VOLUME 63, NUMBER 25
School district offering summer learning options
Sea turtle season kicks off on islands with first nest
By MEGHAN BRADBURY
Page 1 n Week of Wednesday, May 7, 2025
WEEK OF MAY 7, 2025
news@breezenewspapers.com
By TIFFANY REPECKI
trepecki@breezenewspapers.com
S
ea turtle nesting season kicked off on the islands last month, with nests already popping up. April 15 marked the first day of season, which will run through October. The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) documented the first sea turtle nest of the year on April 25 on the east end of Sanibel. A loggerhead nest, it was staked off and will be monitored. “Which is significantly earlier than last year,” Coastal Wildlife Director and Sea Turtle Program Coordinator Kelly Sloan said of the date, explaining that the first loggerhead nest recorded for 2024 was found on May 4, though the first nest last year was from a leatherback sea turtle on April 24. As of May 1, there were four total nests, with two on Sanibel’s west end and one on Captiva. “All of them are loggerheads,” she said. “We’re definitely ahead of most preSANIBEL-CAPTIVA CONSERVATION FOUNDATION vious years,” Sloan added. Sea turtle nesting season on Sanibel and Captiva will run from now See TURTLE SEASON, page 18 through October.
Lee County announced that the Causeway Islands Park along the Sanibel Causeway opened on May 1 with its first phase of amenities, marking the first time that visitors can enjoy the beach park since Hurricane Ian in 2022. The park had been closed due to rebuilding activities by the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT), which used the site during the process of rebuilding the causeway to make it more resilient. With the FDOT’s restoration complete, Lee County Parks & Recreation has
The Causeway Islands Park on the Sanibel Causeway opened on May 1 to the public. LEE COUNTY GOVERNMENT
See CAUSEWAY, page 19
See SCHOOL DISTRICT, page 19
ISLANDERINSIDE
ALSOINSIDETODAY Guest Commentary........................4 Web Poll...........................................4 Captiva Current...............................6 Business......................................8 Preserving Paradise.....................12 Island Living..................................14 Sports.........................................16 Classifieds 35
PROPERTY OF THE WEEK
Residential Customer ECRWSS
Ft MYERS, FL Permit #5733
Eric Pfeifer | 239.472.0004
752 WINDLASS WAY Elevated Canal-Front Home on Sanibel’s East End
Island Reporter
Causeway Islands Park reopens with first phase finished
captivasanibel.com
SCCF provides tips for beachgoers, boaters
There are numerous offerings this summer for elementary school aged children in the School District of Lee County to either help prepare them for school or slow down the “summer slide.” There is both a virtual option and in-person learning opportunities, with some open to all students and others by invitation only. The first and only virtual one, the Expanded Virtual Learning Summer Program for elementary students — kindergarten through fourth grade — provides practice in literacy and math through the iReady program. “The program that the students use during the school year, they continue
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