The CREW Trust is pleased to announce the following businesses, organizations, and individuals as sponsors for our 25th anniversary concert and silent eco-auction to be held March 1st. Thanks to each of them for their financial support. Please let them know how much you appreciate their support of CREW!
If you’d like to be a sponsor and see your logo here, contact Brenda Brooks at 239-657-2253 or brenda@crewtrus.mystagingwebsite.com.
Our 25th anniversary concert and silent eco-auction will be held on March 1st 2014, 6:00 PM at Riverside Park in Bonita Springs FL. Tickets are on sale now at http://crewconcert2014.bpt.me/
CREW Marsh after Tropical Storm Faye in 2008 (Photo by Deb Hanson)
Happy New Year, and welcome to 2014. This is a watershed year for the CREW Land & Water Trust as we celebrate our 25th Anniversary! The CREW Trust was formed in 1989 by Joel Kuperberg (a former Naples City Councilman, botanist, head of Florida’s Internal Improvement Fund, and later Director of the Trust for Public Land) as a public-private partnership to coordinate the land acquisition, management, and public outreach for the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed (CREW). Since then, this watershed stewardship project has accomplished much that it set out to do, including protecting over 45,000-acres of land within the established boundaries of the watershed.
This accomplishment has been the result of efforts by multiple agencies, organizations, landowners, businesses, and private citizens. The CREW Land & Water Trust’s strength over the years has been to build partnerships and bring people together with the vision of protecting this watershed which provides drinking water for residents and visitors to southwest Florida. Some of the main partners are:
The South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) – the primary landowner and land manager within CREW.
Lee and Collier Counties – both of which have purchased land within CREW
The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) – which oversees wildlife management, hunting, and law enforcement on CREW lands
Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary – which is located in the heart of the CREW and whose former Director, Ed Carlson, helped write one of the initial proposals requesting the SFWMD to purchase Bird Rookery Swamp
ALICO – which sold the first land to the CREW project – the Corkscrew Marsh unit off of Corkscrew Road.
Here’s a very abbreviated timeline of some of the highlights of our 25 years….
The CREW Trust has multiple events planned throughout the year to celebrate its 25th Anniversary. Registration is required for all of these events. You can register at http://crewtrust.eventbrite.com
January 16 – CREW Wine & Cheese Social (Invitation Only -Members and Volunteers)
February 1 – Hike the Loop: 12-Mile Hike at Bird Rookery Swamp
