Home At Barefoot Beach

WELCOME TO YOUR BEACH!

WE HOPE YOU'LL VISIT OFTEN...

( SUBSCRIBE TO OUR ONLINE NEWSLETTER )

( Become A Member - Download Application )

Link to: Collier County Parks & Recreation Website

What is Barefoot Beach Preserve?

Barefoot Beach Preserve consists of 342 acres on a barrier island, separated from the mainland by mangrove swamps and tidal creeks. It is bordered on the west by 8,200 feet of Gulf of Mexico beach and sand dunes, and on the east by mangroves and tidal back bays. It is terminated at Wiggins Pass to the South. One of the last stretches of undeveloped beachfront land in South Florida, it remains as natural and unspoiled as it was hundreds of years ago. Rich vegetation and wildlife abound.

Friends of Barefoot Beach Preserve

P. O. Box 564 ~ Bonita Springs, FL 34133

Help Support the Friends: Be A Friend - Buy A Brick

News and Upcoming Events

VIEW OUR NOVEMBER 2009 NEWSLETTER

Download Membership Application for 2009-2010

See What's Been Added During the Summer of 2009

2009-10 Seasonal News Updates at Barefoot Beach Preserve

Nature Notes - A Weekly Update by Sharon Truluck, Florida Master Naturalist

Fall & Early Winter 2009-10 Weekly Ranger Led Programs (More Info)

January 22nd, 2009 - Docent Luncheon at Barefoot Clubhouse

Lecture Series ( 2009-2010 Lecture Series)

March 5th, 2010 - Next Annual Spring Membership Luncheon

SIGN UP FOR OUR ONLINE NEWSLETTER

Tidbits from Your President, Margaret Winn

AN APPEAL FROM YOUR PRESIDENT

The concept of The Friends of Barefoot Beach Preserve began in the spring of 1990 when Leon and Naida Eisenbud and Bobbe Hickman brought together a group to erect an osprey nesting platform. If you have any pictures of that time or of Barefoot Beach prior to 1990 please email them to me at twwwinn@comcast.net. We are compiling a DVD using photos; scans from old Friends scrapbooks etc. to show at the luncheon this year and kick off the celebration of twenty years volunteer service at Barefoot Beach Preserve.

Please plan to join us at Imperial golf Course this year and greet old friends.

For future updates of activities the Friends website at www.fobbp.org will have photos of events and lectures.

The ongoing success of the Brick Pavers Fundraising project is exciting and creates many opportunities for service at the park. The third installation of bricks is scheduled to occur before the end of January.

Upcoming opportunities for volunteers include a series of special programs by Ranger Jim Truluck and Volunteer Sharon Truluck; Estuary 101, Monday, February 8 from 2-3 pm at the learning center and Plants of Barefoot on Saturday ,February 20 from 2-3 pm at the learning center.

All are invited to attend a special one hour talk on February 24 at 1:00 in our learning center by renowned Gopher Tortoise expert and author, Ray Ashton. He will present a program to the public entitled Gopher habits. This talk is in conjunction with a workshop we are co-sponsoring with the Naples Preserve. This talk is the only segment open to the public and we urge you to take advantage of the opportunity to learn even more about our special animal.

The photos at the top are from last years luncheon………We would love to see you in them this year.

Margaret Winn, President- Friends of Barefoot Beach Preserve

239-495-9100

RECENT ADDITIONS AND CHANGES AT BAREFOOT BEACH PRESERVE....

Blue umbrellas have been installed on the picnic tables near the Nature Center. This should make for a more comfortable and enjoyable picnic experience when visiting Barefoot in the weeks and months ahead. We owe a huge thank you to the Club at Barefoot Beach for their generous donation of these umbrellas.

New speed bumps have been recently added to the second parking lot, to bring added awareness to the plight of the gopher tortoises. For sure, you are going to want to slowdown when traversing this area.

The eroded end of the Saylor Nature Trail has now been securely fenced off, to allow for vegetation to be renourished. A new connecting loop for the Saylor Trail was cut through by a full complement of the Parks and Recreation Department, and is now open for foot traffic.

We will continue to need new folks to volunteer at the preserve; so if you meet or talk to anyone you feel might be a candidate, be sure and let us know! Perhaps you may want to get involved yourself, if you are not already on the schedule. Start out by spending a morning or afternoon with one of the teams and see what they do. We typically have all our docents take part in the golf cart ride on the Saylor Trail with ranger Cindy Kavan. This can be a great learning experience. Ranger Jim Truluck's talk on the Boardwalk is not to be missed. And you can always visit with Ranger Mauricio, asking him whatever questions you might have. Ranger assistant and Master Naturalist Sharon Truluck, the author of the Nature Notes has offered to teach preserve plants to docents who are interested . She offers a wealth of information on these and other topics .

Volunteers are also welcome to start out as Tortoise protectors. Simply put , the volunteer wears one of the very visible yellow aprons and patrols the sidewalks and parking lots; watching for tortoise that go under cars or out into the road and making sure the drivers are aware of them. . It seems there's always something to be done at our Preserve.

Getting to the Preserve?

