You’ve all waited patiently for your favorite CREW trails to reopen. Well, the day has arrived!
You can immediately head out to the trails to enjoy the fresh air at all four CREW trail systems: Bird Rookery Swamp Trail, CREW Marsh Trails, Cypress Dome Trails and Flint Pen Strand Trails.
Please remember we all need to practice social distancing, even on the trails.
Consider the “bottleneck” areas, like the parking lot or boardwalks as spaces to be especially considerate of others space.
We will continue to update our media pages as we learn more from the South Florida Water Management District.
As part of ongoing efforts to help prevent the potential spread of COVID-19 and protect public safety, the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) will temporarily close the all CREW trails, effective at 6 p.m. on Saturday, April 4, 2020.
Closure includes Bird Rookery Swamp, Flint Pen Strand, Cypress Dome and CREW Marsh trails.
The District follows the lead of local governments that have issued Safer at Home orders in their communities and guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Florida Department of Health.
Check our website for daily updates regarding trail status
We want everyone to know that all four of the CREW trail systems- Bird Rookery Swamp, Flint Pen Strand, Cypress Dome Trail, and CREW Marsh Trails are all currently open. We are updating our website daily with current information regarding their status. So get out to the trails soon, just be sure to keep a 6-foot distance between yourself and others. As always, your donations and support are greatly appreciated, so bring a few extra bucks to drop in the donation box on the trails. Stay well everyone!
As COVID-19 (Coronavirus) continues to impact our communities, the CREW Trust is taking proactive measures such as canceling and/or postponing all public events on the CREW trails as directed by the South Florida Water Management District. That includes but is not limited to guided walks, events, group gatherings, volunteer events, etc. The CREW Trust will provide updates about when events and activities will resume as information becomes available.
All public recreational access to the CREW trails is currently open. In other words you can still go out to hike, bike and enjoy your favorite outdoor CREW activity at any of the four CREW trail systems. However, out of an abundance of caution, we recommend users monitor the open/closed status of the CREW trails. Information about any changes to public access to CREW trails for recreation will be communicated to the public as it develops.
The latest land management information from the South Florida Water Management District and any changes related to the COVID-19 will be available at sfwmd.gov.
The CREW Trust partners, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD), continue to be in close communication with the Governor’s Office, the Florida Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) regarding the most recent COVID-19 status and guidance. For any other questions related to COVID-19 in Florida, please contact the Department of Health’s dedicated COVID-19 Call Center by calling 866-779-6121 or emailing COVID-19@flhealth.gov. The call center is available 24 hours a day. Updates are also available on Twitter and Facebook.
All CREW trails are currently open for use. We will update you if the South Florida Water Management District closes down the trail systems or halts any public programs. Thank you for supporting the CREW Trust.
You depend on CREW trust staff and volunteers to use your money wisely to provide environmental education for all ages. We take this job seriously and make sure we provide the best field trip experiences to all. We emphasize the importance of protecting our watershed that we all rely on to provide water to parts of Lee and Collier counties. The CREW lands protect habitat for wildlife and also provides wonderful recreational opportunities.
Revenue from last year’s CREW Concert helped to fund the Dr. David R. Cooper Education Fund which directly supports our education programs. This year, proceeds from the concert will support our efforts to develop more trails and education programs at our newest trail system, Flint Pen Strand off of Bonita Beach Road. Check out our free guided walks offered every Thursday through April to get a great introduction to this unique ecosystem – home to bald eagles, ospreys, many songbirds and other wildlife.
Have we mentioned how much fun our yearly concerts are? Attending the concert is a great way to give back while having a great time with friends and family. Dance to the music of the High Voltage Band (a local group), buy some great food from local food vendors, enter a bid for something special in our Silent Eco-Auction and enjoy a night out with friends and family. Think of all you get and all you contribute to CREW for the cost of your ticket!
Forest bathing is widely practiced for health reasons. The concept is simple: to surround yourself in nature for the purpose of absorbing the healing properties of the forest. Adherents claim that it can lower blood pressure, slow the heart rate and reduce the levels of harmful hormones such as cortisol. Overall it has a calming effect.
But does it really work or is it the product of someone’s imagination? Research shows that the effects of forest bathing are real and demonstrable. A Russian scientist began to study forest bathing in the 1920’s, working on the theory that the “aromas of the forest” strengthen our immune systems. Subsequent study has shown that trees emit an organic, antimicrobial volatile compound that our bodies absorb and which reduces inflammation and helps us fight off germs.
So how to practice forest bathing? First, find a peaceful wooded area where you can linger for 20 minutes daily. When you enter that quiet forest, walk slowly and stop often, listening and observing. This is not a time for your daily jog – vigorous exercise defeats the purpose. Instead immerse your senses in the sights and sounds of nature while you’re absorbing that healthy aroma of the forest. The nearby presence of water enhances the effect.
