Four island nonprofit organizations are continuing their \u201cSanibel Wild Mile\u201d outreach campaign with the goal to broaden public awareness and appreciation of natural resources and wildlife on Sanibel.<\/p>\n
Partners the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium, Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW), \u201cDing\u201d Darling Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge and Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) share the values of education and conservation. They also are located within about a mile of each other along Sanibel-Captiva Road and the island-wide bike path.<\/p>\n
\u201cBy continuing to promote the Sanibel Wild Mile we hope to encourage more people to take a closer look at our islands\u2019 natural environment, to actively participate in ways to access it and, most importantly, to enjoy it and come away with a deeper sense of its uniqueness and the importance of conserving and protecting it,\u201d the organizations said.<\/p>\n
Through pooled efforts in marketing and communications, the objective of the campaign is to increase awareness for locals and visitors of opportunities to access, learn about, and enjoy the ecology and biodiversity that makes Sanibel so unique through trail systems, exhibits and education centers featured at the partner organizations and elsewhere on the island.<\/p>\n
Visitors to the Sanibel Wild Mile may experience the islands\u2019 conservation history by kayaking mangrove trails, taking a dive into Sanibel\u2019s reputation as a seashell capital of the world, hiking miles of island forest and wetlands, visiting an animal hospital to learn about the region\u2019s wildlife, and exploring a national wildlife refuge to view countless birds and Southwest Florida landscape vistas.<\/p>\n
The Lee County Visitor & Convention Bureau supports the initiative with the Sanibel Wild Mile Pass, a digital passport that allows visitors to earn rewards as they explore. A new version \u2014 the Sanibel Wild Mile Pass 2.0 \u2014 launched in April with newly added locations, prize opportunities and monthly challenges to earn bonus points by attending special events.<\/p>\n
For more information or to download the passport, visit https:\/\/shellmuseum.org\/wild-mile\/<\/a>.<\/p>\n