Cape Coral is no stranger to rapid growth, but residents and wildlife advocates say the pace of new construction has reached a level they have never seen before — and some are raising concerns about what this development means for local wildlife that once thrived on open, undeveloped land.
For conservation groups such as Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife and the Cape Coral Wildlife Trust, the growth presents a direct threat to some of the area’s most vulnerable species.
“Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife has been an establishment for about 21 years, and we have worked closely with the city to mark out owl burrows that are on vacant lots in order to protect the owls and to have habitat for them,” said Pascha Donaldson, past president of Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife. “The city is growing from when I came 21 years ago.”
Cape Coral is known statewide — and even nationally — for its population of burrowing owls, a species that nests underground. The city is also home to large numbers of gopher tortoises, another state-protected species that depends on sandy, undeveloped land to dig burrows. While both species are adapted to Florida’s environment, they are vulnerable to land clearing and construction.
District 4 Councilwoman Jennifer Nelson-Lastra said she is concerned about wildlife that does not receive the same level of protection, particularly coyotes that are displaced as land is cleared in her district.
“You can call Florida Fish and Wildlife and they have (a) contract statewide that will go and remove the alligators, but we don’t have anything like that for the coyotes,” Nelson-Lastra said.
Longtime Cape Coral resident Mario Johnson said coyotes were once common in his area but have become less visible as construction increased.
Nelson-Lastra said education is key to helping residents coexist with wildlife. She referenced a resource shared with her by former Sanibel Mayor Holly Smith that helps inform the public about coyotes.
“I really want Cape Coral to add something like that to our website,” Nelson-Lastra said. “It educates you on what to do if you encounter one or if you’re with your pet. And really, they have to coexist.”
Other species have also been affected by development. Lori Haus-Bulcock, a board member of the Cape Coral Wildlife Trust, said Florida scrub-jays, once common in the area, are now listed as endangered.
“It is endemic to Florida, which means it is found nowhere else in the U.S.,” Haus-Bulcock said.
Cape Coral was once marketed as a quieter alternative to larger Florida cities, offering residents access to nature and a slower pace of life. Some wildlife advocates believe that identity is changing.
“I think it's obvious that people didn't move here because they didn’t want to live in Miami and in a truly urban traffic environment,” Donaldson said. “But I suspect in 20 years, this will be like a little Miami, unfortunately.”
Signs of that shift are already visible. Traffic congestion has increased near major construction areas, and large tracts of land once used by wildlife for foraging and breeding have been replaced with housing developments. Neighborhoods that were largely untouched five or six years ago now experience daily construction activity and reduced tree cover.
Johnson noticed over the years that the growth has changed the character of his community.
“When we first moved here, there was hardly any homes, it had a country feel—all of the sudden about two years later, the plot of land that surrounded our home has been constructed with new homes, to include huge apartment buildings,” Johnson said.
As residents and advocates ask where displaced wildlife will go, CCFW Corresponding Secretary Janet Windisch said the city recently received a grant from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to purchase land specifically for burrowing owl habitat. Seven lots have already been acquired.
Cooperation between the city, the state and nonprofit organizations provides a model for preserving wildlife as development continues.
The city has regulations in place to protect certain species, including relocation permits for gopher tortoises and buffer requirements for burrowing owl nests during nesting season. Residents are required to stay at least 10 feet away from burrowing owl burrows and 25 feet away from gopher tortoise burrows. Harassing either species or disturbing their burrows is illegal.
However, Donaldson said these protections do not go far enough, particularly in a city with one of the highest densities of burrowing owls in the world.
Cheryl Anderson, president of the Cape Coral Wildlife Trust, said burrowing owls have been easier to relocate than gopher tortoises.
“When they are moved from where their territory is, they just want to go back,” Anderson said.
Gopher tortoises are considered a keystone species, meaning they play a critical role in the ecosystem. Their burrows provide shelter for hundreds of other animals.
Anderson explained that skunks, snakes, frogs, crickets, rabbits, and other animals use the burrows, adding that when a gopher tortoise is protected, many other species are protected as well.
Despite the challenges, local nonprofit organizations remain committed to advocating for Cape Coral’s wildlife.
“There’s nothing more beautiful than seeing greenery and Florida native animals,” Johnson said.
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