Calusa Nature Center and Natural History Museum
A Place to Learn and to Relax in Fort Myers, FL
Aug 16, 2008
So many venues and museums these days are currently built around hugely hi-tech presentations that it is refreshing to find a place that combines learning with contemplation. In the middle of a fast growing metro area, nature can be found and appreciated. The Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium is just west of I-75 at the Colonial Blvd. exit. The address is 3450 Ortiz Avenue, Fort Myers, FL. It is 105 acres of peace, serenity and learning.
An Alligator View from Above
Just after the entering the grounds there is a view from above of a manmade pond with some interesting residents. There is a pair of American alligators. One is a 12 foot male and the other is an 8 foot female. It is possible to get down to the alligator level with only a chain link fence separating the visitor from the gators. The gators seem accustomed to company, but the chance to observe them so close is memorable.
A visitor to the Calusa Nature Center can learn about alligators here, and then, less than an hour away, put that new knowledge to use while riding among wild alligaotrs on an airboat at Lake Trafford in Immokalee Florida.
The Natural History Museum
There is a natural history museum, which has displays about the Native Americans that lived in southwest Florida before the arrival of the Spaniards. A canoe made from a cypress tree that was used by these Indians to travel as far away as Cuba is on display. These Native Americans were known as the Calusa, source of the name of the nature center, and the CaloosahatcheeRiver, Fort Myers’ gateway to the Gulf of Mexico. You can learn more about the Calusa at Exploring Florida.
Inside the museum area, there are both live and preserved animal displays. The preserved animals include interesting creatures like armadillos, turkeys and a wild boar with amazing teeth. A display of nature’s diversity is made up of eggs, both bird and reptile. The eggs go from the tiny hummingbird eggs, to alligator eggs, to turtle eggs to the very large ostrich egg.
There is a large collection of living snakes on display. One of the snakes you can get up close to is an Eastern Indigo. The Eastern Indigo is the largest snake that is native to North America, and has been known to reach lengths of up to 8’6”. The Eastern Indigo at the Calusa Nature Center is very large.
Beyond the snakes, the museum has many other live animal inhabitants. There is a working beehive, designed to enable a visitor to observe the bees at work in their honeycomb, and to see them come and go. There are alligator eggs incubating, tadpoles becoming frogs, a baby alligator growing, the amazing colors of a moray eel, and a variety of turtles basking contentedly under heat lamps. That’s just inside the museum area in a comfortable quiet atmosphere.
The Boardwalk Trails, The Butterfly House, Raptors & Raccoons
Beyond the museum area there are 105 acres of natural Florida, with the convenience of raised boardwalks. The boardwalks travel throughout the 105 acres. There are a variety of trails to take with maps. These maps are keyed to signposts that identify the plant life along the way.
Before the boardwalks one gets first to the butterfly aviary. Few of nature’s creatures are more beautiful and the plants in aviary are chosen to please the butterflies, making them very pleasing to humans. Some quiet time with the butterflies can be very calming.
On the grounds there are exotic animals that are a thrill to see up close. There are birds of prey, large cats that are native to Florida, and a very rare albino raccoon. The most spectacular bird to see up close is our national symbol, the American bald eagle.
Also at the site is a planetarium. To learn about the planetarium, see the companion article, The Calusa Planetarium, Fort Myers, Florida.
The setting is amazingly quiet for a place in the heart of Lee County, FL, where more than 500,000 people live. There are daily nature and animal demonstrations conducted by individuals who love their work. More can be learned at the Calusa Nature Center website.
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