Building on its 70-year anniversary celebrated in 2024, Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary has launched an exciting capital campaign to transform its campus to enhance the visitor experience and conduct the science and collaboration needed to preserve its 13,000 acres now and into the future.
“Thanks to dedicated and visionary supporters, we have already raised 75% of our $20 million goal, with $5 million to go,” says Sanctuary Director Keith Laakkonen.
The re-imagined campus will include new spaces - including the John “Jack” Hayworth Western Everglades Research Center, the Brian and Heidi Miller Land Stewardship Operations Center, the Paul Pacter Outdoor Classroom, and more. By removing outdated facilities and building only within previously disturbed areas, the new campus will provide the infrastructure needed to advance Audubon’s conservation leadership in a rapidly developing region, while continuing to serve as a premiere nature destination.
In 2024, the Florida Legislature, led by then Senate-President Kathleen Passidomo and Representative Lauren Melo, showcased their commitment to Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary through their investment of $5 million in these efforts, signed into law by the governor.
“Investments in this watershed mean investments in water quality as well as wildfire and flood protection for our communities,” says Audubon Florida Executive Director Julie Wraithmell. “We're so grateful for last year's legislative support positioning Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary as a center of excellence for watershed science, championed by President Passidomo and Representative Melo.”
The campus transformation has already begun with all-new interpretive displays along the boardwalk and within the Blair Visitor Center. Visitors now encounter more than 50 eye-catching and educational signs that explain the importance of prescribed fire, the wonders of wetlands, what makes a healthy watershed, cultural history, species identification, and many other topics. All boardwalk interpretive signs include a QR code that leads to sign content translated into Spanish and Haitian Creole.
Still to come this spring is the opening of the newly redesigned Spurlino Foundation Discovery Center exhibit hall within the Blair Visitor Center, with exciting new displays that can be seen, heard, and touched.
“We need help to reach the finish line,” says Laakkonen. “Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary is built on a 70-year history of staunch supporters and advocates preserving this special place. As proud guardians of 13,000 acres of still-wild Florida land in an everchanging region, there is no better time to invest in this place to ensure we preserve the quality of life in Southwest Florida -- from our watershed to the coasts.”
Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance and recognized as a Wetland of Distinction by the Society of Wetland Scientists, has been an Audubon-protected site for more than 100 years. It protects the world’s largest remaining, old-growth bald cypress forest. Tens of thousands of visitors annually explore the Sanctuary’s 2.25 miles of boardwalk through ancient forest, marsh, and upland habitats. Memberships and donations provide crucial support for conservation work at the Sanctuary.
