The Osprey-based Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast recently announced that it permanently protected 10 acres in western Collier County. The protection is possible thanks to a donation from the property’s owners, Gerald and Irene Lichtefeld Neff, and was completed on August 24.

The newly conserved land bolsters the existing Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed (CREW) preservation area and extends a high-priority wildlife corridor. CREW is managed by South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) and spans more than 60,000 acres across Lee and Collier Counties, providing natural flood protection, purifying our water, and recharging the aquifer. CREW also offers shelter to a variety of native plants and wildlife, including several animals listed as species of greatest conservation need—including the Florida black bear, Florida panther, wood stork, and Big Cypress fox squirrel.