In 2024, we marked the remarkable 60-year journey of the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. This anniversary offered us the chance to not only celebrate our many achievements made possible with strong community support and engagement, but also look ahead with a renewed sense of purpose.
Our region’s natural beauty and ecological treasures are more than scenic backdrops – they are the lifeblood of our community, our economy, and our shared future. Our founders realized this decades ago. Now we must redouble our efforts to move the mission forward.
In Southwest Florida, we are fortunate to have a significant percentage of our coast protected or in preserves. Yet, we must remember that those natural areas — which we enjoy today, and which provide our community with so many ecological, economic and quality of life benefits — did not happen on their own. Someone, at some point, had to fight to preserve what we enjoy today. The moment we take our natural environment for granted is the moment we put these resources in peril.