Cypress Cove Landkeepers, Inc

The Gore Nature Education Center (Center) is a unique property of ten acres with an Olde Florida stilted-Cracker home that offers a rich opportunity to provide nature experiences for all age groups. Many groups with an interest in nature activity, including homeschoolers, scouts along with local schools and colleges, have encouraged us to launch a series of programs that utilize the 10-acre preserve as an outdoor classroom. We have developed partnerships with several local agencies such as Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU), Florida SouthWestern State College (FSW), Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge, and Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) in order to provide meaningful programming to the community.

Along with the 10 acres of the Center, a contiguous conservation area of nearly 170 acres purchased by Collier County (as part of the Conservation Collier program) extends the potential for programming with the Center through a broader array of trails and experiences.
The programs will be offered to young people (ages 5 thru 21) from the community. Our program segments will cover a wide range of topics related to the environment and nature. Classes will be inspired by the unique seasonal offerings available on the property. Ideally, we hope to inspire the next generation of conservationists--with special efforts made to reach underserved youth in our community. A cadre of volunteer educators from STEM programs throughout the community will be providing programming.

A key measure for short-term goals for this start-up program will be evaluating how successful the activities are for increasing the participants’ overall perception of improved connection with nature. This will be accomplished through a short, targeted survey that may for some ages be administered verbally vs. a written survey. Scout badges will be earned in several categories. Feedback from scout leaders will be collected for monitoring subsequent behavioral or attitudinal changes regarding environmental stewardship they may observe with the youths following an activity intervention.
Long term goals are:
• Encouraging further participation from more community members.
• Having school field trips and internship opportunities.
• Raising funds for scholarships to help provide these important skill-building courses to all.
• Being recognized as a leader in nature education in the area as well as within highly regarded like-minded associations as identified above.
• Being recognized as a valuable community resource and trusted partner for environmental concerns and knowledge-sharing.

























































































































































































































































































/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin-top:0in;
mso-para-margin-right:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:8.0pt;
mso-para-margin-left:0in;
line-height:107%;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif;}