By: Mike Hammond
With all due respect to the cabbage palm, I believe the red mangrove should be our state tree.
The benefits these trees provide us are vast: Protection from storms, water filtration, shoreline stabilization, marine life nursery and habitat, and beautiful places to paddle. It is incredibly rewarding to paddle through a mangrove tunnel and be led to a fishy spot that larger vessels cannot access.
Unfortunately, storms have damaged many of our mangroves during the past few years and access has been blocked in the tunnels even to small paddlecraft. Many of the popular mangrove tunnels were reopened after Hurricane Ian, but dead trees will continue to fall over the water. It is an issue we may be coping with for several years.
If you find a fallen mangrove tree or low branch blocking your way, please do not cut it or break it. Cutting or breaking mangroves yourself is illegal, harmful to the tree and creek, and may jeopardize the use of the mangrove tunnel to paddlers. A popular paddlecraft launch was closed in another county due to padders taking “trail maintenance” into their own hands. Too many mangroves were being damaged.
If you find a trail blocked, please report it to the park or agency that manages the property. This will help keep the trails open for us in future. Tarpon Bay, Sirenia Vista, Bunche Beach, Buck Key and Lover’s Key are just a few locations with mangrove tunnels / paths that are open.
As trails continue to be maintained, new mangroves are being planted along the Calusa Blueway. Coastal Watch (Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation) and ocean apparel company MANG have teamed up to plant literally thousands of 1- to 5-year-old mangroves in our waterways. MANG is also working with Pine Island Redfish to create a mangrove nursey to supply the rehabilitation efforts our coast needs.
I have been lucky enough to join other volunteers in planting mangroves several times. The volunteers ranged from college students to retirees. All the events were muddy and a lot of fun to be a part of. Anyone interested in participating can go to SCCF.org or manggear.com and sign up to be on volunteer mailing lists. Keep Lee County Beautiful Inc. also has cleanups throughout the year that involve mangroves and our waterways. The 2025 International Coastal Cleanup is already scheduled for Sept. 20, so mark that on your calendar.
The mangroves are essential to our fishing heritage. Let’s work together to keep them healthy for future generations. Who knows, you might discover a new secret spot at the end of a tunnel!