Conservancy of Southwest Florida is preparing for a major transformation of its Naples campus, and this week offered members and donors a preview of what to expect when construction begins in May.
At the organization’s 62nd annual member meeting Jan. 13, President and CEO Rob Moher unveiled plans for the renovation and rebranding of the Conservancy’s 22-acre campus off Goodlette-Frank Road. The project is being funded by a $25 million grant awarded last year by the John & Carol Walter Family Foundation.
Moher told the audience of about 100 that the John & Carol Walter Nature Experience will serve as “a gateway to the Western Everglades, an ecosystem unlike any other in the world,” adding that the Conservancy is not only a gateway but also a protector of that ecosystem.
As part of the rebrand, Moher introduced a new logo for the John & Carol Walter Nature Experience, featuring a vivid orange and purple color palette. He said the signage is designed to attract more visitors while reflecting the Conservancy’s mission to protect water, land and wildlife.
A site plan rendering of the John & Carol Walter Nature Experience is displayed during the Conservancy of Southwest Florida’s annual member meeting, outlining planned upgrades to the organization’s 22-acre Naples campus.
Irene Perez
“The Conservancy of Southwest Florida and its well-established brand is going to remain unchanged,” Moher said. “It is the umbrella organization for everything we do and for this new public experience. But this logo will clearly mark where the public experience begins in their journey on-site here at the Conservancy.
“I think if [visitors] drive by and they see this sign and they see the words ‘Nature Experience,’ I think they’re going to turn in. And that’s what this is all about. We need to broaden our reach. We need to attract new audiences and we need to stand out from a very, very busy set of ecotourism experiences.”
Moher shared renderings of a half-acre stormwater lake planned in front of a new 7,000-square-foot welcome center, which will feature interactive exhibits and educational programming. Other elements of the project include an expanded outdoor deck capable of hosting traveling nature-based exhibits and a covered amphitheater for education and events.
Plans also include a new upland preserve trail, expanded capacity for electric-boat tours on the Gordon River, shaded picnic areas with space for a food truck, and a two-story parking garage outfitted with solar panels and a “green screen” of native plants.
Moher said the current Nature Center will close to the public from May 1 through November 2026 during the initial phases of construction. The von Arx Wildlife Hospital, campus dormitory and administrative offices will remain open throughout the project.
While the public-facing portions of the campus will be closed during that period, Moher said the Conservancy plans to take its mission “beyond campus walls” through free programs offered in partnership with libraries, parks and other community venues.
“We’re going to do a partnership with Collier County Public Libraries to offer free educational programs for a wide variety of audiences,” he said. “Our mobile classroom is going to be ramping up activity at fairs and festivals, and we’re going to be doing new programs with Collier County Parks and Recreation. So, if you want to have access to environmental education (during the campus closure), we are going to provide it.”
John and Carol Walter said their $25 million gift was inspired by a desire to help preserve the region.
“We love Naples, and we’re so happy to be here,” Carol Walter said. “And we want to make sure to help keep it the way it is now.”
John Walter addresses members during the Conservancy of Southwest Florida’s 62nd annual meeting Jan. 13, where he and his wife, Carol Walter, were recognized for their $25 million gift supporting the John & Carol Walter Nature Experience.
Irene Perez
John Walter said the couple hopes to help “preserve and protect what we have, which I think is remarkably unique,” adding that the goal is also to increase awareness of the Conservancy’s role in protecting the region’s quality of life.
He said they want the new Nature Experience to raise the Conservancy’s visibility, engage more people in the community and encourage them to share in the organization’s mission.
“And if we can do that effectively, we’ve accomplished our objectives,” he said.
Moher announced that the public is invited to attend the John & Carol Walter Nature Experience groundbreaking at 11 a.m. April 18 during the Conservancy’s Earth Day Festival.
Completion of the project is expected in early 2028.