Collier Community Foundation Celebrates Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary’s Leadership in Conservation and Education with Two Gifts

Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary in Southwest Florida was awarded $100,000 as part of the Collier Community Foundation’s 2025 Celebration of Philanthropy on October 17. One of four local nonprofit organizations selected from dozens of applications, Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary will use the funds to expand and transform aging campus spaces to provide immersive learning opportunities in every season.

“With a proud 70-year legacy of education and conservation, we recognize the need to elevate our impact to meet today’s challenges and better serve our community,” says Sanctuary Director Keith Laakkonen. “The Collier Community Foundation’s 40th Anniversary Grant is helping us realize a visionary transformation of our campus—featuring a new Outdoor Classroom and a state-of-the-art Research Laboratory.”

The Collier Community Foundation also awarded the Sanctuary an additional $75,000 grant to support conservation within our 13,000-acre property, including critical wetland research and science-based land stewardship initiatives.

This article original appeared in the Fall 2025 State of the Everglades report. Read the full report here.