Twenty participants have joined SCCF over the last month as part of a Florida Master Naturalist Course in Coastal Systems, which SCCF Adult Education Director Jenny Evans is leading in partnership with the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences and SCCF Volunteer and Assistant Instructor Jim Winn.

“With the Florida Master Naturalist course, we are able to give participants an understanding of our local ecosystems, expose them to the work that SCCF does, and make connections between the two,” Evans said.

She said the 40-hour course includes a mix of instruction, hands-on activities, field trips, and student presentations to deliver a full understanding of the habitats, flora, and fauna of Sanibel and Captiva and surrounding coastal communities.

For participant Cameron Gunter, having SCCF as the host for this course is the perfect fit.

“SCCF has a history of researching and protecting our coastal environment, so just about all of the information we have learned is something SCCF has been involved with first-hand,” Gunter said. Being able to get an inside look into what SCCF does aligns perfectly with what this class is about.”

Course field trips have included an educational cruise to Cayo Costa to learn about water sampling, oyster restoration, and seagrass beds; a tour of an SCCF preserve to learn about land management and field research; and an afternoon on the beach to practice identifying and marking off a sea turtle nest.

The class will also travel to Bunche Beach in Fort Myers to observe the many shorebirds, mollusks, crustaceans, and other invertebrates found on the productive mudflats.

In the classroom, students have delved into coastal ecology, water quality and policy, and environmental ethics, and have practiced perfecting their interpretive skills.

“Our goal is to have students leave the class with a deeper understanding and connection to Southwest Florida’s coastal environment. Achieving that goal will help to further SCCF’s mission and create stewards that will protect and care for our coastal ecosystems,” Evans said.