Dr. Jerry Jackson, Wednesday January 25th, Interpretive Center, 7 pm  RSVP 239-533-7557

Welcome to the web site of the Friends of Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in Fort Myers, Florida.  We are a not-for-profit advocacy and support organization committed to preserving, protecting and promoting Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve for future generations (Read our mission statement.)  Please explore our site to learn about the slough (Pronounced: sloo) and to find ways to be a part of its preservation. The Boardwalk open from dawn to dusk 7 Days a week. The Interpretive Center at the Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve open: Tuesday – Sunday: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. closed on Mondays Directions to the boardwalk at 7751 Penzance Blvd., Fort Myers, Florida Exit #131 off I-75 Take Daniels Parkway west Turn right (north) on Six Mile Cypress Parkway 1.5 miles north on the right For a map, click here GENERAL INFORMATION Parking Fee You do not have to pay for admittance to the park. However, your vehicle parking fee of $1 an hour or a maximum of $5.00 per stay is used for maintenance and programming for the preserve. Guided Walk Schedule January-March: Daily - 9:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. May-October: Wednesdays only - 9:30 a.m. April, November and December: Daily - 9:30 a.m. Since it takes at least one hour to enjoy the trail, there is no entry one hour prior to the closing times listed above. Please Note! Smoking, fishing, jogging, pets, bikes and roller blades are not permitted along the trail. The Interpretive Center is now open for visitors.  This building is Lee County’s first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) building.  The building is a result of a lot of hard work, dedication and commitment from an entire community and the partnerships that have been formed.  Please visit to see our “green” building and learn what it means to be “green.”   2012 Winter Gathering Dates at the Interpretive Center FOURTH Wednesday of January, February, March and April See Program and Events Page for Speakers Scheduled 2011 Photo Contest The third Friends of the Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve Photo Contest submittal begins November 1, 2011.  Please submit your favorite pictures to the contest.  This event is an opportunity for you to share your beautiful views of this very special natural area and its native wildlife. For Rules and Application, click here. Award winners will be notified by February 15, 2012 and awards will be presented at a Photo Contest Celebration to be held at the Slough Interpretive Center on February 25, 2012.  Winning photos will be displayed at the Slough Interpretive Center.      Our judges for this year’s contest are: · Geoff Coe,  a professional photographer and owner of Wild Images Florida Studio, Slough volunteer · James Mathisen, US Fish and Wildlife Service Ranger and photography specialist · Charles O’Connor, Vice President and Education Chair for Friends, teacher in the Lee County School System and an award winning photographer. Entries will be accepted until 3:00 pm Tuesday, January 31, 2012 at the Interpretive Center at the Slough, 7791 Penzance Blvd. in Fort Myers.  If there are any questions, please call the Friends at 239-533-7557. ....................................................... 2010-2011 Annual Meeting Report as presented at our 3/22/11 meeting ....................................................... Connections (our newsletter) To view the Winter 2011 edition of our Connections newsletter, click here. (.pdf 2 Mb) View our newsletter page for past issues. ....................................................... Wanted!  Volunteers to help with the Adopt a Highway trash pickup every third Saturday of the month.    Meet at the boardwalk parking lot at 9:00 AM for a fun time helping keep Six Mile Cypress Parkway cleaner! Slough Advocacy Progress On July 1st the Conservation 20/20 Program added 467 acres to the Slough. To date 1352.6 acres of land has been added to the Slough through the 20/20 program. This represents forty-two percent of the lands that make up the publicly owned portion of the Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve. The total acreage in the Slough is currently 3202.68 acres. By far the largest acquisition to date is the 1000.5 acres added north of State Road 82 in May and July of this year this includes the northern watershed of the Slough. This parcel contains some large cypress domes, marshes, and pine lands. Also acquired were some pasture lands that hopefully can be used for reservoirs to treat and store water to improve the hydrology of the Slough.  The reservoirs themselves will provide wildlife habitat similar to Harns Marsh but within ready reach of the people of Ft Myers. These parcels have made the news both for their environmental benefits to the Slough as well as the price. It is important to note that the staff of County Lands works under State policies and procedures that were established to avoid such controversy. Multiple appraisals are required and County staff negotiates to get a price at or below the mid point of the appraisals. To pay more it requires a supra majority of the County Commission (4 out of 5). The parcels north of State Road 82 had a number of factors that created the high price including location within the City of Ft Myers, at an Interstate exit and approved development plans for a large residential community. Two sets of appraisals were done on this property because the land values had dropped after the first set so the appraisals were up to date. The one factor that was not taken into account is how valuable this parcel will be to the County as a wildlife viewing recreational asset so close to town.  This parcel will become a second major destination for wildlife viewing in the Six Mile Cypress Slough watershed. An additional 218.26 acres of land will be closed on in December to complete this purchase making the total Slough acreage 3420 acres with 46% of the Slough being acquired through the 20/20 program. The current widening project for State Road 82 includes a wildlife crossing to provide wildlife connectivity to the rest of the Slough from these new parcels.