SCCF wants you to adopt a mangrove to help protect Florida’s coastline

There is an initiative to protect our coast that involves adopting a plant. One island group is asking people to become ‘mangrove mamas’ right from their homes.

The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) is looking for people to adopt a mangrove.

Kealy McNeal, the community conservation coordinator at SCCF, said, “We’re asking the community for help to grow mangroves at their homes that will then be planted at these restoration sites in the next few years.”

They won’t be like the big ones you see when you’re out on the water. Instead, they will come in their own little pot with just one or two leaves.

Mariana Pardo is a mangrove foster mom for a second time. “I have the experience down pat.”

She was part of the pilot program last year and fostered five mangroves.

“Pedro, Pablo, Chacho, Josiento and Jose. Those are all of their names,” Pardo said.

Hurricanes have hurt our mangroves here in Southwest Florida.

Pardo wanted to help, and with just a little water, sunlight and love, she watched her mangrove babies grow. Easy work for these plants that do so much for our environment.

“Seeing them grow and eventually being planted. That’s the most important thing for me. It’s such an important effort,” said Pardo.

This time Pardo will be a mom to ten plants, and if you are interested in fostering your own mangrove plant, more fosters are needed.

McNeal said, “hopefully, we’ll be able to let them all go to their foster homes and be cared for until they’re ready to be brought back.”

Once they are brought back, they are then put in their forever homes, where they’ll be ready to protect our shorelines.

If you’d like to become a foster parent to a mangrove, you can apply by clicking here. If you have any questions about mangrove adoptions, you can email coastalwatch@sccf.org.