News
Volunteer of the Month – February 2024
Gigi Yarusso Approximately eleven years ago, Gigi met a woman from Switzerland, Maija Gadient. Both shared the love of wildlife, especially the Florida manatee and the monarch butterfly. Six years ago, Gigi involved herself in raising money for a Manateeum (museum...
Expert Wildlife Speakers Announced for 2024 Burrowing Owl Festival
Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife (CCFW) has announced the wildlife experts who will speak at the 22nd Annual Burrowing Owl Festival, Wildlife and Environmental Expo on February 24, 2024.
2024 Ground Owl Day
On February 2nd each year we celebrate our own unique take on Groundhog Day, gathering to find out if the burrowing owl will see its shadow and predict the end of winter.
Wildlife advocates say burrowing owls survived January flooding, but dying from rat poison
Given the break the birds received with the timing of January’s record rains, it’s unfortunate that human-related issues are once again threatening their survival.
NO HOOTS FOR GROUNDHOG DAY | How Cape Coral welcomed spring
On Friday, while most of the nation and the great people in Pennsylvania looked to Punxsutawney Phil, the City of Cape Coral asked the burrowing owl Athene how long they must wait till spring.
Early birds: Burrowing owl nesting season reaches its peak
The burrowing owl nesting season is hitting its peak, just in time for some public celebrations centered around Cape Coral’s official bird.
Cape’s ‘Ground Owl Day’ set for Feb. 2
The burrowing owl takes center stage as the Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife and Cape Coral Parks and Recreation Department host the sixth annual “Ground Owl Day” on Friday, Feb. 2, at 10 a.m. at Pelican Baseball Complex, in what is the city’s take on Groundhog Day.
Wildlife group seeks $900K state grant for burrowing owl habitats in Cape Coral
A local wildlife group is asking $900,000 in state grants to go towards preserving and establishing burrowing owl and gopher tortoise habitats in Cape Coral.
Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife to Host 22nd Annual Burrowing Owl Festival
Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife (CCFW) will hold the 22nd Annual Burrowing Owl Festival, Wildlife and Environmental Exposition on February 24, 2024, from 10 to 4 at Rotary Park in Cape Coral. The festival is a fun, educational family event – the largest wildlife festival in Southwest Florida.
New Year, New Website
Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife unveils their overhauled website, connecting community and conservation.
Looking for a last-minute gift? Adopt a burrowing owl for the holidays
Looking to fill your favorite animal lover’s stocking this year? The Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife is hoping the public will adopt a burrowing owl this holiday season to help ensure the future home of Cape Coral’s official bird in a rapidly developing city.
See what Cape Coral builders discovered underground that paused part of a construction project
In the busy area of downtown Cape Coral, construction workers off Cape Coral Parkway near the Bimini Basin had to pause part of their construction site because of a burrowing owl egg.
Cape Coral residents urged to protect owls by building man-made burrows
NBC-2 learns from Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife volunteers how we can protect burrowing owls as Cape Coral’s development booms and infill lots are cleared for houses: Dig a Starter Burrow
Volunteer of the Month – December 2023
Trudy Withey Trudy is a quiet force who really gets people to support us through sponsorships and donations. Last year she was able to get more than $500 worth of gift certificates from Grimaldis in Ft Myers! Trudy is a DAR and member of the Lawrence Kearney Chapter...
Fundraiser with Forever Tattoo helps trust purchase lot for preservation
The popular ink spot offered flash tattoos at a discounted rate for wildlife, and 100% of the tattoo cost was donated by the artists to CCWT.
An Evening with Guest Speaker Robert N. Macomber
Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife was proud to host a special event with local author and historian Robert N. Macomber at Rotary Park on the evening of December 6, 2023.
Volunteer of the Month – November 2023
Jenn Moss Jenn steps up and helps everywhere. She does starter burrows, burrow maintenance, talks with so many people about us via outreach at schools and our Proud landlord signs. Jenn helps get donations for our auction and has increased our reach on social media...
Buried alive? Gopher tortoise burrows collapsed in Lehigh Acres; major work halted 30 days
The destruction of a once-thriving gopher tortoise community in Lehigh Acres last week typifies what’s happening to the threatened species throughout Southwest Florida, advocates say.
Photos of Florida’s Fight to Protect Threatened Burrowing Owls
Cape Coral, Florida, a city experiencing unprecedented growth. While great for their economy, the economic boom is disastrous for wildlife, especially species that thrive in open, treeless areas. In particular, the burrowing owl population is suffering as its habitat shrinks.
Volunteer of the Month – October 2023
Dorothy Browning Our October Volunteer of the Month is a highly dedicated and respected person instilled with patience and cheerfulness, offering her help when needed. Not only does our volunteer answer our website emails, she also does burrow maintenance, GPS, helps...
Cape Coral residents protest proposed Redfish Pointe development of homes, shops, hotel
As rain hit Rotary Park on Wednesday morning, around 100 Cape Coral residents came and marched, armed with wet signs with many saying they were there to “stop a future crime.”
Volunteer of the Month – September 2023
Jim Collier
Thousands of bees found dead at Cape Coral home
One local Cape Coral beekeeper woke up to thousands of dead bees on his property…and he blames pesticides for killing them.
Op-Ed: Cape Coral should fix, update Chiquita Lock
Since Hurricane Ian, the lock has been broken open, allowing pollutants to flow freely into the Caloosahatchee estuary. While the city wants to remove the lock, we should not throw the baby out with the bathwater. Instead, the lock should be updated so it can continue to protect the Caloosahatchee estuary without impacting manatees and boaters.
