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About Us
A Brief History
On February 21, 2001, a few volunteers at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve held an exploratory meeting based on their desire to promote environmental education and enhance the capabilities of staff and volunteers. They wanted to broaden understanding and respect for the complex wetland community that the Slough represents. The citizen’s group, motivated by its desire to help provide the Preserve with an Interpretive Center and to inspire more community support, founded Friends of Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve as a not-for-profit corporation by late 2001.
Goals and Accomplishments
Goal 1: Add more support for Preserve staff and volunteers and enhance their capabilities.
Accomplishments:
~ Established Friends as a not-for-profit public organization
~ Initiated a membership campaign
~ Developed a greeter table program at the Preserve entrance on weekends and selected weekdays to greet and orient visitors
~ Supported staff and volunteer programs and eventsGoal 2: Promote public understanding of the Preserve's importance to the community and the environment and build support within the community for maintaining the Preserve for future generations.
Accomplishments:
~ Published several articles about the Preserve in the News-Press
~ Created and adopted a new Friends logo to enable organizational identity within the community
~ Published five issues of a Friends newsletter to members
~ Established a media databaseGoal 3: Provide an Interpretive Center to further support volunteers, staff and visitors to the Preserve.
Accomplishments:
~ Requested and received an initial financial commitment from Lee County: $150,000 within the Parks and Recreation 2003 capital expenditure budget designated for the Interpretive Center project
~ Extensively researched and visited visitors centers throughout the country and created a portfolio of ideas, photos and concepts
~ Recruited a local architectural firm to propose and design building sketchings and options
~ Refined architectural building plans into a proposal with drawings
~ Ground Breaking for construction of new building in March of 2007
~ Ribbon cutting for opening of Interpretive Center April 12, 2008
~ Installation of permanent exhibits November 16, 2008Goal 4: Give the Preserve an advocate's voice within the community.
Accomplishments:
~ Developed advocacy policies and action plan
~ Developed and are maintaining excellent working relationships with important partners and potential partners: Lee County Parks and Recreation Department, Florida Gulf Coast University, Lee County School Board's Environmental Education Department
~ Began formal communication with agencies about permits and other issues related to maintaining the integrity of the Preserve
~ Friends monitors actions, ecological trends and hearings, and provides feedback to various governmental and regulatory boards such as the Lee County Commissioners, Fort Myers City Council, Southwest Florida Water Management District, Florida Department of Transportation, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Estero Bay Agency on Bay Management.
