The Collier Community Foundation has continued its financial support of Audubon Florida’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, the popular environmental attraction east of Naples, with a $100,000 grant.
The foundation’s money is being added to donations from many other individuals, groups, and businesses in the sanctuary’s $20 million renovation effort to transform and expand the aging sanctuary.
Two years ago, Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary launched a campaign to raise $20 million to transform its campus to update and enhance the experience for visitors.
The money is also being used to attract and house visiting scientists and interns working on projects to preserve the sanctuary and protect it from threats that include changes in water flow into the swamp due to surrounding developments that could transform the sanctuary, to stave off an invasion of the thirsty Carolina willow, and to conserve and maintain the larger 13,000-acre property, a key watershed in the region that refills underground aquifers and serves as a hub for wetland research.
David Corbin Architects
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WGCU
The new buildings are being built almost completely on the footprint of the previous ones, and Corkscrew’s new campus will provide the infrastructure needed to advance Audubon’s conservation leadership in a rapidly developing region while continuing to serve as a premiere nature destination
Keith Laakkonen, Corkscrew Swamp’s director, says the grants and gifts are leading to a brand-new look.
“Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is built on a 70-year history of staunch supporters and advocates preserving this special place,” he said. “As proud guardians of 13,000 acres of still-wild Florida land in an ever-changing region, there is no better time to invest in this place to ensure we preserve the quality of life in Southwest Florida — from our watershed to the coasts.”
Audubon Florida is investing the Collier foundation grant in a new research lab, updating the aging campus, and offering various hands-on learning experiences year-round, both indoors and in a new outdoor classroom.
The renovations include the Spurlino Foundation Discovery Center, which highlights Corkscrew’s behind-the-scenes workings, the land’s history from the time of Native Americans through today, and the plants and animals typically found in the sanctuary.
Another improvement are dozens of new informational signs affixed along the 2.25-mile boardwalk that famously winds through the swamp. The display panels highlight the work Audubon does to maintain the world‑class sanctuary as well as key facts and figures about the local flora and fauna that visitors walking on the boardwalk often see.
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The sanctuary is a popular nature get-away with the largest old-growth bald cypress forest in North America. The Blair Visitor Center and 2.25-mile boardwalk are at 375 Sanctuary Road W. in Naples, just off Immokalee Road.
Open daily, peak season hours from mid-December through April are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the last admission at 3 p.m. Admission is $17 for adults, $6 for kids 6-14, and free for children.
The Sanctuary is open daily at 8 a.m. with the last admission at 3 p.m. during the winter and spring season. Online tickets are recommended, and can be purchased from the sanctuary here.
Environmental reporting for WGCU is funded in part by VoLo Foundation, a nonprofit with a mission to accelerate change and global impact by supporting science-based climate solutions, enhancing education, and improving health.
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