Celebrating America through Local Eyes: Colleen Gill

Local veterans and heroes will be sharing their thoughts on what makes Marco and America special by answering some patriotic questions. It’s our way to honor those whose dedication and sacrifices make our Island community shine.

Florida Master Naturalist & USCG Master Captain, 25-ton

Colleen Gill, a native Michigander, grew up visiting family on Marco Island and always had a dream to move here and work on the water. Her fondest memories are boating on the Great Lakes and around the island. Her love for the water and Marco’s unique coastal environment brought her into the world of conservation and education shortly after she relocated to the area.

She has worked as a Master Captain and Naturalist guide for Florida Adventures and Rentals for the last six-and-a-half years, where she brings locals and visitors out to explore and learn about the history and conservation on the Island and in Ten Thousand Islands. 

Her passion for conservation has had her lobbying in Tallahassee for clean water legislation and transparency, working throughout SWFL with elected officials and state agencies to get the local community involved in clean water efforts, and volunteering/working with various conservation-based nonprofits to continue advocating for clean water, natural Florida, and the local wildlife. She volunteers with various citizen science-based projects and beach clean-ups too, with some of her work being featured in local and national news throughout the last decade.

If you could travel back in time to one event in our Island’s history, which one would it be?

If I could travel to any event in Marco Island’s history, it would be when the Pepper-Hearst expedition was uncovering all the Calusa artifacts and experiencing the excitement and awe of seeing them for the first time. It would have been so incredible to have been there while they began to uncover the rich, unique history of the Calusa on Marco Island. 

What does ‘freedom’ mean to you?

To me, ‘freedom’ means to be able to speak up. Without my freedom of speech, I would never have had the opportunity to do the work I have done in the last decade. The ability to speak our minds, hold elected officials accountable, lobby, and organize community efforts to protect the environment are not things I take for granted. Working with and helping organize grassroots campaigns and utilizing this freedom has brought us more transparency on a state level when it comes to water quality issues, specifically Red Tide. I wholeheartedly think it’s so important that we all use these freedoms for the betterment of our communities and local environment.