12 Health Benefits of Volunteering

 This article was posted by our Volunteer Management Software Company through their Blog.    Click here to read the entire article on their site. 

Clam Pass Trail Blazers 2023

 Clam Pass 465 Seagate Drive, Naples, FL

The Clam Pass Trail Blazers are a team of naturalist and environmentally conscious citizens.  They work hard to keep Clam Pass Beautiful, keep the trails maintained, remove exotic plants, place signage for the community to identify plants, trees and shrubs of Clam Pass.   They support the natural habitats of Clam Pass Beach, the ecosystems of the natural areas, and the wildlife that calls Clam Pass home. 

Since Hurricane Ian, the Clam Pass Trail Blazers have done some major heavy lifting,  removing horticultural debris from the parking lot, mangroves, trails and nature areas around and under the board walk.  They have cleared out a significant amount of storm debris from the mangroves and are currently working to clear the nature trails for visitors to explore and enjoy, post hurricane.

This team meets every Wednesday morning for about 2 hours.  If you are looking to make a major environmental impact, grow your social circle with like minded people, and enjoy working in nature, and want to make an important and measurable difference, you can join this amazing team.   

The Clam Pass Trail Team is looking to add new members.  

If you are interested call 239-252-4033 for more information.  

2023 Educational Garden Workshop - UF/IFAS Extension Collier County

 

For more information on this series visit: https://sfyl.ifas.ufl.edu/events/?location=collier 

Friends of Barefoot Beach 2022 Walks & Talks

 

Merry Christmas!

 Merry Christmas

Gardens take care of plants, pollinators and people...

I find time and time again that gardens and gardeners are great (and love) at bringing nature and people together. 

My latest example is a partnership between the West Coast & East Coast: Collier County Garden Program & Coconut Creek Community Garden. 

I first found out about Coconut Creek from one of our volunteers. When I connected with their program I knew right away we could help each other, and they invited me to give a presentation, about our Gardens, to their gardeners (a rotating group of young people completing school service hours). 

Just a few days after Hurricane Ian, the group reached out to see how we and our gardens were doing and asked how they could help.

On Saturday 12/10/22, Lisa & I drove over to the Coconut Creek Community Garden to pick up plants from their garden. We had a chance to meet with the young people in the garden as they worked on weeding, watering, and adding fresh soil.

                Lisa & I quickly joined in the search for butterflies & caterpillars. 

We gave a short presentation about the effects of the hurricane on our gardens and left them a Snow Squarestem plant and some seeds. Link to Coconut Creek Community Garden

We picked up 15 plants for use at Sugden & Conner Butterfly Gardens. Thank you to Dan Godston (Program Lead) and ALL the youth that have participated in the program. It is inspiring to see your group in action and building something for your community and helping our community too!!

Above & Beyond Service to your community

 

Conner Park, 492 Bluebill Drive, Naples, FL. 34108

Photo Taken 08.31.2022

  

Photos taken after Hurricane Ian

Conner Park is a passive park in Collier County, spanning 5 acres of walking trails and Beach Parking.  In Late 2021 a group of dedicated volunteers working hand in hand with our maintenance staff installed a butterfly garden.  This garden team is primarily made up of residents from the neighboring community of The Dunes.

After Hurricane Ian in September of 2022, the storm surge came up through Turkey Bay and inland for several blocks completely covering this once beautiful park.  The park suffered from the saltwater and the loads of debris that washed in with the surge leaving household items and horticultural debris throughout the park, parking lots and roads. 

Our dedicated volunteers wasted no time responding to the garden to assess.  Within two weeks after Hurricane Ian the team was on site, cleaning up the debris out of the garden and making a plan for future plantings to restore the garden to it's former glory and provide for it's many pollinators.  Two hours of hard labor intensive work and hauling debris to a pile for pickup was a major accomplishment.

That is not where this story ends.  One volunteer remained on site for another three hours, working alone filling more than 5 large bags of debris, from the grounds surrounding the garden.  Dante, a dedicated garden volunteer and resident of the neighboring condominium association managed this massive task by himself.   Dante, is another real life superhero residing in our town taking care of our environment, our pollinators, doing what needed to be done before anyone else could get to it.  Thank you Dante for your passion for this park, our community, your neighborhood and the hundred people who visit that park each day.  (Even when a hurricane just went through.) 

https://www.collierparks.com/collier_park/conner-park-beach/