Preserving and protecting the water resources and natural communities of the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed
Great news!
The South Florida Water Management District has completed repair work to the Bird Rookery Swamp Trail and, as of 11:00 a.m. on 3/6/2018, the barricades are down and the trail is OPEN.
Please note that grass has not been mowed but will be mowed by the District soon.
We’re counting down to the 2018 CREW Concert & Silent Eco-Auction on Saturday, April 24 at 5 p.m. at Riverside Park in Bonita Springs. Today is our last pre-concert post – we hope to see you there!
Ready to dance? Eat? Drink? Buy all the Silent Eco-Auction items?
Before you go to our concert on Saturday, we have just a few things we think you should know. Check them out- and we look forward to seeing you at the 2018 CREW Concert & Silent Eco-Auction!
1- Tickets
The easiest and cheapest way to get your tickets to the CREW Concert is online through eventbrite. If you buy your tickets in advance, they are $15; if you wait and buy them at the gate, they are $20. That’s five dollars you could save for a cupcake (more on those tasty little treats later)! Here is a little secret – the tickets will be available for purchase online until 4 p.m. on Saturday, so if you decide last-minute to come, you still have time to save money and buy your tickets online!
2- What to bring (and what to leave at home)
Things you can bring: children (ages 12 and under get in free), cash and credit cards (for food/drink sales) and folding chairs.
Things you can’t bring: coolers and dogs.
Service animals are always welcome within reason – we’d hate to disappoint you and turn away your service brontosaurus due to lack of available space.
3- Where is the concert, and when does it start?
The 2018 CREW Concert & Silent Eco-Auction will be held at Riverside Park, located at 10451 Old 41 Road in Bonita Springs.
Schedule:
5 p.m. Gates Open
5:30 p.m. Silent Auction Opens
5:30 p.m. Welcome
5:40 p.m. High Voltage Band performs
8:15 p.m. Silent Auction Closes
8:30-9:15 p.m. Pick-up and Pay for Silent Auction Items
9:00 p.m. Concert Ends
4 – Food and Beverages
The Rotary Club of Bonita Springs returns this year and will serve wine and craft beer from Momentum Brewhouse. Our food vendors include Red Roc Cravings, Radical Rations and Cherie’s Sweet Treats. Please bring cash for all food and drink, as we are unsure which vendors will accept credit cards.
5 – CREW Gear Sales
Our 2018 CREW Concert Commemorative T-Shirts will be available for sale as soon as the gates open at 5 p.m. There are a very limited amount of shirts available, and once they’re gone, they’re gone! Shirts are $20.
We’ll also have CREW Trust water bottles, pins, hiking sticks, field guides and medallions for sale at our CREW Gear Sales table. All purchases can be paid for with cash or credit card.
6- Silent Eco-Auction
To preview all 36 items, click here.
How does the silent auction work? Walk through and check out the items and experiences offered. Write your name, phone number and amount you are bidding on the bid sheet. Check back often to see if you have been outbid, and bid as often as you would like! If you want to make sure you get an item, you can purchase it for the Buy It Now price. The auction closes promptly at 8: 15 p.m. Winners will be listed on the large sign near the entrance to the Silent Auction, and items won can be paid for and picked up from 8:30-9:15 p.m.
7- Parking
Volunteers will be directing guests to available parking spaces. A limited amount of handicap parking spaces will be available. Please watch for parking volunteers wearing bright green shirts. Parking for this event is free.
8- VIP Cafe
The VIP Cafe is a private area for VIP ticket holders with table seating and food. It is not accessible by anyone who is not wearing a VIP wristband. VIP Cafe tickets sold out several weeks ago and are no longer available.
9- Proceeds
CREW Land & Water Trust is a non-profit that provides environmental education for all ages on lands within the 60,000 acre CREW project. All funds raised at the concert support our environmental education programs.
We’re counting down to our biggest night of the year – the 2018 CREW Concert & Silent Eco-Auction on Saturday, Feb. 24 from 5-9 p.m. at Riverside Park in Bonita Springs.
A large part of what makes our biggest fundraiser of the year so successful is our sponsors. Many of them sponsor the concert each year and we can’t thank them enough.
The presenting sponsor for the 2018 CREW Concert & Silent Eco- Auction is Kim Ruiz, owner of EcoPlanz, Inc.
This is the fifth year Kim has supported the CREW Trust through a concert sponsorship and becoming a major sponsor has always been her goal. “I started out in 2013 with a small donation,” Kim explained. “Now EcoPlanz is established well-enough for me to increase my sponsorship this year.”
