Island non-profits partner to launch “The Sanibel Wild Mile”

Four Sanibel non-profit organizations have partnered to launch a new outreach campaign with a goal to broaden public awareness and appreciation of natural resources and wildlife on the island.

Called “The Sanibel Wild Mile,” the initiative includes organizations with shared values of education and conservation, and are located within about one mile from each other along a beautiful and substantially undeveloped stretch of Sanibel-Captiva Road and the island-wide bike path. Partners include the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium, Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW), “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society and Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF).

Through pooled efforts in marketing and communications, the objective of The Sanibel Wild Mile is to increase awareness, for locals and visitors alike, of the opportunities to access, learn about and enjoy the ecology and biodiversity that makes Sanibel so unique, through abundant trail systems, exhibits and education centers featured at the partner organizations and elsewhere on the island. Visitors to The Wild Mile can experience the islands’ legendary conservation history by kayaking meandering mangrove trails, taking a deep dive into Sanibel’s reputation as a seashell capital of the world, hiking miles of island forests and wetlands, visiting an animal hospital to learn about the region’s diverse wildlife, and exploring one of the nation’s most breathtaking national wildlife refuges to view countless birds and vistas of Southwest Florida’s wild landscape.

The partner organizations said in a joint statement, ‘’With The Sanibel Wild Mile, we hope to encourage more people to take a closer look at our islands’ natural environment, 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.’’

The Sanibel Wild Mile partner organizations:

Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum & Aquarium: With a mission to to celebrate shells, mollusks, and their ecosystems, the Museum includes exhibits of shells from all over the world, plus aquariums with hundreds of marine animals including octopuses, Giant Clams, conchs, and many more. Opportunities also include hands-on touch pools and daily gallery and aquarium talks at the only accredited museum in the United States devoted primarily to shells and mollusks.

Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW): Established in 1968, the Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife (CROW) is a teaching hospital saving the sick, injured and orphaned native and migratory wildlife of Southwest Florida and beyond. Through state-of-the-art veterinary care, public education programs and an engaging visitor center, CROW works to improve the health of the environment, humans and our animals through wildlife medicine.

J. N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge: The J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge is part of the largest undeveloped mangrove ecosystem in the United States. It is world famous for spectacular migratory bird populations; miles of trails to walk, bike, and drive; and a free Visitor and Education Center!

Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation: Created by islanders to protect and care for the island’s unique ecosystems in 1967, SCCF is headquartered on the Wild Mile. SCCF invites visitors to experience more than 8 miles of trails across the island, deepen their ocean love at Sanibel Sea School and engage in Voluntourism opportunities to restore and protect native habitats through plantings and cleanups.

Visit SanibelWildMile.com to learn more and plan a visit.

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This article was submitted by a Guest Author of the Above Board Chamber.