Island non-profits partner to launch "The Sanibel Wild Mile"

SANIBEL ISLAND, Fla. - Jan. 28, 2025 - PRLog -- 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.

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.