Kim recently joined the CREW Trust Board of Trustees, extending her connection to the CREW Trust. “From the time I learned about the CREW Trust, I knew I wanted to support the efforts to educate people and encourage people to enjoy the splendors of the trail systems,” she said. “I spend time on the CREW Trails to rejuvenate my spirit. Since this area gives me so much joy, I like to give back and spread the word to ‘Connect with CREW.'”
The 2018 CREW Concert & Silent Eco-Auction is Saturday, Feb. 24, 5-9 p.m. at Riverside Park in Bonita Springs. Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the gate; children 12 and under are free. To purchase tickets in advance, visit eventbrite.com.
We’re counting down to our biggest night of the year – the 2018 CREW Concert & Silent Eco-Auction on Saturday, Feb. 24 from 5-9 p.m. at Riverside Park in Bonita Springs.
Our 2018 Concert & Silent Eco-Auction is full of unique, eco-related art and experiences. The auction is a highlight each year and has steadily grown in popularity.
Because we limit the number of auction item entries, and many of them are one-of-a-kind, bidding wars are common. We encourage you to bid early and bid often. This year’s Silent Eco-Auction will open at 5:30 p.m. and close promptly at 8:15 p.m. Winners will be posted when check-out begins at 8:30 p.m. Winners must pay with cash, credit car or check by 9:15 p.m.; after that time, the item will be offered to the second-highest bidder.
Check out these five can’t miss items from this year’s silent eco-auction and read more about all of the items by visiting our Silent Eco-Auction Preview page.
Do you love chocolate? We do! And so did many of our concert go-ers last year. This very popular item, donated by Norman Love Confections, is back and we’re hoping it sparks another bidding war.
The high bidder will receive a 15-piece box from the Norman Love Signature Collection, shipped directly to the winner or the recipient of your choice, each month for one year.
Brian Hahn, owner of Momentum Brewhouse, has been a friend and member of the CREW Trust for several years. This year’s craft beer served at our concert will once again be from Momentum Brewhouse, and fans can bid on this lot for the chance to brew for a day!
Our executive director loves the yogurt from Rosy Tomorrows Heritage Farm and we’re so excited to have this very unique and tasty experience as part of this year’s auction! Owners Rose O’Dell King and Gary King will choose selections each month from the bounty of the farm and the winner will also get to meet Rose and Gary and learn more about the farm. This experience starts in March and will tantalize your test buds through February 2019!
Yes, we love CREW and where we work – but guess what we love even more? Artwork from our former FWC Biologist Molly DuVall! Molly painted this one-of-a-kind gourd birdhouse and the only way to win it is to bid on our Premier Membership Package! The package includes a Southern Bald Eagle level membership ($1000 value) , CREW Trust swag, invitations to our members-only events and a private guided hike at a CREW location of your choice for up to 8 people. AND Molly’s gourd birdhouse, painted with the CREW logo.
We spend a LOT of time inland on our trails, and sometimes its nice to head to the coast and enjoy our gorgeous Gulf views!
SW Florida Boat Tours will tailor this 2-3 hour tour to you and your guests. Their EGret 290 departs an hour before sunset, tours Naples Bay and Port Royal waters before making its way to the gulf for the Florida sunset. Your party can bring food, beverages and alcohol or arrange for a custom catered cruise. Date of cruise subject to agreement between winning bidder and Southwest Florida Boat Tours.
Ready to bid? We’ll see you at the 2018 CREW Concert & Silent Eco-Auction on Feb. 24 from 5-9 p.m. at Riverside Park in Bonita Springs. Tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the door; children 12 and under are free. To purchase tickets, visit eventbrite.com.
We’re counting down to our biggest night of the year – the 2018 CREW Concert & Silent Eco-Auction on Saturday, Feb. 24 from 5-9 p.m. at Riverside Park in Bonita Springs.
Are you ready to move and grove with CREW?
We are so excited for this year’s featured performers, High Voltage Band. They’ve played for a wide range of audiences, including the NFL Players Association, Panasonic, the Boston Red Sox, the D’Brickashaw Ferguson Foundation and Hope for Haiti. They promise to “Electrify” our event!
Planning an event like this takes a lot of time for our staff and volunteers, and many a dance break has been taken over the last few months while playing High Voltage Band’s youtube channel.
Saturday, February 24, 2018
5-9 p.m.
