Coastal Breeze News

The unique ecology that is Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park is located about 45 minutes from Marco Island. It is a linear swamp forest of about 80,000 acres, which translates to approximately 20 miles long and 5 miles wide. Although it is a part of the state park system, it is actually a state nature preserve and thus, more highly preserved and regulated than a park. It is the largest state park in Florida; larger than the next three combined Loosely defined, a strand means a moving body of water. Fakahatchee is truly Florida wilderness. In 1913, the area was ... Read More »

After carrying more than 300 passengers last month, the new “Ghost Rider” tram operated by the Friends of Fakahatchee has extended its service into April. The tram service is named in honor of the famous ghost orchid found in the park. The 24-passenger tram frees visitors from having to concentrate on their driving rather than the features of the park. A naturalist leads each tour, describing the history of the Fakahatchee Strand and describing the plants, birds, and animals that thrive there. Several stops on each two-hour tour will give passengers a chance to explore interesting aspects of the park.  ... Read More »

Don’t know what to do with your energetic visitors? Send them on a Swamp Walk in the Fakahatchee. If they are relatively fit and don’t mind getting wet to the waist while wondering at the marvels of this primeval environment, they’ll have memories and photos to take home of a Florida far from concrete condos and shopping malls. The walk is led by naturalists who can point out the rare plants along the way and answer questions about this local state park which was saved from development in the 1970s. The Fakahatchee is called “the Amazon of North America” and ... Read More »

By Coastal Breeze News Staff  Just in time for the winter season and holiday giving, here’s a history of Sanibel for kids. “The Story of Sanibel Island; A History for Younger Readers” is a new publication from local historian Marya Repko. The little paperback book tells about the pioneers on this special island, the growth of tourism, “Ding” Darling’s effort to save the land for wildlife, the building of the Causeway and the founding of the City. One adult reviewer said, “this was the first comprehensive history of the island that I have read. I enjoyed it.” “The Story of ... Read More »

By Coastal Breeze News Staff  Just in time for back-to-school, here’s a kids’ history of the Everglades City area. “The Story of Everglades City; A History for Younger Readers” had been out of print for several years and is now available again. The book tells about the pioneers in this fascinating area, Barron Collier founding of the County, the building of the Tamiami Trail, Deaconess Harriet Bedell helping the Seminoles, logging in the Fakahatchee, and President Harry S Truman opening the Everglades National Park. Author Marya Repko has written a number of local history books including her adult version of ... Read More »

By The Friends of Fakahatchee Are there pythons in the Fakahatchee? Fortunately, the answer is “not many”. But, that can’t be said for neighboring areas in Collier County and in the greater Everglades. To learn more, attend an illustrated lecture on Sunday, April 15, when author Larry Perez will be talking about “Everglades Pythons; A Decade of Change.” This dynamic speaker has been a ranger in several South Florida parks and has just published a new book, Snake in the Grass, which he will be signing at the event. He says, “Natural landscapes across the country are often managed with ... Read More »

Submitted by Friends of the Fakahatchee The first Coastal Cruise of 2012 to historic Fakahatchee Island was enjoyed last month by over 20 people who set out in glorious weather on a chartered boat tour from Everglades National Park throught the mysterious mangroves of the Ten Thousand Islands. Upon arrival at Fakahatchee Island, biologist Glen Stacell (author of A Guide to Native Wildflowers in Southwest Florida) led them up the shell-mound path, pointing out unusual plants such as “the largest pencil cactus tree I’ve ever seen”. At the pinacle, they wandered through the small cemetery, reading headstones that commemorate pioneering ... Read More »

Read More »

Join us for a really unique “Olde Florida” treat. The Friends of Fakahatchee are hosting a Coastal Cruise through the mysterious mangroves of the Ten Thousands Island. On the way, you will probably see dolphins cavorting with the tour boat. When you arrive at Fakahatchee Island, a naturalist will point out unusual plants on the path up to the old cemetery. On the return journey, the boat passes by a famous rookery where the birds will be settling down for the evening. We might think of “Fakahatchee” as a swamp with Ghost Orchids and Florida Panthers but to many local ... Read More »

Bring your Thanksgiving guests on a really unique “Olde Florida” treat. The Friends of Fakahatchee are hosting a Coastal Cruise through the mysterious mangroves of the Ten Thousands Island. On the way, you will probably see dolphins cavorting with the tour boat. When you arrive at Fakahatchee Island, a naturalist will point out unusual plants on the path up to the old cemetery. On the return journey, the boat passes by a famous rookery where the birds will be settling down for the evening. We might think of “Fakahatchee” as a swamp with Ghost Orchids and Florida Panthers but to ... Read More »

An opportunity to walk in the swamp is still possible for those who missed the Labor Day weekend event at Clyde Butcher’s Big Cypress Gallery in Ochopee. Donna Glann-Smyth, a Master Naturalist, will guide walkers every Saturday at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., now through March. Private tours are also available Wednesdays through Fridays. For more information or to make reservations, email [email protected], visit website www.clydebutcher.com or call (239) 695-2428. If you don’t like getting your feet wet, take a stroll along the Fakahatchee Boardwalk on the Tamiami Trail, just three miles east of Port of the Islands. The Friends ... Read More »

Taking CR92 to Tamiami Trail and heading east, the Big Cypress Bend Boardwalk is only about 20-25 minutes from Marco Island.  If time is an issue this trip provides the southwest Florida adventurer an ideal vista of what the Everglades is all about without traveling too far into the glades. The boardwalk is part of the Fakahatchee Strand State Preserve which is 20 miles long and 3 to 5 miles wide reaching from Alligator Alley south past the Tamiami Trail and into the Ten  Thousand  Islands.   Information from the website, fakahatcheefriends.com, notes that the strand is the “main drainage slough ... Read More »