SCCF Puschel Preserve now open to public
The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) reported that it has been about four years since Roberta and Philip Puschel made the lead gift in its campaign to acquire 12-plus acres of wildlife habitat running from Periwinkle Way to the Sanibel Slough on Sanibel.
On March 20, SCCF Chief Executive Officer James Evans expressed his gratitude to the Puschels and more than 150 other families who contributed to the $2.4 million land acquisition campaign as he officially opened the Puschel Preserve to the public.
“In many ways over many years, Roberta and Philip have played an invaluable and unprecedented role in supporting SCCF,” he said. “Thanks to their leadership and donations from many other families, we are able to protect this habitat that connects to other SCCF interior wetland preserves, adding the last piece to a significant wildlife corridor along the Sanibel Slough.”
Evans also shared his appreciation for site prep and plantings by more than 100 Coastal Watch volunteers over the past 18 months.
“The efforts by these volunteers dramatically transformed the front acreage of the preserve, which we provided to the community as a debris processing site following Hurricane Ian,” he said. “Many of you will recall the mountains of debris that were staged and sorted there and will be amazed to see its natural beauty as a community gathering site today.”
SIGNIFICANCE OF PRESERVE
Located on the south side of Periwinkle between Purdy Drive and Martha’s Lane, the Puschel Preserve completes approximately 385 acres of open space and a wildlife corridor of almost 1 1/2 linear miles between Tarpon Bay Road and Casa Ybel Road.
Acquisition of the land in 2021 stopped plans to develop 13 homes on the property and added to the SCCF’s islandwide preserve system, which includes more than 1,800 acres on Sanibel, as well as another 400 acres off island.
“Most of the property will remain closed to the public as wildlife habitat, while the front five acres were transformed to welcome and educate visitors in a serene native setting,” Evans said. “The connected wildlife corridor gives island wildlife critical space to roam without having to cross a road.”
The preserve is home to over 40 animal species, countless invertebrates and hundreds of native plants. Alligators, river otters and bobcats are among the wildlife that has been observed in the interior acreage.
FEATURES OF PRESERVE
The Birmingham Family Trail, made possible by a gift from Liz and Jim Birmingham, winds around the front acreage of the Puschel Preserve, connecting the following educational features:
– The Lee Anne Tauck Sculpture Garden features an abstract triptych — Land. Water. Wildlife. — intended to honor the scope of the SCCF’s mission-driven conservation work. Award-winning Florida sculptor Robert Cordisco chose colors reflective of the SCCF’s nature-based color palette.
– Thanks to a donation from Amy and Rob Parish in memory of Bruce, the Parish Pollinator Garden provides a space featuring native flowering plants, including rose milkweed, seaside goldenrod and blue porterweed, which attract butterflies and other native pollinators.
– Thanks to the generosity of Fred and Alice Stanback, the Demonstration Marsh will soon feature an observation platform.
– Following three storm surges over the past few years, an Experimental Wetland Salt Marsh features plant species adapted to regular saltwater inundation, including seaside heliotrope, sea oxeye daisy and saltwort.
Other key families who contributed to the land acquisition campaign are listed on a bronze plaque at the entrance to the preserve, which also features a Welcome Station with solar chargers, a water fountain, bike repair station and seats.
HISTORY OF LAND
The SCCF reported that the property has an interesting history. Its former building served as a school for six decades and then as a theater for nearly four decades.
The Sanibel School for White Children operated the property from 1903-64, when an integrated school opened on Sanibel-Captiva Road.
Until 2003, the schoolhouse building was used as a theater — first as the Pirate Playhouse and later as the Old Schoolhouse Theater. In 2004, the building was moved to the Sanibel Historical Village and restored to its 1920s appearance. The eastern portion of the property also served as a non-native nursery for a period of time.
Work on the property began in the summer of 2021 with the removal of dense stands of large, invasive exotic trees, including java plum and Australian pines. Surveys were then conducted to determine which exotic trees were being used by birds of prey, and monitoring by SCCF biologists ensured mandated protection of nesting eagles.
Because the property was once used as a non-native nursery, the ground cover was also restored, with low-lying invasive plants removed.
After Hurricane Ian in 2022, the SCCF allowed the property to be used as a debris sorting site for eight months to expedite the community’s recovery. Restoration and replanting of the property began shortly after the mountains of debris were removed.
Numerous plantings organized by the SCCF’s Coastal Watch began in September of 2023 and continued until recently. Volunteers came from the island community and as far away as Michigan, Maryland and Massachusetts to help with the plantings and mulching of the pollinator garden, demonstration marsh and experimental garden. The team from the SCCF’s Native Landscapes & Garden Center assisted and advised on the extensive plantings.
Located along the city of Sanibel’s islandwide Shared Use Path, the Puschel Preserve is open from dawn to dusk to the public. Pets are allowed, but bikes are prohibited.