Cape Coral's Ground Owl Day also predicts six more weeks of winter

CAPE CORAL, Fla. —

Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife hosted its eighth annual Ground Owl Day, where Athene, the burrowing owl, saw her shadow, predicting six more weeks of winter.

The event is a community tradition celebrating Cape Coral’s official bird, the burrowing owl, and marks the return of spring. All proceeds from the event go toward supporting local wildlife conservation efforts.

Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife is a local all-volunteer organization dedicated to protecting species like burrowing owls and gopher tortoises through education, advocacy and habitat preservation. People with the organization say the event is all about raising awareness about wildlife conservation.

"It's really important that we conserve all the wildlife in Cape Coral and in Florida because there's so much development," said Janet Windisch of Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife. "So, we really like to raise awareness of the wildlife and how beautiful it is and have a little celebration."

With Athene's shadow sighting, residents are advised to bundle up for six more weeks of winter.

DOWNLOAD the free Gulf Coast News app for your latest news and alerts on breaking news, weather, sports, entertainment, and more on your phone or tablet. And check out the Very Local Gulf Coast app to stream news, entertainment and original programming on your TV.