09/30/2022
On behalf of everyone at Conservation Foundation, we hope you and your family made it safely through Hurricane Ian. Our hearts are with those affected by this historic storm - especially our neighbors to the south and east who were hit the hardest. We are incredibly thankful to report that all of our staff are safe and unharmed. Our offices will reopen next week and we look forward to connecting with you then.
In the meantime, a number of folks have inquired as to the status of our beautiful Bay Preserve at Osprey. We were extremely fortunate and are happy to report no major damage. There are a number of large branches down and of course, a lot of debris to clear, but there is no visible structural damage and all trees are still standing. At this time the park is closed.
We will be clearing debris early next week. If you would like to volunteer to help with clean-up efforts, please let us know by emailing [email protected]. Any extra hands, rakes, and wheelbarrows are much appreciated. Interested volunteers will be contacted Monday with further details.
The park will remain closed to the public until all debris is cleared and we are able to ensure a safe outdoor environment for you to enjoy. Please stay tuned and we will let you know when the park is open.
We will also let you know how the other properties in our care fared once we are able to assess the damage. We are hoping for the best but know some locations took a harder hit than others, including the Pine Island and Matlacha communities which suffered significant and devastating destruction.
Storms like these underscore the importance of both community and conservation. We are in this together and will do all we can to help ensure future resiliency in the face of increasingly intense weather events.
Thank you for your concerns and heartfelt wishes. We will be in touch soon.
