New mangroves take root as Sanibel rebuilds after hurricanes

SANIBEL, Fla. (WINK) — Mangroves play a critical role in protecting Southwest Florida’s coastlines, but recent hurricanes have taken a toll on these natural defenses. Now, hundreds of local volunteers are stepping in to help restore them, one baby mangrove at a time.

Mangroves are easy to overlook, but they serve an essential purpose. They provide habitat for wildlife, reduce coastal erosion, and help limit storm surge during hurricanes. After recent storms, including Hurricane Ian and additional tropical systems, many mangrove areas across Sanibel have struggled to recover naturally.

“There are still areas that aren’t seeing natural recruitment after Ian, and those that did, we had another setback with Helene and Milton,” said Kealy Pfau, Coastal Watch director with the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation.

Pfau helps lead the foundation’s Adopt-A-Mangrove Program, which has grown into a major community effort over the past several years.

“Usually they come back, but we are giving them a bit of help with these restoration efforts,” Pfau said.

That help comes from volunteers, hundreds of them. This past fall, about 700 people adopted more than 1,800 baby mangroves, also known as propagules. Participants take the young plants home and care for them for several months before returning them to be planted at restoration sites.

“They take a baby mangrove or propagule with them, care for it for a few months, then bring it back to us to be planted at one of our restoration sites,” Pfau said.

One of those restoration sites is near Clam Bayou on Sanibel, where volunteers recently gathered to plant the next generation of mangroves. This marks the second year of planting at the site. Last year alone, volunteers planted about 1,500 mangroves there.

The goal is to create a second generation of growth that will eventually sustain itself.

“As they grow, their roots will come out like little legs and trap those propagules that help with that natural recruitment,” Pfau explained.

While the small plants may not look like much now, their future impact could be significant. Within 15 to 20 years, these mangroves are expected to mature into a dense coastal barrier capable of protecting shorelines from future storms.

For volunteers who have participated more than once, the progress is already visible. Many returned this year to check on last year’s plantings and saw encouraging signs of growth.

If you missed the chance to participate this year, there will be another opportunity. The Adopt-A-Mangrove Program is expected to return this fall, giving more residents the chance to help restore Sanibel’s coastline.