Volunteers needed in Lee County for National Public Lands Day
FORT MYERS – Conservation 20/20 is looking for volunteers to participate in workday activities at Buckingham Trails Preserve to celebrate National Public Lands Day on Saturday, Sept. 24. National Public Lands Day is held annually with events planned across the country for people to connect with and learn more about their public lands.
Workday assignments will include trail trimming and maintenance, and trash collection and removal, including around some of the remnant structures from the airfield to maintain their preservation.
INFORMATION FOR VOLUNTEERS
What: National Public Lands Day When: 8 to 11:30 a.m., Saturday, Sept. 24
Where: Buckingham Trails Preserve, 8790 Buckingham Road, Fort Myers, FL 33905
What to expect: Volunteers will be placed in small groups and will receive instruction and direction from Conservation 20/20 staff. Tools, equipment and protective gloves will be provided.
What to wear: Participants must wear long pants, comfortable lightweight jeans or khakis, and closed-toed shoes that can get dirty. No sandals or flip-flops. What to bring: Recommended items include a water bottle, hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. A cooler with ice water will be available.
Registration: To sign up, contact Jason Boeckman, Conservation 20/20 coordinator, at 239-204-1125 or e-mail jboeckman@leegov.com. Volunteers will receive a one-day pool pass for admission to any of Lee County’s four public pools.
Buckingham Trails Preserve is managed as part of Lee County’s Conservation 20/20 program, a willing seller program for the acquisition of environmentally sensitive land in Lee County for the purpose of conservation. Located in east Lee County, this 572-acre preserve consists of mostly pine flatwoods and open scrub habitat. The preserve includes more than seven miles of hiking and equestrian trails. The land within the preserve was formerly used as part of the Buckingham Army Air Field, a U.S. military training base in Lee County between 1943 and 1945 during World War II. Several trap shooting bunkers remain onsite, along with two jeep tracks that were used for target practice. Visit www.Conservation2020.org for more information about the Conservation 20/20 program.
