Founded in 1989, the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed (CREW) Land and Water Trust’s mission was to protect the 60,000 acre watershed surrounding Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary.  Proposed by longtime Sanctuary Director emeritus, Ed Carlson and former Audubon researcher, Mike Duever to maintain the water levels at the Swamp, it formally became a great example of a private-public partnership where Lee and Collier Counties, the South Florida Water Management District, private landowners, developers, and conservation interests have now protected almost 50,000 acres of this wild, wetland landscape!

The CREW Trust Board and many members and supporters celebrated CREW’s 25th Anniversary at the CREW office in the woods on Friday, January 24. All re-dedicated themselves to finishing the job of protecting the entire 60,000 acres.