provided by Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation
photo/video by SC Associate Publisher Chuck Larsen
For more than two decades, the Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation has put up yellow ropes along property borders to signal a new land acquisition campaign is launching. SCCF’s 2021 acquisition target is a 12-acre parcel featuring wetland habitat extending 1,800 feet back from Periwinkle Way to the freshwater river known locally as the Sanibel Slough.
The property, dubbed Periwinkle Wetlands for SCCF’s fundraising campaign, is home to more than 40 different animal species, countless invertebrates, and hundreds of different native plants. Alligators, crocodiles, and bobcats are among the wildlife that has been observed in the interior acreage.
When preserved, the property will be the last piece in SCCF’s 5.7-mile wildlife corridor running from the Bob Wigley Preserve to the West Sanibel River Preserve, including an unbroken 1.6 miles of contiguous river frontage. In an alternate future, at least 13 houses could be built on the property if the land is not preserved.
“Our Trustees and major donors have already been very generous in starting this $2.4 million campaign,” said SCCF CEO Ryan Orgera. “Now we hope our island neighbors can help us fund the restoration of this habitat for wildlife as well as the creation of new community space off the 525 feet of Periwinkle frontage.”
Beyond removing the exotic vegetation and other strategies to make the habitat more hospitable for wildlife, SCCF’s plans include creating a two-acre community space featuring a 1,100-foot walking/biking trail, welcome plaza, pollinator garden, demonstration marsh, and sculpture garden. “It will be a great place to ‘just be’ with the surrounding nature,” added Orgera.
Anyone interested in making a tax-deductible donation can contact Cheryl Giattini at cgiattini@sccf.org or call 239-395-2768.
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