Mound House gains volunteers through open house

Oct 26, 2011 3 min read

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BOB PETCHER Mound House volunteer Ceel Spuhler describes the uses of the palm tree during the Plants & People Guided Walk segment at the open house event.

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BOB PETCHER Light refreshments and finger food were offered to anyone who attending the volunteering event.

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BOB PETCHER Mound House volunteer Russ Carter eyes the Calusa Cart inside of the Shell Mound exhibit where he instructed groups during the Stories Beneath Our Feet tour.

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BOB PETCHER Mound House Education Coordinator Brent Newman prepares interested folks for the Stories Beneath Our Feet tour just outside of the exhibit.

Officials at Mound House were pleased to report great participation at last Wednesday’s Open House for volunteer seeking.

From 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 68 new volunteer packets were distributed to attendees at the event, according to Mound House Administrative Assistant Sarah Desquesnes.

“All in all, a very good day,” she said.

Many current Mound House volunteers were also present to help give tours including “Stories Beneath our Feet” Shell Mound Exhibit, a trip inside a walk-in shell mound exhibit that was created by removing and excavating a 1950s in-ground swimming pool, and “Plants and People” Guided Walk, a meandering perspective of the native landscape and its use by early settlers. Both tours have resumed Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Open House served as an opportunity to learn about the benefits of volunteering at the Town-owned property. Volunteer opportunities include greeting visitors, giving tours, assist with kayak tours and environmental programs, lend a hand with school groups, set up with special staff events, help in the office, provide maintenance of the grounds and assist with a variety of other projects.

The Mound House property is at 289 Connecticut St. Attendees were provided with light refreshments in between taking tours, signing paperwork and learning about more than 2,000 years of island life.

Benefits of volunteering were cited as a great way to expand one’s horizons, meet new friends and improve your health, while making Mound House an incredible experience for the thousands of people who visit the site each year, according to Mound House Education Coordinator Brent Newman.

Mound House is an archeologically and historically significant property, where the William H. Case House, the oldest standing structure on Estero Island, sits atop a 2,000-year-old Calusa Indian shell mound. The many diverse inhabitants of this small piece of land include the Calusa, Cuban fishermen, and American settlers, scientists, and developers from the mid-1870s to 1994.

Through archaeology and history, 2,000 years of island life are revealed in a variety of tours and educational programs. Situated on Estero Bay, the site is accessible by boat and motor traffic and visitors are encouraged to picnic on the park grounds and enjoy the beautiful view. Mound House was acquired by Fort Myers Beach with funds from Florida Communities Trust in 2000.

To learn more about our volunteering opportunities and programs, contact Newman at 765-0865 or email at brent@FortMyersBeachFL.gov or go to Moundhouse.org website.