When
local officials, dignitaries and children from The Sanibel School gather to cut
the ribbon on the brand new Wildlife Education Boardwalk, which connects the
school property with the JN “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, the first
phase of the project will be completed.
Open
to the public, the boardwalk crosses a brackish wetland between the school and
the refuge’s Indigo Trail. Weaving through mangroves, it features a two-story
covered pavilion and observation tower. (For security reasons, a locked fence
will separate it from the school.)
According
to Supervisory Refuge Ranger Toni Westland, the project is one of only a handful
of school-refuge partnerships in the nation that are physically connected by an
educational boardwalk.
“I’ve
been on the board for a number of years, and we have long wanted to connect the
Indigo Trail with The Sanibel
School
without walking along San-Cap Road,” said Susan Cassell of the “Ding” Darling
Wildlife Society, who received
a
sneak preview of the new facility last week. “The boardwalk is going to be a great
place where you can see alligators
and
wading birds.”
Amy
Nowacki, the architect who designed the boardwalk with multi-level features,
reported that she was very happy to see her concept brought to reality.
“It
wasn’t easy, trying to fit the structure into the space that we had, but we did
it,” said Nowacki. “The extra eight feet in height the second level gives you
really offers a wonderful view. And as the water levels fluctuate throughout
the year as the seasons change, the children are going to be able to see
different types of aquatic environments.”
She
called the facility an “outdoor classroom” that will be enjoyed by many.
The
official ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Wildlife Education Boardwalk will take place
at 1 p.m. on Monday, August 12. For more information, call 472-1100.
“We
spent a lot of time on the design and working with teachers at the school,” said
Cassell. “The open design will allow
an
entire class to be brought out there, but still be sheltered from the sun. It’s
a wonderful environment that still preserves
nature.”
Major
donations for the project came from the Jim Sprankle Duck Decoy Exhibit
sponsorships, the George and Miriam Martin Foundation, and memorials to the
late Win Kloosterman.
“I
think the children are really going to be surprised the first time they see it,”
added Nowacki, “because when you’re
walking
towards it, you can’t really see it…but then all of a sudden – there it is!”
Island
Sun (August 9, 2013)
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