
Collier County fourth grade students learn how mangrove trees take root at the RBR Environmental Learning Center on Tower Road. Submitted Photos
Goodland is awash in saltwater coming from the west and freshwater coming from the east. During the rainy season, the freshwater wins, often bringing with it an alligator or two. For the rest of the year, salt water prevails. But always, at some point, the rivers from the land and the tides from the ocean meet and intermingle. The result is a brackish stew, teeming with life, introduced there by nature and, more recently, by Yamaha outboard motors. It is the goal and mission of Rookery Bay Reserve (RBR) to keep all this in balance. Goodland is ground zero for this phenomenon. On April 18, Keith Laakkonen, director of RBR since 2015, addressed a well-attended Goodland Town Meeting and gave us an insight into his vision for RBR.
From RBR headquarters at Tower Road and CR 951, Laakkonen administers a sprawling 110,000-acre reserve, with

Protection (DEP) is vitally interested in protecting and sustaining Florida’s coastal areas, which in turn contribute so much to our economy. Under DEP auspices, RBR is on the front lines of this effort.
In the

Artist’s concept of new facility to be built in the coming year. It will feature additional dormitories for visiting scientists, a kitchen area, and additional work space for researchers and students.

RBR’s current facility. Built in 1964 and acquired by RBR in 1985, this facility has been used for research from the time it was first built. It does not meet FEMA elevation standards and must be replaced.
The 1978 Deltona settlement was a watershed (pun intended) event in the embattled arena of Florida coastal development. It marked the end of an era and the beginning of another. Following closely on the heels of the settlement, The U.S. Dept. of Commerce’s National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), after a tedious and drawn out application process, designated the nearby estuary as the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. It was one of the first 3 reserves in the nationwide system, says Renee Wilson, RBR’s Communications Coordinator. Today there are 29 such reserves protecting more than 1.3 million acres of estuaries. The RBR designation brought with

Aerial view of Field Station. Goodland Water Tank at center, Field Station and dock to its left. Note how station cannot be seen from Goodland Road because of luxuriant mangrove forest.
In 1987, RBR had only three full time staffers responsible for managing 9,000 acres. Then, as now, says Wilson, their mission was to promote informed coastal decisions about estuaries though research and education. This was and is still done by monitoring the water quality, environmental education for local students, and supporting visiting researchers with their studies – a daunting menu of tasks for 3 staffers. To achieve a better outcome with limited resources, RBR established a local non-profit Friends group to help engage the community and to raise funds for RBR’s ongoing

A member of RBR’s staff swaps out an apparatus measuring the chemical composition of the water. The apparatus makes a reading every 15 minutes. The equipment will be taken to RBR’s HQ where the readings will be downloaded and analyzed.
Of the 37 current employees at RBR, over half are directly engaged in research, education and coastal stewardship – RBR’s primary mission. The rest keep the place up and running. “Every job is different,” says Wilson, “Positions in our research and resource management would be required to have a

A Team Ocean boat heads to a high use area in the estuary. Team Ocean, an organization of local boaters, supports RBR by keeping tabs on what is going on in the high use areas and reporting their findings to RBR.
But the big news, which Director Laakkonen wanted to share, is that RBR has secured funding which will enable it to replace and significantly upgrade its 10,000 Islands Field Station. To the right of the Goodland Water Tank, and sheltered, out of sight, by mangrove forest, is the tiny edifice, built in 1964 and acquired in 1985, which has served as a field station for the 10,000 Islands. It has been used for years

An RBR research boat on the way to another mission. Rigged as a mullet boat, this craft can navigate in shallow places.
Barry was a practicing attorney before he worked as a Special Agent of the FBI for 31 years. Barry worked for several government agencies another ten years before retiring to Goodland in 2006. Barry is presently the Secretary of the Goodland Civic Association.
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