SANIBEL, Fla. — Six months ago, Fox 4 Meteorologist Andrew Shipley planted a few tiny mangroves at Clam Bayou as part of the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation’s (SCCF) “Adopt a Mangrove” program. Now, those seedlings have some serious company — and they’re thriving.
“They have grown at least a foot,” said Kealy Pfau, SCCF’s Coastal Watch Director, as we checked on the mangrove restoration site together.
Clam Bayou has weathered its fair share of storms over the years — from Hurricane Charley to Ian, and most recently Helene and Milton. Hurricane Milton even opened a new cut connecting the bayou to the Gulf, further reshaping the coastal landscape.
Despite the damage, these young mangroves are giving the shoreline new hope.
“They are going to interweave those roots that look like legs, and that really traps all that sediment from getting washed back out,” Pfau explained.Since May, 1,500 mangroves have been planted at the site, with more to come. “This coming year we are going to put in a second generation of mangroves,” Pfau added.
Join the Effort
You can help restore Southwest Florida’s coastlines through SCCF’s Adopt a Mangrove program. This fall, SCCF is hosting several adoption events at Bailey Homestead Preserve.
“We’ve already adopted out 700 mangroves,” said Sky McDonald, SCCF’s Community Conservation Coordinator.
Adopting a mangrove is simple — they just need water, sunshine, and a little encouragement.
“Take care of it for three months, six months, a year, then bring it back here where we’ll plant it at a restoration site,” McDonald said. In time, these small seedlings will grow into the towering mangrove trees that protect Sanibel’s shores and support local wildlife.
“They will grow into the trees we see on our rookery islands, on the edges of Sanibel — everywhere we know and love,” McDonald said.
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