2009-10 Lecture Series Schedule

December 12th	Plants of Barefoot Beach	Mauricio Araquistain, Ranger
December 19	Native Plants and Human Use	Byron Stout
December 26	Gimbel the Gopher Tortoise (special "kid's" topic)	Kay Thorpe Bannon
January 2	Wildlife Rehab Center	Joanna Fitzgerald Vaught
January 9	Naples Zoo	David Tetzloff
January 16	Florida's Animals	David Piper
January 23	Inland Habitat	Larry Richardson and John Fitch
January 30	Coastal Habitat	John Fitch and Larry Richardson
February 6	Panthers	David Shindle
February 13	Shells of Barefoot	Jan Bachrach
February 20	Bird Migrations	Jerry Jackson
February 27	Master Naturalist Program	Martin Main
March 6	Everglades Wildlife	Ian Bartoszek
March 13	Seahorses	Gary Pettit
March 20	Terrapins	Phil Allman
March 27	Reptiles of Florida	Mary Toro
April 3	Frogs of Southwest Florida	Melinda Schuman
April 10	Hurricanes	Edwin Everham

Barefoot Beach Preserve is located along the Gulf of Mexico in the Northwest corner of Collier County. From either I-75 or Tamiami Trail (US 41), take Bonita Beach Road, west. Just before reaching the Gulf, turn left (South) onto Barefoot Beach Blvd. Pass through the gate (a stop is not required, except for commercial vehicles) and continue South through the residential area to the Preserve's North entrance gate. All vehicles except Collier residents displaying a permit are required to pay a small parking fee.

Each Saturday morning during season, at 10 AM, the Friends of Barefoot Beach are pleased to present lecturers on a variety of topics. All lectures are held in the Friends Learning Center and attendance at the lectures is free of charge and open to the public. Plan to come early, as seating is limited, and often means that latecomers will be left with standing room only. Check Out our schedule of lectures for the 2009-2010 season.

Who Are "The Friends?"

What Is Our Purpose?

Our organization is appropriately named, as it had its origin among friends and neighbors, Leon and Naida Eisenbud and Bobbie Hickman, Walking in the beach in the spring of 1990, they noted some Osprey's valiant efforts to build nests close by, and decided to help. A team effort that soon included the utility company, and a local builder, resulted in a platform nest atop a pole that was quickly occupied by an Osprey family. They decided they could do more, the Friends was born, and has been a growing team ever since; joined by any and all who are concerned with preservation of our precious marine and wetland environment.

Today the Friends of Barefoot Beach is a non profit organization of over 400 families, each of whom pays annual dues, and who are concerned about the preservation of the precious marine and wetland environment. Recently, a Foundation was established to help insure the financial base for many years into the new millennium.

	To preserve, protect and enhance natural features of the Preserve.
	To foster research and education endeavors at the Preserve.
	To secure volunteers to assist the County at Barefoot Beach Preserve.
	To distribute literature relating to the Preserve.

What Can You Do? We'd love for you to be a FRIEND!

Join "The Friends of Barefoot Beach Preserve!" or "Be A Friend - Buy A Brick." Your charitable gifts and dues can help to preserve this natural seashore ~ a home to creatures of the land, sea and air. There are also a great many opportunities to volunteer. Whether you'd like to volunteer or become a member, won't you print out a copy of our application form, and send it in today? (Download Membership Application)

What are we doing?

	Saylor Nature Trail ~ A mile long trail winding through the trees to Wiggins Pass provides the chance to view over 30 species of native vegetation all tagged and identified by the Friends. Friends members regularly groom the trail, clearing out exotic plants and replacing them with natural species. They've also erected directional signs, provided benches to sit, relax and enjoy the natural beauty of the trail as well as the Gulf, and identified vegetation and provided a descriptive booklet, with detailed trail maps. manual.
	Education ~ The Saturday morning lecture series features guest speakers who are experts on subjects ranging from shells to dolphins, eagles to tortoises, and early Florida Indian culture. For years, these popular lectures have played to overflow crowds. Other educational offerings include nature walks, canoe trips, guided cart tours for the physically challenged and elderly along the Saylor trail, all of which help to provide recreation and education on diversified subjects, primarily related to environmental topics for the benefit of thousands of local residents and visitors of all ages.
	Learning Center ~ Located in the heart of the Preserve, this structure is full of displays and literature, including an extensive shell collection. Built and maintained through private contributions, this structure has been built, staffed, and maintained by the Friends of Barefoot Beach, without the use of County, State, or Federal tax dollars.
	Displays ~ Individual members have developed posters and displays which are exhibited on wall-mounted cases and in free standing cabinets all year round. Unique shell collections are on permanent display. Plant specimens from the trail and marine species from the beach are displayed.
	Library ~ Maintained for the use of visitors who wish to identify specimens and explore books of interest for adults and children on elements of this natural habitat.
	Tortoise Sanctuary ~ We are continuing an ongoing study of population, distribution and habitat of the gopher tortoise, a threatened species which is protected from the inroads of civilization in the Preserve.
	Osprey Platforms ~ Three poles and platforms for Ospreys have been constructed and installed. In addition, ospreys have established a nest on the trail in a dead tree. Ospreys have taken possession and reared families in all the nests. You can see and hear them, as the call to one another, fish for food, and feed and raise their fledglings.
	Aquatic Butterfly Garden ~ Dedicated to founders, Naida and Leon Eisenbud, with ponds and waterfall, a beautiful butterfly garden that was constructed, planted, and is maintained with mostly native plant materials that attract butterflies of many species. Each spring, following a lecture on butterflies, additional specimens are released in a spectacular display. Thanks to a few dedicated volunteers, the garden is flourishing. More helping hands, however, are always welcome.
	Xeriscape Cactus Garden ~ Just to the South of the Nature Center, in vivid contrast to the Butterfly Garden, the friends also maintain a xeriscape (dry or cactus) garden,
	Cleanup ~ Friends regularly assist the County with Beach Cleanup.