Founded in 1984, Gumbo Limbo Nature Center is a unique cooperative project of the City of Boca Raton, Greater Boca Raton Beach and Park District, Florida Atlantic University (FAU), and Friends of Gumbo Limbo. Each year, more than 100,000 local and tourist visitors receive valuable environmental education while enjoying respite from the city bustle.
As a beacon for environmental education, research, and conservation, Gumbo Limbo’s 20 acres of protected barrier island not only provides refuge to many varieties of plants and animals – some rare or endangered – but represents a commitment to protect our natural resources by our Members, Volunteers, and the organizations that comprise the Center.
Recently, the preservation of our natural environment and wildlife resources has been recognized as a national concern for all of our families. You can join us in our Mission to increase public awareness of our coastal and marine ecosystems and support our educational, conservation, and research efforts by becoming a Member of Friends of Gumbo Limbo.
What We Do
- We instruct more than 10,000 school students in coastal and marine ecology every year
- Programs are constructed to meet the Sunshine State Standards Requirement in science education
- We monitor more than 600 nests a year within a five mile span of beaches
- We rescue injured turtles and release more than 6000 stranded hatchlings each nesting season
- We offer a variety of programs for children, adults, and families facilitated by qualified naturalists and biologists
- Small group sizes and a low cost with more than 13,000 people participating annually
- The Florida Atlantic University lab conducts valuable scientific research which enhances our understanding of sea turtle behavior, physiology, and ecology
- The research creates practical applications in the conservation of sea turtles and other marine life
Taken from the Gumbo Limbo website at http://www.gumbolimbo.org/about-us.