City Council Candidate Forum

Discover where your candidates stand on critical wildlife and environmental issues affecting Cape Coral.

Support our Mission

We are a volunteer organization with no paid positions. There are a number of ways you can support our mission, including becoming a member, donating and volunteering for events and operations.

Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife

Our Mission

Dedicated to Protection, Preservation and Education

Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife is a volunteer organization whose purpose is to preserve and enhance the habitats of protected wildlife species and to educate the community about Cape Coral’s wildlife resources.

Founded in 2001, we now have approximately 500 members and an engaged group of  volunteers, board of directors and committees operating our unique events and programs.  | About Us

Volunteer hours in the last year

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Who to Contact

If you came here to report a wildlife or habitat issue, please start here.

Actions Speak Louder than Words!

Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife is a non-profit membership organization that relies on donations and fundraisers to help protect our wildlife in Cape Coral, Florida. All members are volunteers, with no paid positions.

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Join/Renew Membership

Help support wildlife in Cape Coral by becoming a member, or renewing your existing membership.

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Donate to CCFW

Make a tax deductible donation to support Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife and our mission to protect and educate.

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Shop CCFW Merchandise

Get some unique apparel, wear your support for Cape Coral's wildlife and help further our mission by shopping CCFW merchandise.

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Adopt an Owl

Adopt a Cape Coral Burrowing Owl to help fund burrow maintenance activities and other programs.

What’s at Stake

The Florida burrowing owl and gopher tortoise are designated a threatened species by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The designation of Threatened is given to species whose prospects of survival are in jeopardy—in this case due largely to habitat loss.

Research has shown that gopher tortoise populations in Cape Coral represent a self-sustaining viable conservation unit that call for preservation of the natural and vacant lands they currently occupy.

The gopher tortoise is considered a “keystone species” with more than 350 other species using their burrows for shelter. If the tortoise burrows disappear, the ecosystem of wildlife that relies on them, will collapse.

Cape Coral Wildlife Needs Our Help

Our sister organization, the Cape Coral Wildlife Trust is rushing to acquire land for habitat preservation.

Make a Difference

burrow maintenance

Join the Burrow Maintenance Crew

Here is an important way to help working directly with wildlife. Supplied with City maps, weed wackers, safety equipment, and lots of enthusiasm this group of dedicated volunteers trim burrow with high weeds, install PVC pipes and perches on newly found burrows, repair and clean up existing burrows. They also have obtained GPS coordinates for every known burrow and submitted this information to the City of Cape Coral to be put in the City data base.

Starter Burrow

Dig a Starter Burrow

As Cape Coral grows, there will be less and less empty lots for the Burrowing Owls to call home, and loss of habitat is a primary reason why Burrowing Owl populations decline. Fortunately there is a solution to habitat loss that is working quite well.  Homeowners are being encouraged to put "starter" burrows on their front lawns.

Zebra Longwing

Visit the Butterfly House

The Tom Allen Memorial Butterfly House is one of Cape Coral's top attractions and a labor of love for many CCFW volunteers.

public outreach

Request a Speaker

CCFW volunteers are available to speak to students and civic associations about protecting Cape Coral's wildlife and habitats.

In the News

Cape Coral Construction Displaces Burrowing Owls, Sparks Community Outrage

Cape Coral Construction Displaces Burrowing Owls, Sparks Community Outrage

A Cape Coral resident is raising concerns after witnessing the destruction of a burrowing owl habitat.

Early Thursday morning, around 8:30 a.m., concerned neighbor Amanda Goodwin says she saw the bulldozing of the protective sign for burrowing owls at the construction site at NE 8th Place and NE 11th Street.

Goodwin says she saw a white pickup truck with a tractor dismantling the sign. NBC2 even spotted a displaced owl while at the construction site.

Nick Jennings from FWC to Discuss Burrowing Owls

Nick Jennings from FWC to Discuss Burrowing Owls

Did you know that Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) biologists have an active program to band Cape Coral’s burrowing owls? Join Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife (CCFW) at their first general meeting of the season on September 10, 2024 to learn more...

Saving Burrowing Owls in the Rain

Saving Burrowing Owls in the Rain

Published by Wink News by Tiffany RizzoWe’ve got lots of rain the past couple of days, and it’s flooding and burrowing owls’ homes. The older owls can fly to higher ground, but Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife President Pascha Donaldson worries about the babies! “If our...

2024 Burrowing Owl Census Results

2024 Burrowing Owl Census Results

The results have been tallied – the number of burrowing owls counted during the 6th annual census on May 18, 2024 in Cape Coral is 5098! This is a fantastic result demonstrating that Cape Coral’s official city bird is thriving in our city! 884 more owls were counted than in 2023, attributable to conservation efforts by the city, many members of the community and Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife (CCFW) to protect this threatened species which is such an iconic symbol of Cape Coral.

2024 Burrowing Owl Photo Contest Results

2024 Burrowing Owl Photo Contest Results

Today, we're thrilled to unveil the winners of the 2024 Burrowing Owl Photo Contest! The response this year was overwhelming, with an abundance of stunning and distinctive images capturing the essence of these magnificent birds. It was an honor to have Jesslyn...