After years of planning, the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary team is excited to launch the first phase of a completely new visitor experience inside the Blair Visitor Center and along the boardwalk. Installed in November 2024, the updated suite of navigational and interpretive signs is part of an unprecedented capital campaign that will transform the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary campus and elevate Audubon’s education and conservation impact.
Sanctuary visitors will first notice a new logo and lettering on the front of the building as well as colorful navigational signs and exhibits inside the Center. The new exhibits orient visitors to the Sanctuary’s location within the Greater Everglades watershed, identify the species of birds that visitors might see on the feeders, explain the main habitats found along the boardwalk, and summarize the important conservation work underway across the 13,000-acre Sanctuary.
Visitors will also encounter more than 50 eye-catching and educational signs along the 2.25-mile boardwalk, most of which feature photography from the Sanctuary. Thirteen large interpretive signs cover topics including the importance of prescribed fire, the wonders of wetlands, what makes a healthy watershed, and more, while smaller signs cover cultural history and our Landmark Cypress program, species identification, and many other topics. All boardwalk interpretive signs include a QR code that leads to sign content translated to Spanish and Haitian Creole.
Still to come are a revamped Discovery Center exhibit hall and new campus entrance, as well as the final components of the visitor experience refresh, anticipated to be completed in 2025.
The visitor experience refresh is a critical part of our visionary transformation of the Sanctuary campus and its programs to meet the challenges of the 21st century, including a changing climate and rampant development in Southwest Florida. For the past 70 years, we have repurposed structures to fit the needs of our work to preserve the Sanctuary, but we have reached a turning point. It is now time to make strategic investments in the Sanctuary's infrastructure that will enhance our ability to deliver transformational programming to students and lifelong learners, conduct the science needed to preserve our 13,000 acres and beyond, and inspire every visitor to become a champion for this cherished place. New signage refreshes the boardwalk learning experience while sharing exciting discoveries and wildlife sightings with visitors.
To learn more about the campaign, visit: corkscrew.audubon.org/elevate
This article originally appeared in the 2024 Winter Naturalist.
