Celebrating 30 Years of Coastal Stewardship

Thirty years ago, the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve was established near Naples, Florida as a 3,700-acre nationally protected area. The reserve is the result of efforts from a concerned community working in partnership with state and federal environmental agencies. Since that time, long-term research and stewardship programs have improved the understanding of the delicate balance between growing human populations and sustaining a healthy estuary.

Since the reserve’s creation, it has been expanded to 110,000 acres, representing one of the nation’s last remaining relatively untouched mangrove-forested estuaries. The reserve helps ensure long-term protection of habitats that provide refuge for a rich and diverse community. A myriad of wildlife, including 150 species of birds and many threatened and endangered animals, thrive in the estuarine environment and surrounding upland hammocks and scrub found within the reserve.

www.rookerybay.org