During a recent visit to the southwest coast of Florida, I was treated to a spectacular live show presented by a variety of wildlife from Mother Nature’s animal kingdom. I spotted several pods of dolphins rising gracefully to the surface of the water through which I was traversing in a boat to catch a breath. I marveled at nests that cormorants constructed of tree branches on poles topped by signs with instructions for boaters. I was told that the large beds of oysters I saw provide habitat for other marine animals and plants and filter algae from the water, providing a safe, nurturing environment for hundreds of species of sea life.
That experience took place in the Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, an unspoiled enclave of mangrove forest, uplands, and protected waters about twice the size of Baltimore, Maryland. The reserve encompasses 40 percent of Collier County, the largest in the state.