Riverside Park, 10451 Old 41 Road, Bonita Springs
Tickets: $15 in advance, $20 at the gate; children 12 and under free.
Purchase tickets at eventbrite.com.
Read more about the concert here or preview our silent eco-auction!
I received a text yesterday from a neighbor who had a photo from another neighbor of a possible panther in our neighborhood.
Now, I’ve known since I moved here that my neighborhood, which borders on the CREW Project, had possible panther activity. It’s the reason I purchased a game camera at last year’s silent eco-auction, and I take note of panther sightings posted on our neighborhood Facebook page Seeing a Florida panther in the wild is on my wildlife bucket list, so I would much rather prefer to see one a the CREW Marsh Trails than in my backyard but – any panther sighting would make my heart race with sheer joy.
Why? Besides the fact that panthers are one of our two big cat species, they are also endangered – and seeing them and reporting them is an important part of citizen science.
From MyFWC.Com:
I learned last year during a hike that many people don’t know that, if you see a panther, you should report it online to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. So, if you do see a panther – first up, congratulations, and second, here are the steps to report this rare sighting.
And, if you happened to spot the panther at one of the CREW Trail Systems, let us know! We’d love to share your panther story.
Anne Reed
Update: Miss the pre-sale? You can still submit an order and pay for your shirt! We will reserve your shirt in your requested size and you can pick it up at the concert. Available while supplies last.
This year will be the first year for CREW Concert T-shirts!
We noticed last year that there was a demand for our leftover concert volunteer shirts – thank you to everyone who eagerly purchased them!
And while we do appreciate that extra support, we felt a little bit sad that we didn’t have a fun concert shirt in a non-safety-color availalbe for our concert-goers to purchase.
We’re kicking off a series of commemorative concert t-shirts, and for 2018, our t-shirt mascot is a rockin’ bear!
T-shirts are available in unisex size small, medium, large, XL and 2XL. They will be for sale at the concert for $20 in very limited quantities.
Due to the likelihood that the shirts will sell out, we are offering a pre-sale opportunity through February 2, 2018. Please use one of the forms below and email your order to Anne (anne@crewtrus.mystagingwebsite.com). Pre-ordered shirts will be picked up at the concert or you can email Anne to make other arrangements.
We all miss the feel of the grassy tram beneath our feet and the quiet solitude of standing along the edge of the first pond, watching the wading birds feast and preen at Bird Rookery Swamp.
Unfortunately the trail remains closed at the end of the boardwalk as repairs continue on washouts in the back sections. Once those are completed, repairs must be done on the front sections to fill in deep ruts left by the machinery.
In the meantime, fellow lovers of Bird Rookery Swamp, there still is a lot to see. Yesterday a bald eagle was spotted in the parking lot and was later chased away in dramatic fashion by the nesting pair of red-shouldered hawlks. I did not get a photo of the action, but please enjoy this gallery from last week’s (short) free weekly guided walk.
It is with very grateful hearts that we wish you, our friends, members, volunteers and visitors, a very happy New Year.
In 2017 we saw the devastation of wildfires caused by extremely dry conditions followed by a very wet start to rainy season, then flooding followed by Hurricane Irma.
We thank you for your boots and hands. We could not have cleared the Marsh Trails and our office field station without the help of volunteers, trustees, members and FGCU students who showed up with work gloves and rakes and got to work. And while we still have a lot to do, like clearing and re-creating sections of the Wild Coffee Trail, we appreciate all of you that have put in a lot of sweat equity along with us.
When the call went out for financial help so we could purchase additional tools to use to clear trails, our members stepped up. We purchased handsaws, pruners, and more, which were well-used by our clean-up crews and will be used as we start to work on clearing trails in Flint Pen Strand. Thank you for donating in our time of need.
We also thank you for your patience. Bird Rookery Swamp is loved by all of us and is our most-visited trail system. It is still closed for repairs by the South Florida Water Management District, and we truly appreciate everyone’s patience. We know you want it open, as do we – we’ve had to cancel several of our most popular programs as we wait for the trail to dry out so the repairs can continue.
Our wish for you as we enter this new year is happiness, wherever you can find it. Whether it’s in the peaceful sunshine at the top of the observation tower at the CREW Marsh Trails, or tucked in a quiet spot watching butterflies on the Cypress Dome Trails, or even along the boardwalk at Bird Rookery Swamp, we hope you can find peace and happiness somewhere on our trails.
Thank you, again, for all of your support, and all that you do to help the CREW Trust.