Mound House to get proceeds from cruise
Cultural Resources Director Theresa Schober of the Town of Fort Myers Beach will be giving an encore presentation of Cruise into the Past & Archaeological Tour on Friday, July 23. Some of the proceeds of the 4 1/2 trip is expected to financially help the Mound House.
The tour departs from the Marriot Sanibel Harbor Resort & Spa at Punta Rassa at 9 a.m. and is expected to return by 1:30 p.m. If interested in making reservations, call Captiva Cruises at 472-5300. The cost is $45 per person which includes a donation to the Town’s historic home on Connecticut Street.
The “Cruise into the Past & Archaeological Tour” will again feature a trip to the historic Mound House on Estero Bay where participants will visit the new underground archaeological exhibit. The sneak peak will involve a rare opportunity to walk in an actual Calusa shell mound to observe its construction, its layers and to experience a cross section of 2,000 years of Southwest Florida history.
“The Stories Beneath Our Feet exhibit explores how the Calusa Indians built a cultural landscape from the ground up – using shellfish from past meals and feasts to construct elevated areas for elite members of society,” said Schober before the last trip. “Built in the location of a former swimming pool, the Town has created a unique educational space from past destruction and in so doing, has added greatly to our understanding of mound building as a tradition in southwest Florida.”
Along the way, participants can learn about the dynamic history and ecology of Punta Rassa, Pine Island Sound and Estero Bay by Cruise director and Environmental educator Richard Finkel who, with Schober, will offer stories of Ponce de Leon’s first encounters with the Calusa Indians as well as other accounts from Calusa and Spanish history.
The second tour comes after an overabundance of inquiries from the first trip -held Friday, June 18- which could not accommodate all requests.
“The first cruise was great,” said Schober. “Approximately 40 people were on the tour which provided an overview of the Calusa followed by demonstrations, rope making, exploring shell midden and a visit to the Stories Beneath Our Feet exhibit. It is a great way for people to see the property approaching from the water like the Calusa and early pioneers would have.”
Reservations are required as space is limited.
Captiva Cruises will also run two other specialty summer environmental
education programs. They are:
1. Family Fun Cruise & Shoreline Discovery Program
– Friday, July 30, and Friday, Aug. 13, from 9 a.m. to noon
This sea life encounter will take you to a secluded beach for a naturalist-guided shoreline walk to discuss coastal sea life and beach dynamics. We will explore mud flats and use nets within the shallow sea grass beds for an up-close look at some of the smaller yet amazing inhabitants of the Back Bay Estuary Ecosystem. Bring wading shoes and your sense of adventure for this hands-on Sea Life Encounter and Shoreline Discovery Cruise.
2. Cultural History Cruise
– Saturday, Aug. 14, 9 to 11:30 a.m.
Departing from Punta Rassa, this special cruise will focus on the cultural history of Southwest Florida. Theresa Schober, archeologist and director of cultural resources for the Town of Fort Myers Beach, will highlight some of the significant sites and historical accounts of the diverse cultural legacy within our coastal environment.