Of interest to those of us who live in southwest Florida, modern research has determined that the trees which give us the greatest benefits in forest bathing are all varieties of cypress trees. CREW’s Bird Rookery Swamp Trail is an ideal place to practice forest bathing. Surrounded by cypress trees and plenty of water, you leave feeling refreshed.
As the water dries down at CREW’s Flint Pen Strand trails, an abundance of wading birds have become regular visitors to the lakes. You can access the lakes two different ways: by hiking from the Main Parking lot or parking in the smaller Lakes Parking lot adjacent to the lakes. If you want to see these birds arrive early for sunrise or later for sunset. Take your time approaching these flighty hunters and you will be rewarded with views perfect for unbelievable photographs. For some inspiration, take a look through this collection from CREW Trust volunteer, Bill Zaino’s recent photos capturing White Pelicans, Roseate Spoonbills, Woodstorks, Tricolored Herons, Great Egrets, Snowy Egrets, Limpkins and Greater Yellowlegs .
Written by Allison Vincent, communications director
Starting a new job can be challenging. The first year of work is like an anthropological research project, studying the behaviors of a faraway culture. Many things are ordinary; check email, print labels, write blog posts etc.. but some things are exciting and new, like hiking down long trails alone early in the morning.
I’ve never really hiked alone and I find the experience makes me feel both mindful and vigilant. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve frozen mid-step to over-analyze a crooked stick down the trail from me to make sure it’s not a snake. In fact this has happened enough times that I’ve taken to calling them snake sticks, out of respect. Before moving on, I should add that I like snakes but didn’t come across quite so many of them in previous position.
Snake stick versus actual snake
These wriggly wandering sticks have done more than stop me in my tracks. They’ve helped me realize that my overactive imagination has resulted in many animal misidentifications. For my first few weeks at CREW whenever I would simultaneously see a shadowy figure in the palmettos and hear the crunchy noise of foot-steps I’d automatically assume it was a bear or panther too close for my comfort. There’s been more than one instance when I’ve started whistling or said something original like, “Hey, Bear! Or whatever you are, I’m walking here”.
Thankfully, with time on the trails during these purposeful work-hikes I’ve come to accept many of my false assumptions about wildlife. Now I expertly breeze past snake sticks without a missed step and huff at shadowy palmetto bushes. I know where to look for the wispy pink flag that marks the entrance to check the water gauge, a regular job detail during the rainy season. I carefully move the oak tree limbs aside to find the single-file path that wanders through tall grasses to find a post that marks the water depth and I think, ‘This is an awesome job’.
We know you’re excited for this season of programs and we can’t wait to share all the incredible hikes, bikes and talks with you. Register for something different every month or make visiting the CREW trails a part of your regular schedule with the weekly guided walks. Pop-up hikes and programs may be added when trail and weather conditions are right! Stay up-to-date on our website, CREWTrust.org.
Registration for our 2019-2020 programs will open on Tuesday, September 3rd to CREW Trust Members. Non-member registration will open one week later on Tuesday, September 10th. You must be a current CREW Trust member to register during our first week, so please make sure your membership is up to date or join today online at crewtrust.org/become-a-member/.
Strolling Science Seminars
Our scholarly walks for ages 18 and older are always a hit and sell-out quickly! This year we have four programs scheduled and may add more as schedules allow.
December 6: Florida Panthers– with Ashlee O’Connor
January 18: Strange Plants in a Strange Land– Join Anne Reed, writer, storyteller and CREW Trust volunteer naturalist for a scholarly walk and talk on the history of our beautiful, pesky and sometimes deadly invasive species.
February 7: Herpetology- with Shane Johnson
March 6: Nature by Any Other Name– with Dr. billY Gunnels
Strolling Science Seminar 2019
Specialty Walks
October 12: Fall Wildflower Walk– Join Brenda Thomas for a stroll along the trails where you’ll see the bounty of Florida’s fall wildflowers! And, if you’re lucky, it might be pine lily time.
January 24: Birding with Brian Beckner of Native Bird Boxes. These sessions are for everyone from serious birders to beginners.
April 14: Spring Wildflower Walk- Springtime means a new rush of color on the trails! Participants will stroll through the CREW Marsh Trails with Roger Hammer, author of several wildflower books including The Complete Guide to Florida Wildflowers.
April 18: GeoCache Day- Milla and Pete will be hosting a day of Geocaching at the Cypress Dome Trail for everyone to come and explore the outdoors!
photo by Bill Zaino at Flint Pen Strand
Free Guided Walks
Our free guided walks schedule has changed this year and walks will be offered on select dates.
2020 CREW Concert Under The Stars & Silent Eco Auction: February 29, from 5-9 p.m. featuring the High Voltage Band at Riverside Park in Bonita Springs. Sponsorship options and tickets available on our website, CREWTrust.org.
Registration for members opens on September 3; for non-members on September 10. All programs require registration; visit eventbrite.com after registration opens. CREW Trust members will receive an email on September 3 when registration opens.
