The Conservancy of Southwest Florida is one of Florida’s largest and most respected environmental organizations. It was founded in 1964 by a group of concerned citizens who wanted to protect Southwest Florida’s unique natural environment and quality of life. The Conservancy is located at 1450 Merrihue Drive, off 14th Avenue North at Goodlette Frank Road, Naples, Florida. Bay Oaks Social Seniors visited the Conservancy on June 3, 2013.
Entrance to the Conservancy
Kathy, Natalie and Ursula with the bald eagle sculpture at the entrance to the Conservatory
The pergola and walkway leading to Conservancy buildings
Kathy at the entrance to the Nature Store/Gift Shop
A much larger-than-life, close-up photo of a Florida panther.
The photo is at least 6 feet wide by 4 feet high.
A unique take on a pelican half-in, half-out of the water
Lagoon and dock for kayaks and electric boats
Kayak storage
Kayaks can be rented out, and visitors can go on a self-guided tour or a docent-led tour.
One of the smaller electric boats at the dock
Electric boats take out visitors at 10:00 AM, 11:00 AM and Noon
Kathy, Natalie and Ursula waiting to go out on the boat cruise
Boat Captain Mary is a volunteer who is passionate about the preservation of wildlife and clean water. She offered a running commentary on the wildlife and water conservation efforts during the trip.
Mary, Robert, Kathy, Natalie and Ursula are ready to set out on the cruise.
A mangrove-lined canal from the Conservancy to the Gordon River
The canal has a lot of twists and turns before it reaches the Gordon River.
Vegetation along the canal
A cove on the Gordon River
The Gordon River connects to the Golden Gate Canal.
Homes with boat docks in their back yards line the canal.
The wake of the boat creates a distorted reflection of the vegetation along the river.
There is a dam on the Golden Gate Canal which regulates water flow from the Coconut River to the canal. This was the turn-around point for the cruise.
Elaborate homes and boats are all along the Golden Gate Canal.
Back in the courtyard of the Conservancy, there was a presentation on reptiles, “Reptile Reverie.”
No one wanted to touch this harmless corn snake, except for one little boy who was fascinated by it.
Dalton Discovery Center
The Dalton Discovery Center teaches young and old about ecosystems in the area. It features several “natural” southwest Florida ecosystems with interactive exhibits, a touch tank exploration and a live loggerhead sea turtle in a 5,000 gallon patch reef tank. Educational videos document the research work on the Conservancy including Florida panthers, gopher tortoises and the importance of protecting the natural resources.
Roseate spoonbills in flight in an exhibit in the Discovery Center
An aquarium with lionfish
The attractive appearance of these fish belies their devastating effect on native fish populations. The diet of the lionfish includes over 40 species of fish and crustacean species, so it poses a threat to many native reef fish populations through predation and competition for food. It may look lovely, but it has a voracious appetite and decimates native reef fish in a short period. Efforts on the federal, state and local level are being made to remove the fish when possible. Supposedly, they are good to eat, but fishermen must be careful because the spines of the lionfish are venomous and can inflict a powerful sting.
A portal leading to the turtle exhibit
An aquarium with fish and a loggerhead turtle
He is at the very bottom of the aquarium window and blends in well with the reef.
A beach nesting diorama
On a real beach, once a loggerhead turtle’s nest is discovered, the nest is cordoned off with yellow tape, and it is a felony to disturb the nest in any way.
Beach nesting of the loggerhead turtle
On the right, there is a cross-section showing eggs in the nest. Once the eggs are laid, the yellow tape delineates the location of the nest, but all it really looks like on the surface is a mound of sand.
Above the beach diorama, an osprey carries off a fish.
A turtle mural and description of turtle research
Huge photos provide the backdrops for some of the exhibits.
A Bald Cypress exhibit
The von Arx Wildlife Hospital is a 5,000 square foot facility, powered by geothermal, solar and LED lighting and an energy management system. It provides a sterile environment and separate recovery wings for various species to decrease stress on the animals. The new building, a full time veterinarian and operating room provide animals a better chance to be released back into the wild.
We visited the Wildlife Hospital and saw, through a nursery viewing window, tiny baby opossums being hand-fed.
Shorebird rehab pool with recovering pelicans and cormorants
The entire pool area is covered with a mesh netting.
Pelicans in the Shorebird Pool area
The Filter Marsh functions as a wetland and serves multiple purposes. The filter marsh cleans the polluted storm water runoff from nearby Coastland Center Mall, and serves as a home to visiting wading birds and to resident juvenile snook. Local school students transform into “scientists” for the “Watery Wonders” environmental education programs conducted in the filter marsh.
Filter Marsh
The filter marsh is both lovely and utilitarian.
This was the end of our visit to the Conservancy.
