Environment Council
Engage Estero Environment Council is a volunteer group focusing on improving water and air quality and mitigating and eliminating the effects of climate warming in greater Estero.
Environment Council Chair
jcoleman3@law.pace.edu
Our Mission:
We communicate reliable and accurate information to Engage Estero leadership, community officials, and citizens to make informed decisions and encourage community engagement. Collaborating with local, state, and national conservation organizations, we are active in many issues affecting greater Estero’s environment. We focus on improving water and air quality and mitigating and eliminating the effects of climate warming in greater Estero.
Our Purpose:
We exist to serve as the voice of the citizens of greater Estero. Fighting for what’s right and striving to right what’s wrong, we seek opportunities, offer solutions, challenge threats, and monitor local, county, and state government water quality and environment improvement actions and performance.
Our Values
Values essential to success and longevity:
- Integrity
- Open and honest communication
- Respect for other ideas and expertise
- Shared responsibility and resources
- Follow through on what you say you will do
- Care about what we are trying to achieve
- Innovation and creative thinking (open to doing things in a new way)
Our Vision:
To have an informed citizenry engaged in improving the quality of water and environment, resulting in a community that delivers related programs that affect our desired quality of life.

Southwest Florida Eagle Cam
Watch our local eagle nest, with a countdown to eggs hatching, courtesy of Dick Pritchett Real Estate. Click the image to be taken to the website.
Resources
Lee County: Our Water Story
Environment Campaigns…
Water Quality
DR/GR
Lake Okeechobee Releases
Algae Blooms
Red Tide
Flood Prevention
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Wildlife Protection
Florida Panther
Sea Turtle Nesting
Manatee Protection
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Limerock Mining
Protection of DR/GR
Traffic Impact
Blast Damage
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Parks & Public Lands
Preservation
Access
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Take Action
Right to Clean Water
Fight for your Right to Clean WaterWater quality is one of the foremost issues facing all of Florida, with threats to health, economy, and future quality of life. Engage Estero aims to support and help residents participate in efforts to improve and protect our...
Act Now: Protected Species at Risk
An environmentally sensitive site of 1,800+ acres in eastern Lee County, which is home to the endangered Florida panther and surrounded by preserves, is at risk of becoming a 781-acre mine pit, permanently removing habitats for state and federally protected species...
Featured Reports

Septic to Sewer
A primer on the dangers of septic systems to the Greater Estero area’s environment, and the changes coming in the next few years.
Seeking Volunteers
None at this time.
We don't have any articles on this topic at the moment.
Articles
Right to Clean Water
Fight for your Right to Clean WaterWater quality is one of the foremost issues facing all of Florida, with threats to health, economy, and future quality of life. Engage Estero aims to support and help residents participate in efforts to improve and protect our...
Engage Estero’s “Adopt A Highway Program” Reaches A Milestone in Rubbish and Debris Collection
Engage Estero’s “Adopt A Highway Program” Reaches A Milestone in Rubbish and Debris CollectionEngage Estero has been collaborating with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) since October 2020 to help clean Hwy 41, between the Vines entrance (Breckenridge...
How You Can Protect Wildlife in Lee County
How You Can Protect Wildlife in Lee CountyMost people are familiar with the looming climate change crisis in the form of extreme weather events and natural disasters. However, human lives aren't the only thing at stake when discussing the need for climate action. As...
Adopt a Highway March 2023
Congratulations To Our Adopt A Highway Team And All Volunteers Keeping Estero's Roads Clean! The Engage Estero's team of volunteers collected 780 pounds of bagged litter and debris during the weekend of March 11th. Since early November, this season has amounted to...
Environmental Changes and Dangers to Our Water: GECR Quarter 1, 2023
Environmental Changes and Dangers to Our Water Engage Estero Is pleased to provide you with the first of four special reports we prepare each year. The environment and water quality remain at the top of greater Estero's residents' concerns. Many residents attended the...
The Dangers Associated with Septic Systems
The Dangers Associated with Septic SystemsEstero has changed dramatically since the first inhabitants settled in the early 1900s. These early settlement areas did not have sanitary sewer systems, and homes relied on wells and septic systems. Some of those holdover...
Estero’s Volunteers Recognized at Awards Ceremony
Estero's Volunteers Recognized at Awards Ceremony for Keeping Our Roads Clean On March 2, at the Keep Lee County Beautiful (KLBC) Environmental Stewardship Awards Ceremony, Estero volunteers were recognized as "Outstanding Adoption Groups" for removing tons of litter...
Volunteers Continue to Keep Hwy 41 in Estero Looking Pristine!
Volunteers Continue to Keep Hwy 41 in Estero Looking Pristine! The ECCL will, on February 1st, officially become "Engage Estero." Since October 2020, we have collaborated with the Florida Department of Transportation's Adopt-A-Highway Program to help...
Great Results from the Second Adopt-a-Highway Season
The Adopt a Highway Program has Re-commenced its Third Season to Keep Estero Looking Beautiful Want to help? The ECCL has embarked on its third season collaborating with the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) to help clean Hwy 41 between the Vines entrance...
How Greenhouse Gases Threaten Our World from CBS Sunday Morning.
https://youtu.be/El2vWfFrn8sApril Sets Record For Highest CO2 Levels In Human History Andrew Freedman, author of Axios Generate Carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere reached the highest levels on record for any calendar month during April, averaging 420 parts per...
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