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!  
• 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!

Families Volunteer Together for Tigertail Beach Clean-up

Without seasonal residents and students in school, the summer Tigertail Beach clean-up, hosted by Friends of Tigertail, often has less attendance than other clean-ups. However, 26 participants presented for the July 6 event, and the core group was comprised of families working together to clean the beach after the holiday festivities. James Hanrahan, the interim Director of Collier County Parks and Recreation brought his wife and 3 children, joined by Ozzy Sanchez, the Collier County crew leader for north Collier beaches. Vacationing in our area, the Honeycutt family from the east coast of Florida pitched in. The Richett/Kinter, Dougherty, and Cleary families also participated. Together with other volunteers, 64 pounds of trash were collected, comprising 2 full large bags of cans and bottles, 3 garbage bags of miscellaneous debris, and separate heavy construction items. Many volunteers noted that the beach was surprisingly clean after the holiday, and ranger Erik Hansen reported that county workers had combed the beach the previous day to initiate the post-Independence Day clean-up.

Friends of Tigertail appreciates the wonderful volunteers who help keep the park and beach clean for all to enjoy. The next event will be on Saturday, September 21, part of the International Coastal Clean-up, a world-wide effort to clean coastal areas and compile a list of types of trash collected. For information about this and other Friends of Tigertail events visit them on their Facebook page.

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.