Saturday, March 25, 2017

Everglades Wonder Gardens in Bonita Springs

In 1936, brothers Bill and Lester Piper established "The Reptile Gardens" as a roadside attraction along the newly-built Tamiami Trail from Tampa to Miami. As the animal and botanical exhibits grew, the attraction’s name was changed to the "Everglades Wonder Gardens" to better reflect its offerings. The Gardens also became known for its wildlife rehabilitation programs. For three generations, the Gardens was  under the ownership of the Piper family. In early 2013, landscape photographer John Brady and his family leased the property from the Pipers and helped form a not-for-profit organization dedicated to saving the Everglades Wonder Gardens.  

In 2014, a group of local residents formed the Bonita Wonder Gardens Inc., a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization. With financial assistance, in the form of a $3.5 million loan from the City of Bonita Springs, the new organization was able to purchase the property and business assets from the Piper family in April, 2015, saving it from potential commercial development. 

Thomas Hecker, who has extensive environmental non-profit management experience,  started as the new Executive Director in January, 2017.  “We’ve got a strong vision for the future,” he said. “We just need some time and funding to make it happen.” Hecker’s plan includes a renewed focus on education. “We want to bring kids in from local schools to really learn and experience what we have here,” he said. While renewed education is an important part of Hecker’s plan, there are many other projects that remain, such as rebuilding wildlife enclosures, nurturing the botanical beauty of the property and renovating the flamingo lake. A new building, wedding gazebo and dock are also in the works. “It’d be great to give tours on the Imperial River,” he said. A large green space for events would finish off the acreage. Once restored, the Wonder Gardens will be a great asset to the community of Bonita Springs. 


 Billboard for the Everglades Wonder Gardens

The Gardens is on Old 41 between W. Terry and Bonita Beach Road. This stretch of Old 41 is undergoing a renovation/beautification process, and it already looks like a trendy and inviting neighborhood.


The entrance to the Wonder Gardens ticket office and gift shop


Estero Island Garden Club members at the entrance


Greatly enlarged brochure featuring the attractions of the Gardens


Master Plan for a new and improved Wonder Gardens


Gift shop


Pink flamingoes in gift shop


Macaws & cockatoos in gift shop


A menacing owl suspended from the rafters


Big Joe exhibit in Natural History Museum

Big Joe was at one time the largest American crocodile in captivity. He was 15 ½ feet long and weighed over 1200 pounds. He attracted visitors from all over the world until he died of old age at 75 years old in 2003.


Close-up of Big Joe


Display in Museum


Alligator with prey in its mouth in the Museum


Splayed alligator skin becomes a giant plaque in the Museum.


Bird cages for Macaws


Winnie, a blue and gold Macaw


A koi pond with fisherman sculpture


Pond with koi


Plants for sale


Huge staghorn ferns hanging from old growth trees
The name “staghorn” comes from their uniquely-shaped fronds.


Duck enclosure


Ibises in the duck enclosure
The ibises go anywhere they want.


Alligator signs


Alligator pond


Alligators


Alligators sunning


A cone-domed cage for a white cockatoo


Cockatoo


A green iguana with a black-ringed tail named “Buddy” in a glassed-in enclosure


Carol and Joanie in a parrot cut-out board


Carol and Margaret in the cut-out board


Ibises in a pond


Flamingoes


Flamingoes by their pond


The Imperial River runs right alongside the Gardens property.


Cactus garden


Cactus garden


Pond with water lilies


Bromeliad garden


A peacock roamed the grounds, but never went far from the bird enclosure.


A guinea hen that the peacock had a “thing” for is inside the enclosure--an unfortunate case of unrequited love.


Tortoises


Bantam rooster, Big Foot


Members admiring Big Foot


Joanie and Margaret taking a break


Picnic area


Stray alligator in the pathway


Water feature with cascade

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