Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation

Resiliency is the focus for the three town halls sponsored by the SanCap Citizens for a Resilient Future. The first townhall in March featured dramatic personal experiences of surviving the storm. The second townhall in April centered on how well the environment held up and how it possibly helped mitigate storm damage. A third townhall is scheduled for Monday, May 22 at Big Arts on Sanibel, with a focus on the emergency response.

Captiva residents and visitors should expect heavy equipment on the beaches for the week and are advised to keep their distance.

As the barrier islands of Sanibel and Captiva continue to assess the damage to homes and businesses after Hurricane Ian, some community organizations and concerned citizens have joined to create the SanCap Citizens for a Resilient Future. Their goal is to spark conversations on how to rebuild on the islands so that structures and people can become more resilient for future storms. The group recently hosted the first of two formal gatherings .

Shorebird counts on Sanibel and Captiva islands in November were the highest they've been in five years, despite devastation to the region caused by Hurricane Ian in September.

The nesting bald eagles on Sanibel and Captiva islands went somewhere, and did something, which allowed them all to survive Hurricane Ian’s 150-mph winds and near-direct landfall.But like many other inhabitants of barrier islands seaward of Charlotte, Lee, and Collier counties, the feathered members of America’s special species returned to a place they barely recognized.That is known thanks to the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, whose volunteers monitor nine bald eagle nest structures across Sanibel, Captiva, and North Captiva islands. They watch and record what happens at the nests from October through May and input everything into an Audubon Florida database.

It’s rather impossible to live in Southwest Florida, with its subtropical climate and stunning natural wonders, and not stop to take a gander at the grandeur.Watch the River of Grass meander. See birds and plants sporting colors bordering on impossible. Explore state and national parks and preserves so plentiful they more often than not share borders. Enjoy beaches and bays and backcountry bayous. In Charlotte, Lee, and Collier, and inland counties environmental wonders are everywhere.

Marine scientists with the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation are updating its crucial water-quality monitoring system in Southwest Florida for the first time since its launch in 2007. The SCCF’s marine lab is busy installing a new generation of sensors in their “river, estuary, and coastal observing network,” which they dubbed “RECON.”

Birds and sea turtles can be profoundly effected by fireworks, say wildlife advocates. They urge caution and consideration this holiday weekend.

That humans contribute to making red tides stronger and last longer has been anecdotal. Now, researchers in Southwest Florida have explained that it's really true. Environmental researchers led by the University of Florida’s Center for Coastal Solutions documented the link after studying a decade of red tide data from the Caloosahatchee River, Charlotte Harbor, and the surrounding watersheds including the coasts of Charlotte and Lee counties. The findings are published in the June issue of Science of the Total Environment.

Sea Turtle nesting season in Southwest Florida runs from April 15 through October 31, which means it’s beginning to wind down. Find out what it takes to monitor and help protect the large marine reptiles.