Florida News 探花精选's Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary

Collier Community Foundation Celebrates Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary鈥檚 Leadership in Conservation and Education with Two Gifts

Major grants a step forward for the Sanctuary's conservation mission.
students looking at insects under glass
By Ren茅e Wilson
Senior Communications Coordinator
Updated December 10, 2025 Published October 24, 2025
This article is from 探花精选 Florida . Find 探花精选 near you here.

探花精选鈥檚 Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in Southwest Florida was awarded $100,000 as part of the Collier Community Foundation鈥檚 2025 Celebration of Philanthropy on October 17. One of four local nonprofit organizations selected from dozens of applications, Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary will use the funds to expand and transform aging campus spaces to provide immersive learning opportunities in every season.

鈥淲ith a proud 70-year legacy of education and conservation, we recognize the need to elevate our impact to meet today鈥檚 challenges and better serve our community,鈥 says Sanctuary Director Keith Laakkonen. 鈥淭he Collier Community Foundation鈥檚 40th Anniversary Grant is helping us realize a visionary transformation of our campus鈥攆eaturing a new Outdoor Classroom and a state-of-the-art Research Laboratory.鈥

The Collier Community Foundation also awarded the Sanctuary an additional $75,000 grant to support conservation within our 13,000-acre property, including critical wetland research and science-based land stewardship initiatives.

This article original appeared in the Fall 2025 State of the Everglades report. Read the full report