Sanibel Beach Florida & More than Shells and Sand.....

While most vacationers are drawn to Sanibel Beach Florida for it s famous shelling opportunities, there s plenty more to see and do once you tear yourself away from the beach.

Start with the J.N . Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge, one of the premier refuges in the US Fish and Wildlife Service s System. World famous for its winter migrating bird population, the Refuge welcomes visitors with an exciting Visitor s Center. Here, you will find interactive exhibits that entertain and inform, a gallery of refuge photography, a short video explaining the origin of the Refuge and its importance in the area ecosystem and much more.

A 2.6 mile road winds through its acres of mangrove forests, and brackish impoundments where herons, egrets, ibises, sandpipers and many other birds feed and roost. The Refuge is home to more than 220 different species of birds. Drive your car, take the naturalist-operated tram, or bike through, making as many stops as you wish to enjoy the surprises this sanctuary offers.

And there s more conservation land to be enjoyed. Inland, in the central part of the Sanibel Beach Florida, the Bailey Tract provides another birding opportunity. Here the water is all fresh, bordered by the Sanibel River on two sides and dotted with a series of small ponds. Armed with binoculars, you ll spy ospery on their nests, red shouldered hawks, and sometimes an alligator or two, in addition to ducks and songbirds. You ll walk through sawgrass meadows as tall as your shoulder and get a feel for what the Everglades are like.

Conservation is high on the list of Sanibel Beach Florida residents concerns. In fact, more than 50 per cent of the Island is conservation and sanctuary land, unavailable for development.

The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation owns significant tracts of land. Lot by lot, acre by acre, SCCF has raised funds, purchased and restored significant. Their headquarters off the San-Cap Road is the starting point for a range of interesting walking trails. You ll also find gift shop and native plant nursery.

Further along the road the Clinic for Rehabilitation of Wildlife, (CROW) offers a look at an animal hospital where walking and flying creatures are brought to be healed and returned to the wild. Recognized as one of the nation s leading rescue clinics, CROW has treated more the 45,000 patients since opening in 1968. Staffed by two full time veterinarians and a veterinary assistant, CROW offers a daily presentation at the headquarters on its rehabilitation and care procedures.

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