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Annual Banquet - A wonderful evening for all!

After years of hiatus, CNCP hosted its Annual Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium Banquet, Calusa Awards and Auction/Raffle Event at the Hut Restaurant and Peace Gardens in old Buckingham. A wonderful gathering of more than 110 people enjoyed a great meal, music, interacting with wild creatures and one another.

Nationally acclaimed photographer Clyde Butcher held everyone’s attention with his images and stories that provided a deep insight into this artist’s vision and passion for the beauty and importance of Florida’s natural wonders and why they are so important to cherish and protect.

Amy Bennett Williams enthralled all with readings of some of her essays and the gift she has for connecting us to scents, sights, and feelings for people and places in a way that few others can. She makes you become part of the story as her words stimulate your senses and mind to connect to the word pictures that she paints.

Calusa also re-established the coveted Calusa Awards. The statue of an Eagle with outstretched wings clutching an American flag in its talons – symbolizing the need to keep them both flying over Southwest Florida – topped each award.

Special Lifetime Achievement Award: Congressman Porter Goss

The Arts Award to photographer: Clyde Butcher

The Literary and Parenting Award: Amy Bennett Williams

Elected Leader Award: Commissioner Frank Mann

The Media Award: The News-Press, for its greatly expanded coverage of Nature & Environment and its Parent & Child Magazine

The Volunteers Award: to the tireless couple who has adopted CNCP as their latest baby, Nina &

Jerry Compton

The Student Award: Kayla Koszela, long-time member of the Junior Naturalists, CALUSA CREW and a summer camp leader.

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Summer

Newsletter

June - August

2015

Naturally

Speaking!

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Holly Schwartz won the 50/50 raffle – and immediately turned around and donated it back to the center. The auction items donated were amazing, with old-time buggy trips, top of the line vacation stays from Tween Waters and the West Wind Inn and a week-long stay at a Key West Condo offered alongside a wide variety of handmade crafts and artwork.

Our wildlife permit advisor Jeremy, along with Jamie and Padraig Hargett, shared an opportunity for folks to get up close to wildlife during the pre-banquet and the break. Jana Phillips even wrestled an alligator under the brightly colored evening sky!

All in all it was a great evening and a very big financial boost for CNCP as it moves into the slower summer season. We hope you will join us next spring for another great evening with wonderful people. We thank all who attended and all who supported the event with donations and the excellent auction items. Next year, the banquet will be in the early spring…. Stay tuned to the calendar on our website.

Annual CNCP Banquet (continued)

The Eagle Flew for Each of the CALUSA Awardees…

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Banquet

Sponsors

� Panther $5,000

� Kitson & Partners

� Fox $4,000

� Wilbur Smith of Sawyer Smith Law

� Strayhorn & Persons Law

� The Huether Family

� Bear $2,500

� Denny’s Restaurants - Marcia & Ron York

� Hughes, Snell & Co. Accountants

� Global HR Research (GHRR)

� Bobcat $1,000

� Clyde Butcher

� Johnson Engineering

� Raccoon $500

� Nolan Family Insurance

� Rick & Carolyn Swift

� Jeff & Cyndi Mudgett

� Ray Pavelka

� Brian Simon, Alliance Financial Group

� Little Pine Island Mitigation Bank

� Catlin Dental P.A.

� Bent Kaaber

� Royal Fern

� Mike Roeder

� Holly & John Cassani � Pat Geraghty

� Roetzel & Andress � Mary & Greg Rawl � Dennis Gilkey

� Tamara & Steve Pigott

� Jana & Brandon Phillips

� Kevin Kyle family

� Timothy Blauser

� Garlick/Hilfik/Swift

� Laura Frost

� Christina & james Schwinn

� Jon Wadas

� Rosemarie & Bill Hammond

� Ron Wadas

Our Sincere Thanks to the Banquet Committee:

Nina Compton, Lori Ferrell, Rosemarie

Hammond, John Cassani. Marcia York, Jana

Phillips & Bill Hammond

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A WONDERFUL BIRTHDAY PARTY

For Trouper

� Look who else showed up on the entrance ramp to the Nature Center!

We think he will hang around and be here for the Gala Revitalization Event on September 12th.

Trouper, the blind and brain damaged but wonderful and personable Raccoon, injured by a person with a golf club, had a great birthday party with his wonderful caregiver and rescuer, former teacher “Miss Dot” Lee. Miss Dot shared the story of Trouper and how he teaches folks how important it is to respect and care for wildlife. Co-sponsor of the Wildlife Education Project, Brandon Phillips, provided information on how people can support Trouper and the Wildlife Education Project to share the need to RESPECT wildlife. Author Kyle Miller shared her connection with Miss Dot and Trouper that inspired her to write a book that shares the Trouper and Dot story (available in our Nature Center shop). Dick Workman led everyone in singing Happy Birthday to Trouper by “blowing” the Happy Birthday song on his Conch Shell a-la-Calusa Style! Trouper’s friend Smokey the Bear sang Happy Birthday for Trouper and shared with us all why it is so important to wildlife and our forests that we be very careful with fires. The Florida Division of Forestry (DACS) staff answered questions and shared materials for children and adults to use to learn more.

