Prior to the arrival of Hurricane Irma, the South Florida Water Management District closed all CREW trail systems, including the CREW Marsh Trails, Cypress Dome Trails and Bird Rookery Swamp.
The CREW Office, which is shared by CREW Land & Water Trust, FWC biologists and SFWMD staff, sustained property damage during the storm, including two residences on the property. Staff and volunteers began clean-up this week at the office, which remains closed at this time due to lack of power and water.
CREW Staff have begun surveying the trails and there is a lot of damage from fallen trees, to the point where some trails are not only impassable but appear to no longer be there. The conditions are unsafe for visitors and the trails remain closed at this time.
Clean-up will be a slow process and, as trails open, we will update the public on our website and Facebook pages. We appreciate your patience during this time and assure you that our staff and volunteers will work diligently to restore the trails and open them to our visitors and friends as soon as possible.
Wondering how you can help? The CREW Trust has a small assortment of trail clean-up tools and replaces them often, usually with funds we receive from grants or community partners. Due to the large amount of work that needs to be completed in order to restore the trails, and the large amount of volunteers we will have helping us, we need more pruners, loppers, saws, work gloves and carts for hauling wood. If you would like to donate supplies directly to the CREW Trust, please email Anne (anne@crewtrus.mystagingwebsite.com). You can also donate online through our website and designate that the funds be used to purchase equipment for trail clean-ups.