We’ve got Bats! Former Snook Inn property will be converted to park
The nooks and crannies underneath the old Matlacha Bridge are home to a special family of bats — but now they need to move to a new home.
The Lee County Department of Transportation is planning to replace the more than 50-year-old bridge and construction could begin in early fall this year. In order to prepare the protected bats for construction, new bat houses will be erected before the project begins.
Demolition is scheduled to begin as early as next week on the non-historic parts of the former Snook Inn property. The entire building will be razed except for a small historic portion of the structure which will be restored to its original condition and returned to the site. Once the former restaurant site is cleared, it will be used as a staging area during construction of the new bridge and demolition of the old bridge.
Betsie Hiatt, environmental manager with LCDOT, hopes erecting the bat houses before bridge construction begins will encourage the bats to move seamlessly into their new habitat without being disturbed by the construction project. To prepare for the move, Hiatt invited experts with the Florida Bat Conservancy to survey the bats living under the Greater Pine Island bridge. The experts determined that Matlacha is home to approximately 2,000 Brazilian free-tailed bats. The experts volunteered their time to identify and count the bats with special sonar equipment.
Although Brazilian free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis) are not state or federally listed as a threatened or endangered species, the bats still are protected by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission regulations. Cyndi Marks, a bat expert with the conservancy, said there is a possibility that another species of bat, the Florida bonneted bat (Eumops folridanus) also may roost under the bridge. This species of bat, while not seen or heard at the bridge, is afforded special protection under the law. A known colony of Florida bonneted bats lives in a bat house in North Fort Myers and could have spread out to Matlacha, Marks said.
Marks, a co-founder of the Florida Bat Conservancy along with her husband, George, supports LCDOT’s plans to protect the bats and replace their lost habitat. In order to remain in compliance with environmental rules and so that LCDOT can replace the over-water habitat that will be lost during the bridge demolition, LCDOT will erect two bat houses over the water on existing pilings at the Snook Inn property, which was purchased by the county in March 2007. The bat houses can accommodate between three and four thousand bats.
After building a new Matlacha Bridge in a location just a few feet to the south of where the current bridge lies, the LCDOT will demolish the old bridge. The bats will be “excluded” from the old bridge prior to demolishing it. By that time, the bats will hopefully be acquainted with their replacement habitat and stay in the area. Bats are an essential part of the natural system in southwest Florida, Marks said. Just one bat can consume up to 3,000 insects in a single night. They provide a very effective form of natural insect control.
After bridge construction is complete, the restored portion of the historic building will be returned to the site. The restored property will provide public restrooms and a front porch seating area that overlooks the water and bat houses. The remainder of the site will have picnic areas, public access along the waterfront, and public parking spaces. Native plantings and educational signs also will be installed on the site, Hiatt said.
“I really hope the community will be happy with the plans for the Snook Inn property,” Hiatt said. “We’ve made a great effort to design a small park in a very popular area that will provide recreational opportunities and public parking spaces. People will be able to enjoy the waterfront and view the Matlacha bats leaving their roost just after sunset. I’m anticipating the park will be a very popular destination.”
Carie Call of Pine Island Consulting Inc. has been instrumental in coordinating construction and installation of the bat houses. For more information, please call Call at 239-558-8591.