LeBuff. We have also conducted ongoing shorebird outreach and education since the snowy plover project started in 2002. With the changing threats and turnover of visitors, we are refining and diversifying our messages in compelling ways.
The human dimensions of coastal wildlife conservation span from planning, science, and outreach, leading to action, and our staff regularly interacts with diverse players to accomplish these goals, including collaboration with our policy team, local law enforcement, the media, and beachgoers. We have intense conservation challenges in Southwest Florida, but we also have expanding capacities and tools to navigate the growing threats.
— Kelly Sloan, Coastal Wildlife Director/Sea Turtle Program Coordinator
Restoring Sanibel’s Wilds
SCCF’s Wildlife & Habitat team continues to manage SCCF land for the benefit of wildlife and island residents — a task that has been consistently challenged by recent hurricanes. Vigilance with changing conditions continues as we pursue these top priorities.
MARSH RESTORATION
As the initial step in restoring the island’s historic interior wetlands, we continue to work hard to remove an unprecedented amount of dead vegetation — trees and shrubs gradually killed off by the saltwater inundation of repeated storm surges.
Last spring, with the help of Coastal Watch volunteers, we planted two large cordgrass (Spartina) marshes on the Gulf Ridge Preserve where overgrown hardwoods had died. However, the storm surges from Hurricanes Helene and Milton had a negative effect on large-scale reestablishment. Cordgrass will be replanted in areas where prescribed fire is possible or where the marsh can be mowed. We also recently completed marsh grass plantings at the Bailey Homestead Preserve and in the West Sanibel River Preserve. Once established, these salttolerant grasses will recover quickly after storm surge events.
MANAGING FIREBREAKS
Most SCCF fire lines were mowed and cleared this winter, except sections that were still too wet to traverse with a tractor. These will be completed later in the dry season when the roads are dry. We also created a fire line on Seaspray Lane that borders the large cordgrass marsh at the Gulf Ride Preserve and exits on Sanibel-Captiva Road. Firebreaks run through all of SCCF’s preserves but controlled burns cannot occur on several properties until dead vegetation left by the storms is removed or breaks down naturally.
DOCUMENTING WILDLIFE
Hurricane effects on wildlife are still being documented, as the intense rainy season of 2024 restored many of the shallow wetlands around the island, but storm surge events due to Hurricanes Helene and Milton brought back high salinity levels. Prior to those surge events, freshwater species had reclaimed these areas, most notably amphibians. Frogs were finally able to breed in many of these pools; they could not the year prior. Another active rainy season could lower the salinity so the wetlands are conducive for freshwater aquatic wildlife. — Chris Lechowicz, Wildlife & Habitat Management Director
Deeply Rooted:
Forward-Thinking Advocacy
Sanibel persists as a sanctuary for the both the environment and our community largely due to the forward-thinking nature of those who came before us. By identifying the intrinsic value of the land, water and wildlife as well as the pressures facing the fragile barrier island, our forefathers were able to enact a plan to ensure that their vision of the future could be protected.
As we approach 50 years of the Sanibel Plan, it is important for our island to continue to be as forward thinking as the founders. While the pressures facing our coastal communities may be evolving, the strategy to protect them remains the same: using cutting-edge science to identify and understand
the resources we are trying to protect, come up with a plan to ensure they are preserved and supported, and engage our communities with creative stories to demonstrate how the work is being done. It is within this framework that the Policy department has identified our top three priorities for the upcoming year:
RESILIENCE
As the city works to ensure the Sanibel Plan is robust enough to meet the increasing pressures of sea level rise and climate change, we will continue to partner with local stakeholders to find solutions to pressing issues across the islands. By highlighting adaptation and mitigation strategies that start with nature-based solutions, we can help Sanibel become a national leader for barrier island resilience strategies.
WATERSHED NUTRIENT POLLUTION
Harmful algal blooms are devastating to our coastal ecosystems and the communities that rely on them. While there has been a massive push to prevent damaging releases from Lake Okeechobee by sending that water to the Everglades, there is still a large amount of nutrient pollution that comes directly from our own watershed. By identifying nutrient sources, we will be able to advocate for targeted solutions to reduce nutrient pollution that will improve the health of our environment.
STORYTELLING STRATEGIES
Effective advocacy begins with engaging your audience. The department seeks to diversify our storytelling capabilities by using new tools and mediums to expand the reach of our coastal conservation message so that more residents and visitors will take action to preserve and protect our coastal ecosystems.
— Matt DePaolis, Environmental Policy Director
Planting & Propagating for Increased Salt Tolerance
PUSCHEL PRESERVE
Thanks to the efforts of more than 100 volunteers over the past 18 months, the Puschel Preserve opened on March 20. Following the 2024 hurricanes and storm surges, plants were chosen for their salt tolerance, and an experimental garden using species found in salt marsh ecosystems has been installed to trial these plants for use in landscape
We look forward to working with you as our renewed landscapes mature into functional, wildlifesupportive and resilient examples of barrier island ecosystems.
Thank you You Came Through for The Cause!
Thanks to everyone who celebrated and advanced our efforts to preserve our sanctuary islands at The Cause for Conservation event on March 8. Protecting and caring for Southwest Florida’s coastal ecosystems wouldn’t be possible without the generous support of sponsors, guests, and partners. We are grateful for our community’s deep dedication to our mission!
