People Love Sanibel
THEY KEEP COMING
And the way they get here is mostly through the Southwest Florida International Airport in Fort Myers. Their first-quarter passenger traffic was 10% higher than last year and many of them ended up on Sanibel or Captiva as renters and potential buyers of island real estate. Lee County growth has resulted in the airport becoming one of the top airports for passenger traffic in the country with almost 9 million passengers in 2017. They had a record-breaking first quarter, 2018, with March showing the largest single month for passenger traffic in their 35-year history. That’s all to the good –, particularly for the island businesses.
WHY SANIBEL IS DIFFERENT
It’s probably the only city in Florida with a skyline not dotted with highrises because of the island commitment to conservation. The vision statement created at the birth of the city starts with the statement “we shall remain a small town community whose members choose to live in harmony with one another and with nature.” That pervades everything done on the island and creates that special feeling you get every time you come over the causeway. That’s why people keep coming to Sanibel. That’s why they like to live on Sanibel.
SANIBEL VERSUS PLASTIC
We mentioned in our last letter how the abundant use of plastic straws by the island businesses represents a danger to the wildlife and island beaches. The Coastal Keepers, a branch of the Sanibel Sea School, developed “Strawless on Sanibel” to help reverse this and it’s been joined by a number of businesses. In addition, there have been other programs introduced to meet the same goal of reducing the presence of unrecyclable plastic on the island.
Reusable Bags – plastic bags take 1,000 years to decompose and are rarely recycled. They’re a threat to wildlife who see them as food and eat them. Bailey’s General Store makes reusable bags available.
Bottled Water – Plastic single-use water bottles are widely used, not recyclable and a danger to wildlife. The Refuge has eliminated such bottles and replaced them with a bottle that’s still a bit plastic but 82% renewable. They also have refill stations along the drive so you don’t have to be particularly parsimonious on that really hot, sunny day.
So, join the effort. Use the recyclable product when you have the choice.
YOUR OWN BUTTERFLY GARDEN
Everyone seems to like a butterfly garden. A garden filled with the kind of blooms that entice the graceful, lovely creatures to feed or create a new generation. Sanibel has places that can help you establish your own. The most prominent is the Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation’s Native Landscape and Garden Center. You can see what butterflies are flying and what flowers they lay their eggs on. With the help of the staff you can learn to build your own garden and which plants will attract the butterflies you would like to see in your garden.
Another is Sanibel City Hall. The grounds of City Hall are planted exclusively with native plants and the Vegetation Committee members conduct tours and are happy to explain the proper planting and care of native vegetation that reseeds itself with little maintenance, is good for the environment and will attract birds and butterflies. If you would like more information go to www.san.dnr@mysanibel.com or phone 472 3700.
LET DAVID HELP YOU WITH HIS SPECIAL SERVICES.
WEEKLY HOTSHEET – List of hot properties in Sanibel & Captiva
MLS NOTIFICATION – He’ll notify you the same day a property comes on the market that meets the standards you gave to him.
PRICING – We’ll help you price your property by preparing a report showing what other like properties have sold for.
GOPHER ENTERPRISES. He’ll find the perfect place for you to rent. Just let him know what you need and he will deliver it to you – guaranteed
