Cypress Lake HS Interact Club Partners on SCCF Oyster Restoration Project

provided to The Santiva Chronicle

The Interact Club at Cypress Lake High School, newly formed at the start of the 2025–26 school year, recently completed an oyster restoration project on Sanibel Island in partnership with the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation. Ten Cypress Lake students volunteered alongside members of the Sanibel-Captiva Rotary Club to support the ongoing effort to restore oyster reef habitat along the island’s shoreline.

The project was organized by Skye McDonald, a fellow Rotarian and SCCF staff member, who coordinated the day and welcomed students into SCCF’s ongoing restoration work.

The oyster restoration project is one of several service initiatives the club has undertaken since forming this school year. Other volunteer projects have included assisting with the City of Sanibel’s 50th Anniversary Celebration, the Heights Foundation Holiday Toy Drive, the SanCap Rotary Arts & Crafts Fair, and adopting three families through FISH of SanCap’s holiday program. The club meets every other Friday after school at Cypress Lake High School and is advised by faculty sponsor Jennifer Lessinger.

Eric Jackson and Dolly Farrell serve as the Sanibel-Captiva Rotary Club’s liaisons to the Cypress Lake Interact Club, helping coordinate joint service opportunities between the two clubs, including the partnership with SCCF.

Interact is Rotary International’s service club for young people ages 12 to 18 and is sponsored locally by the Sanibel-Captiva Rotary Club. Through hands-on service projects like the oyster restoration initiative, Cypress Lake students are gaining firsthand experience in environmental stewardship, leadership, and community service while building meaningful partnerships that make a lasting impact. Follow the Cypress Lake High School Interact Club on Instagram @clhsinteractclub for updates on upcoming projects and service opportunities.

About the Cypress Lake High School Interact Club
Founded in the fall of 2025, the Cypress Lake High School Interact Club is a student-led service organization sponsored by the Sanibel-Captiva Rotary Club. The club meets every other Friday after school under the guidance of faculty advisor Jennifer Lessinger and partners with local organizations on community and environmental service projects.

About the Sanibel-Captiva Rotary Club
The Sanibel-Captiva Rotary Club is a People of Action club dedicated to Service Above Self, bringing together neighbors, business leaders, and volunteers to make the Sanibel-Captiva community—and the world—a better place. Through local and international service projects, the club supports youth leadership, environmental stewardship, education, disaster relief, and humanitarian initiatives while creating meaningful partnerships that strengthen the community and create lasting impact.