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Hundreds of species of birds are permanent or part-time winter residents.
Explore The Natural World
To the untrained eye, coastal Florida's landscape seems flat and unfeatured, with few visual cues to separate ecosystems from each other. Hit the trail, and discover the difference between a mangrove forest, a marine estuary and an upland hammock.
To the untrained eye, coastal Florida's landscape seems flat and unfeatured, with few visual cues to separate ecosystems from each other. Hit the trail, and discover the difference between a mangrove forest, a marine estuary and an upland hammock.
  Kayaking Tarpon Bay |
It’s a testament to The Beaches of Fort Myers & Sanibel’s commitment to the environment that its most celebrated wildlife refuge gives its inhabitants a “day off." Yes, don’t try to enter J.N.“Ding" Darling National Wildlife Refuge on a Friday, because it’s closed so animals can go about their business away from the watchful eyes of humans.
 Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve |
Explore the Ecosystems
Lee County is made up of 804 square miles, much of it as-yet undeveloped. Through the foresight of early pioneers and diligent conservationists in the recent past, vast tracts of land have been set aside so visitors and locals alike can learn about the flora and fauna that support its circle of life.
Uplands areas, characterized by ridges and higher-than-coastal elevations, are preserved in areas such as Caloosahatchee Regional Park and Hickey’s Creek Mitigation Area. Inland waterways come alive at Koreshan State Historic Site, Manatee Park, Lakes Regional Park and Rotary Park. Slow-moving watersheds, including Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve (actually nine miles long) and Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, sport unique systems that cleanse waters on their way to Estero Bay and the Gulf of Mexico respectively. And coastal habitats, with their diversity of life able to straddle brackish-to-saltwater ecosystems, are on view at Matanzas Pass Park, Lovers Key State Park and Four Mile Cove Ecological Preserve.
Budget-conscious visitors will be glad to know that many of the government- run parks are free or require a nominal (usually $5 or less per vehicle) fee, and parking is free or metered (usually not more than $5 daily, except on Sanibel where it’s $2 per hour). Boardwalks and guided boat tours at natural attractions increase accessibility for those with disabilities.
Tour the Trails
To experience the best of nature, especially if Southwest Florida is a new adventure, join a guided tour. Most parks and attractions offer them (although frequency varies), and guides are generally informative and well-versed in their respective fields. More experienced nature-minded souls can explore at their own pace with self-guided tours and brochures, usually located at park visitor centers and trailheads. Remember to take ample time when trying to commune with nature; rushing down a boardwalk rarely presents opportunities to view creatures going about their daily routines.
Speaking of routines, pay attention to the rhythms of the sun, sea, moon and stars. All have an effect on when animals are active. And don’t forget to tune out the iPod® and tune in your ears – times when it’s not possible to see animals at work and play might yield the audible pops, scuffles and chirps of a marine estuary’s youthful inhabitants (think tiny gar fish, mini-sized stone crabs).
Go Wildlife Watching
Apart from regional, state and national parks, there are conservation groups, rehabilitation centers and oldtime Florida attractions where visitors can be sure to encounter some of Lee County’s elusive wildlife – albeit in captivity. These include Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium, C.R.O.W. (Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife), Everglades Wonder Gardens and The Shell Factory & Nature Park.
Touch tanks at the Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum, Tarpon Bay Explorers, Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) and Ostego Bay Marine Science Center, to name a few, let visitors (especially kids) get up close and personal with native living creatures.
Tune in to “Avianvision"
No introduction to Southwest Florida’s wildlife would be complete without a discussion of the avian population that gets birders all aflutter, attracting them from near and far. Hundreds of songbirds, waders, shore and wetlands species and birds of prey are permanent or part-time winter residents (Oh - that’s why they call them snowbirds!).
February, March and April are prime viewing months, but birders can add to their “life list" year ’round as more than 300 species stop off or nest in Lee County. The best time to see saltwater species is at low tide (and mornings October through the first part of March, at nighttime during the summer); see fresh-water birds in late spring, before rainy season has begun and the waterways have swelled. Rare birds are visible throughout the year to those who have the patience to watch and listen, and coastal estuaries provide ever-changing “avianvision" in the skies and on rookery islands that dot the mangrove coast.
If you go…
Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, 239-348-9151, www.corkscrew.audubon.org
Bailey-Matthews Shell Museum, 239-395-2233, 888-679-6450, www.shellmuseum.org
Caloosahatchee Regional Park, 239-693-2690, www.leeparks.org
Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium, 239-275-3435, www.calusanature.com
Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (C.R.O.W.) , 239-472-3644, www.crowclinic.org
Everglades Wonder Gardens, 239-992-2591
Four Mile Cove Ecological Preserve, 239-574-7395, www.capecoral.net
Hickey’s Creek Mitigation Area, 239-728-6240, www.leeparks.org
J.N.“Ding"Darling National Wildlife Refuge, 239-472-1100, www.fws.gov/dingdarling
Koreshan State Historic Site, 239-992-0311, floridastateparks.org
Lakes Regional Park, 239-432-2006, www.leeparks.org
Lovers Key State Park, 239-463-4588, floridastateparks.org
Manatee Park, 239-694-3537, www.leeparks.org
Matanzas Pass Park, 239-765-4222, fmbeach.org/parks/matanzas_pass.htm
Ostego Bay Marine Science Center, 239-765-8101, www.ostegobay.org
Rotary Park, 239-549-4606, www.capecoral.net
Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF), 239-472-2329, www.sccf.org
The Shell Factory & Nature Park, 239-995-2141, 800-282-5805, www.shellfactory.com
Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve, 239-432-2004, www.leeparks.org/sixmile
Tarpon Bay Explorers, 239-472-8900, www.tarponbayexplorers.com
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