Expose yourself to the elements

The Conservancy of Southwest Florida closed the doors of the Briggs center in April to concentrate its efforts -- money and manpower -- at its Naples Nature Center instead, said centers director Joe Cox.

Last year, the Briggs center had about 12,500 visitors, a number that has continued to climb for the last two years, Cox said.

During the summer months, however, the traffic of visitors was "very, very slow," he said.

"It was so hot, sunny and buggy (during summer) that no one would want to walk out there (on the boardwalk)," Cox said. "We moved our efforts to the other center in Naples so we could get the best use of our stuff."

One of the center's goals is to expose people to the elements, said Briggs naturalist Mark Howell, who has worked with The Conservancy for about four years.

Although the center has small wildlife displays inside, "one of the great things about the Briggs is about getting outdoors," Cox said.

The Conservancy began its mission in 1964 to preserve the landscape of Southwest Florida, Cox said. At the time, developers were buying up the land for condos and other businesses.

The land, classified by naturalists as "scrub," was a combination of dry ground and low-lying brush on a slightly higher elevation than the usual Florida wetlands, making it a contractor's dream environment to build on.

Like the developers, The Conservancy's founders also bought up the endangered land ... and did nothing with it.

"If it wasn't for that, this land wouldn't be there," Cox said.

"It's a terrific way to show how Southwest Florida used to be."

Inside the center, visitors can see more formal displays and touch artifacts like animal skulls and turtle shells, as well as read informational boards about the area's wildlife.

But the point is to look around, Cox said.

"The focus is getting visitors outside rather than looking at exhibits inside," he said.

Briggs has a half-mile-long boardwalk with a bird-watching platform that snakes above a shallow marsh. The platform allows visitors to peek in on waterfowl such as egrets, herons and spoonbills on their turf, rather than in a manmade environment. Sometimes, migratory birds pop in for only a few days of rest. Other times, even bald eagles will nest at Briggs, Howell said.

Although the Briggs center holds a braggable list of feathered guests in its marshes, Howell said most visitors ask about the kinds of animals there: armadillos, tortoises, alligators.

Howell said: "They always ask me, 'Do you see ... ?'"

And sometimes he does.

Once, Howell said, when he was walking alone on the boardwalk, he encountered what he first thought was a raccoon. Instead, it was a bobcat.

"I was quite surprised," Howell said. "But the bobcat wanted to get away from me more than I wanted to get away from him."

The center offers tours to see this kind of wildlife via land and water, Howell said.

"We want people to see things so they know how important it is to save this type of landscape," he said.

For seafaring types, there are Everglades Day Tours, one-day cruises that are usually held the last Saturday of every month.

The tours include a two-hour trip with a stop in Rookery Bay, lunch, and a naturalist on hand for any questions, Cox said.

The next tours are Nov. 29 and Dec. 27, he said. Prices for Conservancy members are $89 for adults and $49 for children under 12. Nonmember prices are $99 for adults and $59 for children under 12.

Briggs also offers kayak and canoe rentals, Cox said, which guests can arrange at Rookery Bay.

Landlubbers, too, can get a taste of nature by touring the winding boardwalk, visiting the butterfly garden and chatting with any of the 50 volunteers on hand, Howell said.

The Conservancy has about 700 volunteers who help at both nature centers and with various educational programs.

"We can't do anything without the volunteers. They're vital," Howell said. "The volunteers love what they do; it's great to work with them."

Howell said this season the Briggs staff was eager to get started answering nature questions and showing off the natural beauty tucked behind the scrub trees along Collier Boulevard.

"You get to see the Southwest Florida you don't usually see," he said.

The Briggs Nature Center is scheduled to reopen Monday, Dec. 1. Hours are 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Cost is $4 for adults and $2 for children. For more information, call 775-8569.