About the Nature Park Project

Community-minded groups and individuals have joined together to improve public access and usage of the LaBelle Nature Park. Improvements to the trails and plans for other additions have been progressing since 2003. The nine-acre park is located at the end of Fraser Avenue adjacent to the Hendry House (see the location map and aerial photo). South Florida Water Management District owns the property and leases it to the City of LaBelle.

Property Map	Location Map

In 2015, plant ID signs were newly installed in the Park. Each sign describes a plant and includes a QR code, so visitors can get easily more information about the plants. New webpages will be created, allowing visitors to add comments, making the experience more interactive and enjoyable.

The Hendry-LaBelle Recreation Department manages the park and many years ago had developed plans for its eventual improvement. On June 12, 2003 , the Recreation Department Board, whose members represent the Hendry County Commission, the LaBelle City Commission, and the Hendry County School Board, approved a project by the LaBelle Rotary Club for Rotary to fund and implement basic improvements to the park (maintenance of trails, signage, fencing, etc.) With this initial clean-up completed, Rotary presented a more ambitious proposal to the Rec. Board. The Board endorsed the park project concept.

Building upon the trails projects of Rotarians, an Eco-Coalition group was formed and now meets monthly to continue planning and to host park clean-up days.

USDA-NRCS design for trails within the park	Design sketch for the park entrance	Design sketch for the park entrance and platforms	Design sketch for possible observation platforms

Residents of the Nature Park area also met on several occasions to view presentations and consider ideas and determine if changes in the park would be beneficial to the neighborhood. The City of LaBelle supports the park project and have cited the need to address security, neighborhood atmosphere, and preservation issues in all aspects of the park improvement program. The Hendry County Comprehensive Plan (1999 revision) lists the LaBelle Nature Park and classifies its use as:

• Community park (as opposed to a neighborhood or regional park)
• For all age groups (as opposed to only serving children, youth, adults, or seniors)
• User-oriented
• Resource-based

The lease of the park property from the SFWMD to the City of LaBelle encourages its development as a community recreational facility. The lease further requires that LaBelle management include:

• Clearing exotic species from the park, with special emphasis on Brazilian Pepper
• Proper safety considerations for all docks, buildings and other amenities built in the park
• Open access by all members of the community

The LaBelle Nature Park is also currently used as a field trip destination for Hendry County K-12 classes. The more ambitious plans call for using the park as the focus of a more structured K-12 natural resources and environmental education curriculum. Plans have been developed for an environmental education center. The Hendry County School District recently formally endorsed this idea and has established a committee of teachers to develop a curriculum that would use the Nature Park as its focal point.

In addition to serving as a potential focal point for a K-12 educational field trip destination, the LaBelle Nature Park has the potential to be the site of restoration project to reopen portions of the old river. The current oxbow waterway is open within the park but closed (filled with sediment) behind the lots outside the park. Depending on the interest level of adjacent homeowners, there is the potential to make this oxbow part of a planned Corps of Engineers or private restoration effort for other oxbows in Lee and Hendry County . However, for such a restoration plan to have any chance of success would require the unanimous and enthusiastic support of each and every affected homeowner. Even with such support, the project may not be selected for the initial restoration project, since there are over 15 candidate oxbows in Hendry County . The Hendry County Commission supports oxbow restoration within the county.

Organizations currently involved in discussion of the merits of the park improvement ideas include:

• Hendry-LaBelle Recreation Department (contact Phil Pellitier )
• LaBelle Rotary Club (contact Mel Karau )
• Intelligentsia International, Inc. and Southern DataStream, Inc. (contact John Capece )
• Eco-Coalition (contact Margaret England )
• Caloosahatchee River Citizens Association (contact Mary Rawl )
• Hendry County School District (contact Susan Cooper )
• South Florida Water Management District (contact Sally McPherson )

In June 2003, the house adjacent to the LaBelle Nature Park , 412 Fraser Avenue , was offered for sale by its longtime owners, John and Virginia Shelton. The disposition of this property had the potential to affect hopes for improving the park as a local educational and recreational resource. In an effort to assist the park development project, Country Home and Land (CHL) purchased the home to minimize the potential for the adjacent private landowner raising objections to park improvements. The home is leased to the non-profit organization Intelligentsia International, Inc. and serves as a residence for university student trainees who assist with the Nature Park and other community service projects. Designs have been developed for an environmental education center to be located on this residential lot.