Last updated: 2/24/2015
Naples, Florida
Address
1450 Merrihue Drive
Naples, FL 34102
phone: 239-262-0304
fax: 239-262-0672
web: www.conservancy.org

Hours

May - October
Monday - Saturday 9:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.
November - April
Sunday 12:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Admissions

Adults $9
Children under 12 $4
Members Free (Memberships begin at $35.)

Staff

Rob Moher
phone: 239-403-4210
Description
Vision

We envision a region where our land, water and wildlife are protected, our citizens are informed and our leaders make decisions with the health, well-being and sustainability of our region’s natural environment in mind. We seek to increase and share our knowledge of the natural world through continued scientific research and promoting sound environmental policies. Through collaboration with our partners we work to protect a high quality of life for both our current residents and generations to come.

The Conservancy of Southwest Florida is a grassroots conservation organization founded in 1964 when a group of concerned citizens came together to protect Rookery Bay. The Conservancy focuses on the critical environmental issues of the Southwest Florida region. We work to protect land, water and native wildlife, control unplanned growth and educate the public. We promote sensible environmental policies and practices formed from sound science, legal, and planning principles. We forge conservation partnerships on the local, regional and national level to have maximum effect.

Mission

Preserving Southwest Florida's natural environment now and forever.

History

The Conservancy of Southwest Florida began in 1964 when our earliest leaders came together to defeat a proposed “Road to Nowhere” and spearheaded the acquisition and protection of Rookery Bay. In partnership with other environmental organizations, academic institutions, scientists and individuals, our accomplishments are steeped in cooperative efforts for conservation:

  • Promoting conservation of 55,000 acres of land in Collier County’s Southern Golden Gate Estates, now know as Picayune Strand State Forest, helping to restore natural water flows to the Western Everglades
  • Working with the Federal Government and other partners to acquire and protect over 570,000 of Big Cypress Nature Preserve
  • Helping negotiate the largest state purchase in history of 74,000 acres of environmentally sensitive land at Babcock Ranch, keeping all parties engaged when the deal was threatened
  • Encouraging voters to protect environmentally sensitive land for conservation by assisting in the passage of Conservation Collier, Conservation Charlotte and Lee County Conservation 20/20
  • Purchasing over seven acres of land from the Fleischmann family to help pay for establishing a “Naples Central Park” and Gordon River Greenway in central Naples
  • Measuring success of the Western Everglades Restoration Project by monitoring existing species populations of the area
  • Protecting more than 200,000 sea turtle hatchlings over the past 25 years through our Sea Turtle Monitoring and Protection Program
  • Treating over 2,000 sick, injured and orphaned animals per year and successfully releasing about half of them back into their native habitats
  • Helping to preserve Naples Bay, its mangroves and sea life, by limiting boat slips and shoreline development in Hamilton Harbor
  • Assessing the state of our region’s water quality and publishing our findings and recommendations in the Estuaries Report Card
  • Promoting the designation of the Caloosahatchee River as one of America's ten most-endangered rivers
  • Helping negotiate the successful state purchase of 74,000 acres of environmentally sensitive land at Babcock Ranch
  • Earning the “Peoples Choice” Award from the Naples Daily News three years in a row for our summer camps and environmental education programs
  • Helping to protect environmental jewels such as Ten Thousand Islands, Big Cypress, Delnor-Wiggins Pass, Estero Bay, the Cocohatchee Slough, the Caloosahatchee River and Naples Bay through scientific research and promoting sound environmental policies
  • Reaching over 30,000 children and adults each year through public awareness and community outreach programs
  • Assisting in a proposal that resulted in the acquisition of land adjacent to Picayune Strand Forest

Governance

Private Non-Profit

Publications

Update Newsletter - 3-4 times annually
Annual Report
Annual Activites Guides
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