VisitEstero had an opportunity to visit "CREW", with personal esscorts, Brenda Brooks, Executive Director & Deb Hanson, Environmental Education Specialist.
CREW is a 60k acre watershed that spans Lee and Collier Counties. Like a giant sponge, a watershed is an area of land that absorbs rain and ground water and then "sheds" it into a wetland. Here that wetland is the CREW Marsh. The 5K acre Marsh holds onto the water it receives, protecting downstream areas from flooding during rain events and storing water for use during a drought. The plants in the marsh filter the water, removing pesticides and other substances harmful to humans. After it is cleaned, the slow moving water sinks into the ground, recharging the underground aquifer that is the source of drinking water for this part of Florida. The entire watershed also creates habitat for a wide variety of plants and animals, many of them threatened or endangered. The Florida panther, black bear, snail kite, and gopher tortorise all fine refuge here, as well as species of rare ferns and orchids. Contact Crew for more details on their marsh, cypress dome and bird rookery swamp trials adn hikes at 239-657-2253 or www.crewtrust.org.....
CREW is a 60k acre watershed that spans Lee and Collier Counties. Like a giant sponge, a watershed is an area of land that absorbs rain and ground water and then "sheds" it into a wetland. Here that wetland is the CREW Marsh. The 5K acre Marsh holds onto the water it receives, protecting downstream areas from flooding during rain events and storing water for use during a drought. The plants in the marsh filter the water, removing pesticides and other substances harmful to humans. After it is cleaned, the slow moving water sinks into the ground, recharging the underground aquifer that is the source of drinking water for this part of Florida. The entire watershed also creates habitat for a wide variety of plants and animals, many of them threatened or endangered. The Florida panther, black bear, snail kite, and gopher tortorise all fine refuge here, as well as species of rare ferns and orchids. Contact Crew for more details on their marsh, cypress dome and bird rookery swamp trials adn hikes at 239-657-2253 or www.crewtrust.org.....