Did you know:

• FOT started Tigertail Beach cleanups in 2006. There have been 2789 volunteers, 872 bags of trash, 27 tires, totaling 6825 pounds of trash, over 3 tons! Since 2012, 846 people have attended the Breakfast and Birds event!
• Download the spreadsheet with the history of cleanups from 2006 to 2025!

• Since 2012, Friends of Tigertail has awarded 24 Campership scholarships to school children!
• Since 2012, over 1532 people have attended the Friends of the Friends of Tigertail Discover Tigertail education programs!

Birds Put On a Show During "Breakfast and Birds" Presentation

On Saturday, January 17, participants at the Friends of Tigertail sponsored "Breakfast and Birds" presentation were treated to a lively display of avian behavior.

After describing species specific bird characteristics, birding expert Fran Huxley lead the group to the Tigertail lagoon beach to practice identification. Typical species such as Sanderlings, Semipalmated Plovers, Tricolor Herons, Snowy and Reddish Egrets, and Osprey were present, and other birds not usually found at the beach also made an entrance. Participants were entertained by the Reddish Egret dance, the hovering and diving Belted Kingfisher and Brown Pelican, flying behavior of a Loggerhead Shrike, and a fast moving Palm Warbler. Tigertail Beach remains an outstanding location for bird watching.

Please take a look at the photos on our brand new 2026 photo page. Click the link to photos page here.

Friends of Tigertail will host a second birding presentation on Saturday, March 21 at 9:00 am. More details can be found on our Facebook page

Cleaner than Usual Beach Found at Dec 7th Tigertail Clean-Up 

Friends of Tigertail has hosted quarterly beach clean-ups for 29 years and kept statistics since 2006, tabulating more than 3 tons of trash. At the quarterly clean-up on Saturday, December 6 volunteers noted that the area appeared cleaner than usual, and only 30 pounds of debris were collected by 32 participants, one of the lowest yields to date. Hopefully this trend will continue as beach goers gain awareness of the importance of leaving no trace.

The clean-up volunteers included eight MIA Key Club students, residents who attend each event, several new participants, and five Friends of Tigertail board members.

The next clean-up event will be March 28 when Tigertail joins other county beaches and Keep Collier Beautiful for Bay Days/Great American Clean-up. Other upcoming Friends of Tigertail events include two free "Breakfast and Birds" programs, January 17 and March 21 when an experienced naturalist describes bird behavior and physical characteristics then guides participants as they practice identification at the lagoon beach. See photos on 2025 photo page.

No Smoking Initiative in Collier County Parks

On Monday 10/27, Allie Delventhal, an FOTT director,  participated in a meeting with Collier County Commissioner Burt Saunders with a group including representatives from the County Health Department, 3 children from SWAT (Students Working Against Tobacco), and Guy Blanchette, from the Tobacco Free Collier Partnership. The purpose of the meeting was to ask Mr. Saunders to endorse the creation of a county ordinance prohibiting smoking and vaping in all Collier County parks and beaches. Two of the students, Joshua and Yeremi Gutierrez gave impassioned speeches, and Mr Blanchette provided helpful information and statistics regarding the importance of an official ordinance. The 1st photo includes the Gutierrez students and Mr Blanchette with Ms. Delventhal, and the other photo is of the SWAT students with Commissioner Kowal, whom they met on 11/6.  Friends of Tigertail is supportive of this initiative.

FRIENDS OF TIGERTAIL REPORT SEPTEMBER 2025

Friends of Tigertail participated in the International Coastal Clean-up on September 20. 53 volunteers collected 135 pounds of trash, with bottles, cans, plastic bags, food wrappers, and wood pieces the most common items retrieved. They are grateful for the supplies and organization provided by Keep Collier Beautiful and Collier County. The final 2025 Tigertail Beach clean-up will be December 6.

During the summer, the group sponsored the Ken Kubat summer camperships, this year underwriting 6 students at the Rookery Bay Summer Institute for Marine Science (SIMS). At the camp, participants experienced hands-on activities, learning about the estuary and scientific research conducted there.

The Friends group has collaborated with the Collier County Health Department supporting creation of an ordinance prohibiting smoking at all Collier County beaches and parks, with Maria Christina Javier from the county Health Department joining our beach clean-ups to provide information to the public.

Friends of Tigertail looks forward to continuing their environmental and educational activities in 2026. All are invited to the free “Breakfast and Birds” presentations at the kiosk on January 17 and March 21, 9:00-11:00 am.

Friends of Tigertail Add Benches to Tigertail Park Upgrades

Friends of Tigertail donated two benches to the Tigertail Beach Park, augmenting the recently upgraded playground area as well as the observation tower.

On Monday, August 16 a ceremony was held for the bench donation, with Friends of Tigertail Board members and Melissa Hennig, Regional Manager of Beaches and Water for the Collier County Parks and Recreation. The location of the benches will benefit park visitors, with one in the newly renovated playground area so that families can be comfortable watching their children at play, and the other bench placed on the lower level of the observation tower, creating a shaded perch to observe the beach below.

Friends of Tigertail is appreciative of the county's efforts in improving the park's facilities. The new playground is now state of the art, and will be enjoyed by many young park visitors. Through a grant from the Community Foundation of Collier County, a tall shade structure was added, providing relief from direct sun for the children.