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NAPLES – The Florida Department of Environmental
Protection (DEP) announced today that Rookery Bay
National Estuarine Research Reserve has been awarded
more than one million dollars in federal and state funds
for the construction of a pedestrian bridge at the
Rookery Bay Environmental Learning Center. Federal funds
awarded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) were matched with funds from the
Florida State Legislature.
“The construction of this new pedestrian bridge will
provide visitors with a unique view of Florida’s natural
resources, enhancing education and research,” said DEP
Secretary Colleen M. Castille. “Understanding your
surroundings is the first step to environmental
stewardship and the protection of unique ecosystems such
as Rookery Bay.”
The suspension bridge, to be completed in late 2006,
will be 250-feet long and 10-feet wide, providing
visitor access from the second floor of the
Environmental Learning Center to the opposite side of
Henderson Creek. The Rookery Bay Foundation is also
fundraising to build a boardwalk and 1.5-mile
educational trail for that location, which will
encourage visitors to explore coastal habitats and enjoy
Florida’s natural beauty.
“The bridge will connect visitors to the natural
resources around Rookery Bay,” said Rookery Bay Reserve
Manager Gary Lytton. “Environmental education,
exploration and observation are all available with this
experience.”
One of only 26 nationally designated Estuarine
Research Reserves, the 110,000-acre Rookery Bay Reserve
is located at the northern end of Ten Thousand Islands
in Collier County, protecting one of the few remaining,
relatively undisturbed mangrove estuaries in the nation.
The Florida Department of Environmental Protection
manages Rookery Bay in cooperation with the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
For information about Rookery Bay or Florida’s
estuaries, visit
www.dep.state.fl.us/coastal/. For more about the
Friends of Rookery Bay, visit
www.rookerybay.org. | 