It was a great celebration with raccoon face painting that was provided by students of Sunstate Academy. The Calusa Crew roamed, sharing and exhibiting animals for photo ops. John Cassani shared a special time for folks in the Butterfly Conservatory and a special planetarium show was presented for the little ones. Plan on celebrating with TROUPER next year!

Note: To make contributions to the WEP

Wildlife Education Program on behalf of Trouper’s message to respect and care for wildlife, send to WEP c/o Lori@calusanature.org

THANK YOU IN ADVANCE!

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SUMMER AT THE NATURE CENTER:

IMPORTANT DATES

� BEGINNING JULY 1ST HOURS OF OPERATIONS WILL BE:

� 10:00AM - 3:00PM MONDAY THRU SATURDAY

� 11:00AM - 3:00PM SUNDAY

Then, from AUGUST 15TH until SEPTEMBER 11TH:

THE NATURE CENTER WILL BE CLOSING FOR RENOVATIONS, UPGRADING and REPAIRS, such as:

Three new exhibits, compete renovation of the large classroom, the reptile room conversion back to a learning space, repairs to the boardwalks, repairs to the Planetarium building, added landscaping, updated trails and animal habitats.

NOTE: During the time that we are closed, special rental events for weddings and parties may still be accommodated – staff and volunteers will be working although we’ll be closed to the general public. Make sure to place a call to Lori if you have any questions or inquiries on bookings (239)

275-3435.

September 12th 2015

We will reopen with a

Revitalization Celebration –

Ready for the new year!

Our Commitment to the Future

� We will provide a Winter Camp over the 2015 Winter/Christmas Holiday � We will provide a Spring Break Camp in 2016 � We will provide an 8 Week Summer Camp in 2016

Without our own summer camp this summer, we have scheduled summer camp visits from the YMCA in Venice, the Conservancy of Southwest Florida, Alliance for the Arts, The Imaginarium, and a variety of other county, city and private day camps almost every weekday morning. Our focus is on giving these children a great Calusa experience!

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The Calusa Connecting Children to Nature Summer Camp Series did not happen this summer.

“We were skunked!”

The circumstances that have prevented us from conducting a high quality, inspirational, engaging and active educational experience for campers this summer result from the decision by our administration and Board of Trustees that, during this major effort in rebuilding of the Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium facilities, programs and staffing, it was prudent to accept a proposal from a national camp provider, Be Inspired Arts Inc. This organization, based in Tennessee, has successfully operated camps nationwide -- they wanted to rent our facilities to run a camp here and at FGCU this summer. A strong consideration for the board was that they would pay us a fee significantly greater than we normally have cleared during the past few summers of running our own camps. It seemed like a win-win proposal. At the request of some parents whose children were participants in past years of Calusa Nature

Center & Planetarium Camps we later decided to plan a supplemental and greatly reduced camp

program that we could operate separately from the Be Inspired Program. Unfortunately we had

to advertise without the quality program information details people expect available for their

decision-making in a timely manner.

About a week ago, Be Inspired Inc. informed us that they could not recruit the more than 85

students they needed for each of the 8 weeks of camp sessions and that they would have to

withdraw from the agreement. While they are making a significant donation as compensation for

our holding up our camp program from being implemented this year, we were disappointed that

we did not have enough campers registered for our limited program to make our own sessions

feasible to operate.

Again, our apologies for any inconvenience this circumstance may have caused for you and your

family but we will not operate a program that is not well planned and expertly staffed, as it is our

goal to offer experiences that challenge, excite and educate our campers actively IN nature –

guided by experienced, enthusiastic leaders who provide role models for our youngsters.

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Connecting to Nature

Calusa Planetarium – Guides your experience from the Earth to Infinity daily. Come on

in and join us for a journey of the mind this summer

at one of the three daily shows: 12:15 pm, 1:30 pm

and 2:15 pm

Learning FROM nature

Learning IN nature

Learning ABOUT nature

Calusa Nature Center…

The Place to Connect

Did you know? A child in New York City can only see three stars on a clear night.

Light pollution is washing out the SW Florida night sky, which robs our children of the wonder of seeing the Milky Way or even just a starry sky in the cool of evening.

The average person in the U.S. spends less than 10% of their time out of doors.

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Please keep in touch with the Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium on our website, join our membership and receive discounts and early information. Consider volunteering with your child anytime. Thank you for your support and interest in CNCP. We are moving forward and re-growing the Calusa Center’s Mission to Connect People with Nature.

Thank you! – Dr. Bill Hammond

Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium

3450 Ortiz Ave. Ft. Myers FL 33905

BECOME A MEMBER TODAY!!!

Are you interested in joining the Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium as a valued Member? It is membership support from the community that allows us to fulfill our mission to “Connect People with Nature” by developing a greater awareness of and appreciation for the unique natural systems of Southwest Florida and fostering an understanding of earth and space sciences. We are a clearinghouse for environmental information and a gathering place for those who share the love of the outdoors.

Visit us at www.calusanature.org to learn more about the Nature Center, review Member

Benefits (like reciprocal privileges at over 100 nature and science centers around the country and internationally) and learn how you can engage your passion.

Join Online Today!!