Beachside Exhibit

Perry Tract

Click HERE to see video.

Read about the The Dr. Louise Merrimon Perry Conservation Fund for Girls

The Refuge unveiled its interpretive kiosk at Perry Tract Kiosk at Gulfside City Park on October 6, 2016 near the only shoreline property that it oversees.

The 4-plus-acre Perry Tract lies adjacent to the park and is named for ophthalmologist and malacologist Dr. Louise Perry. Upon her passing in 1962, she donated her winter home property to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to maintain as a safe haven for wildlife.

With support from the “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society-Friends of the Refuge and a grant from the Lee County Tourist Development Council, and in partnership with the City of Sanibel, the interpretive kiosk’s three panels pay homage to Dr. Perry and identifies wildlife, shorebirds, and seashells found on the beach and around the property’s pond, which is closed to the public. Shell castings and a replicated sea turtle nest add a hands-on element to the exhibit.

“We are so grateful to our partners and Dr. Perry’s family for making possible this opportunity to educate beachgoers about seaside ecology and the importance of conserving it,” said Supervisory Refuge Ranger Toni Westland.

The Dr. Louise Merrimon Perry Conservation Fund for Girls

DDWS announces the establishment of a permanent endowed fund honoring the life of Dr. Louise Merrimon Perry, the first woman to donate land to the Refuge, protecting the coastal Perry Tract on Sanibel Island. The Dr. Louise Merrimon Perry Conservation Fund for Girls, known familiarly as the LMP Fund for Girls, honors the highly respected ophthalmologist and malacologist who retired to Sanibel Island.

Dr. Perry valued and appreciated the island’s wildlife and understood the importance of protecting its habitat from future development. Upon her passing in 1962, she donated her 4-plus acre beachfront property to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service to maintain as a safe haven for wildlife.

The Perry Tract lies adjacent to Gulfside City Park, where DDWS and the refuge installed a kiosk for beach visitors to learn more about Dr. Perry, the shells and wildlife they may find, and the importance of helping to protect and preserve the land. Dr. Perry’s family is establishing the endowed conservation fund to support women in the field of conservation and those -- who as a teacher, program leader, or in other such roles -- are impacting the lives of girls by inspiring future conservation stewards.