In the Sunshine

My name is Rilee Standriff, and I am a rising senior at Villanova University, where I am studying communications and minoring in sociology.

Snapping photos of kids can be challenging. They’re on the move, they don’t want to pose and those sought-after candids quickly turn into silly faces once they see the camera.

We know SWFL for beautiful beaches and exciting tourist life. However, did you know that Cape Coral-Fort Myers is considered to be one of the fastest-growing cities in the United States?

Spring is here, and so are the baby animals. The Conservancy of Southwest Florida has received several dozen baby birds, bunnies, raccoons and squirrels recently. Most of the babies they receive are from disturbed or fallen nests.

I recently spent an adventurous afternoon at Babcock Ranch on a swamp buggy exploring four different Florida ecosystems – pasture, fresh water marsh, pine flats and cypress swamp.

As daylight stretches longer into the evenings, grilled dinners create the perfect opportunity to spend more time “in real life” with your family instead of prying family members away from smartphones and laptops.

2019 marks the 21st year of the Great American Cleanup, which is a program under Keep America Beautiful.

There is a lot of buzz around March Madness. While many of your friends and coworkers have probably filled out brackets for the men’s tournament, there is less chatter and cheering for the women training hard to earn a title.

It is getting close to the time of year in SWFL when many people plan to head back up north for the summer. We offer these tips for all our winter residents:

Although Collier County is known for beautiful beaches, it also boasts eight different ecosystems. Not only does it host marine-type ecosystems with dunes, mangroves and coral reefs, but it also is the home of hardwood hammocks, shrubs, pinelands, marshes and swamps.