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Lake Regional Park Plantings Completed
Oct 17, 2007 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE LAKES REGIONAL PARK PLANTINGS COMPLETED Fort Myers, FL, Oct. 17, 2007 - Lee County Parks and Recreation has completed a first-of-its-kind planting project at Lakes Regional Park in south Fort Myers. Several thousand shrubs and 1,150 trees were planted as part of the Lakes Park Master Plan, which is designed to guide future park enhancements. Funding of the $180,000 project came from the Florida Division of Forestry's Urban and Community Grant Program, which is supported by the U.S. Forest Service. All planted species are native to the area. "They were selected for their beauty, the habitat they will provide and for their appropriateness to the environment of Lakes Park," said Fred Johnson, landscape architect with Lee County Parks and Recreation. The Lakes Park project started after 2004's Hurricane Charley and subsequent hurricanes ravaged a large portion of the 279-acre park, which has long been considered a gem in bustling south Lee County and has been dubbed the Central Park of Fort Myers. The storms mostly took down invasive exotic trees, including Australian pines. Lee County created a plan to replace the downed pines and other species with native species. Parks and Recreation staff and its contractors completed the project within one year. Today, visitors to the park's west side will notice a buffer of native vegetation along an area of residential development. The new plants serve as a canopy for a woodland walk, which will become a hotspot for bird watching as wildlife is attracted to the native species. Visitors to the east side of the park will notice nine species of native trees with a walkway that -- after several years of growth -- will be canopied. The area is a serene backdrop to one of the park's large lawns and also will provide much shade. A botanical garden adjacent to this area is now in planning stages. "The goal was to establish an urban forest with native plants with the intention of buffering the park from the outside developments, offering a habitat to birds and wildlife, and to create a traditional park setting for visitors to one of Lee County's most popular parks," Johnson said. For more Lakes Park information, go online to www.leeparks.org or call (239) 461-7400 or 432-2002. The park is located at 7330 Gladiolus Drive, Fort Myers, FL 33908. It's open 8 a.m. to sunset daily.
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