Beverly Saltonstall: Champion for Cape Coral’s Burrowing Owls
From New Jersey to Southwest Florida
Like so many residents of Southwest Florida, Beverly Saltonstall came from someplace else. In her case, it was central New Jersey, a world of tree-shaded All-American towns more familiar to the Midwesterners who populate Cape Coral than to the Jersey Shore stereotype of reality TV shows.
It was a place where young girls skipped rope, jumped hopscotch and played jacks. In fact, Beverly picked up jacks so well that she won a tournament to become the jacks champion of Woodbridge Township.
It was also a place to raise a family and enjoy a career as a nurse. But when it came time to retire, was there any place better for Beverly and husband Lloyd than Southwest Florida?
Meeting the Owls
Freshly arrived in Paradise, Beverly noticed a cute little owl on a stake outside her new home. It just stood there and looked at her. Never moved. Not scared. A half-hour later, she went back outside and, to her surprise, the owl was still there.
“I just had to learn more about this bird,” she said.
Soon after, Beverly read in the Cape Coral Breeze about a meeting on owls hosted by the city. She went. She met a dozen other residents determined to protect the little creatures from what was then an uncaring city government. That gathering became the nucleus of what would soon be the Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife (CCFW).
Becoming a Wildlife Advocate
In the year 2000, Beverly Saltonstall — a career nurturer of human life — had become a defender of wildlife.
The newly formed CCFW set out to do what they still do today: conduct surveys to know how many owls reside in Cape Coral, plant stakes announcing their nests so people can keep a safe distance, and dig starter burrows so the owls can create homes in sodded lawns that make natural burrowing impossible.
The city was about to become an ally in this effort, but there was still a missing component: public education. That’s where Beverly and new friend Pascha Donaldson came together.
Teaming Up with Pascha Donaldson
Pascha, who had relocated from Miami, was a natural public speaker with communication skills honed as a career physical education and healthcare teacher. Beverly, the nurse, brought scientific and biologic knowledge.
Together, they went out to groups throughout the city, explaining how owls fit into the natural environment, how undeveloped home lots were a natural habitat, and how Cape Coral’s 3,500 owls represented the world’s largest and most viable population of the Florida species.
“We called it our dog and pony show,” Pascha recalls.
At first, Beverly was reluctant. “I said I’d do it, but I didn’t want to do things like go to schools,” she remembers. Wouldn’t you know it, the first invitation was to speak at a school science club?
“But the kids were great. They were so excited. They asked so many good questions,” Beverly recalls. She immediately became a valued educator.
Overcoming Challenges
Another challenge came when Pascha arranged a speaking engagement for the Audubon Society chapter in Venice. Beverly was nervous. “These people are experts. They know a lot more about birds than me. How can I tell them about birds?” she said.
Pascha reassured her, and it worked out. The members were so impressed that they organized a bus trip to Cape Coral to see the burrowing owls firsthand. They still come today on bus tours — and Beverly still hosts them, along with visitors from across the country and the world.
Just as the Friends of Wildlife grew into an organization of 500 members, Beverly grew into a highly regarded educator.
Continuing the Mission
Her most recent accomplishment is a book, Cape Coral Burrowing Owls Don’t Hoot. In it, Beverly recounts personal stories about the owls, shares advice about protecting them, discusses their regulatory and legal status, and provides practical information about how people can help perpetuate the species.
Beverly remains active in the CCFW, serving for the past decade as Educational Outreach chair. She and other volunteers conduct wildlife tours in partnership with the Cape Coral Parks Department.
📍 For tour information, call Rotary Park at 239-549-4606.
📍 To arrange for a CCFW speaker at your event, contact us or call 239-980-2593.