Biologists rely on these birds to gauge the health of the Everglades. For wading birds, timing is everything. In normal years, wet-season floods let small fish grow and multiply. As the water recedes, fish gather in shallow pools, creating easy meals for the birds and plenty of food for their young. But when the drought dries up wetlands too soon, birds don’t stand a chance. Not enough fish, not enough food. Barely any chicks make it.

The belief among scientists is straightforward: fix water for the birds, and you fix water for everything else. Poor nesting years like this flag deeper trouble in the ecosystem and show restoration efforts have a long road ahead.

Dry conditions have persisted since early 2025, hitting indicator species, white ibis, roseate spoonbill, wood stork, especially hard. These birds are more than pretty faces; their success or struggle is a real-time report card on the Everglades. And right now, the grade isn’t good.

Click here for more information.

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UF/IFAS Extension leads the charge, collecting unopened, unexpired jars for local food pantries from October 1 to October 31, 2026. It’s all about getting ahead of holiday-season food insecurity, and peanut butter’s a splendid choice: full of nutrients, lasts on the shelf, and loved by many.

If you want to pitch in, just drop your jars at one of these locations:

Centennial Park Recreation Center, 1120 Centennial Blvd., Port Charlotte

Mid County Library, 2050 Forrest Nelson Blvd., Port Charlotte

Englewood Charlotte Public Library, 3450 N. Access Road, Englewood

Punta Gorda Charlotte Public Library, 401 Shreve St., Punta Gorda

Last year, people in Charlotte County alone donated 1,356 pounds. That’s a lot of sandwiches and snacks for families who need them. But the impact stretches farther. Statewide, groups like the Florida Peanut Producers Association and the Florida Peanut Federation match the pounds collected in every county, doubling what local pantries get and helping families across Florida.

If you have questions or need details, check out the Charlotte County Government News Portal or call coordinator Holly Bates at 941-764-4340. Every jar makes a difference.

The post Spread the Love: Charlotte County’s ‘Peanut Butter Challenge’ Supercharges Holiday Food Drives appeared first on Englewood Review.

October brings Halloween and some great fishing for those who know where to find it. As our seasonal readers return to Southwest Florida, we’re sharing a few “treat” launch spots and “trick” tactics for each launch that should help kayak anglers make the most of fall conditions.

Lemon Bay Park and Environmental Center

Treat: Lemon Bay Park is usually productive and now easier to launch from. Recent storms removed the old staircase and left a gentle sandy slope that’s far more dolly‑friendly. Nearby waters offer shelter and action in nearly any wind direction. Easterly winds are ideal, but paddling south will lead you around a sandbar to protected water if the north winds pick up.

Trick: We like to paddle north about three‑quarters of a mile to a couple of small mangrove islands. Deep flats along the way produce trout, pompano, and the occasional redfish. Once at the islands, park the kayak and wade the oyster/sandbar. Walking west toward the ICW puts you on a natural funnel where water and bait move north and south — and predators follow. Walking east toward the shoreline creates another tight corridor between mangroves and the bar, concentrating fish moving along the shore. It’s a great lunch stop followed by productive wading.

Oyster Creek Environmental Park

Treat: This easy “back‑down‑to‑the‑water” launch is a favorite for its simplicity and reliable fishing. This launch puts you directly east across the ICW from Stump Pass Beach State Park, ensuring strong tidal flows. In windy weather, the creek itself becomes a sheltered fishery with seawalls, mangroves, and shallow flats that warm quickly in winter. Toward Lemon Bay, Oyster Creek opens into a shallow bay with oyster bars and mangrove islands that attract bait and game fish — and discourage boat traffic.

Trick: Paddling west toward the ICW, a shallow lagoon on the right invites a few casts on higher tides and offers a less windy route into Lemon Bay. Turning north on the bay leads to water protected from north winds. This area is a redfish haven. In winter, the dark bottom warms quickly. Oyster bars provide structure and food; and the shallows offer secure footing for wading anglers. Fish the mangroves on higher tides; when the tide drops, move out to deeper flats for plentiful trout.

Stump Pass Beach State Park

Treat: Stump Pass is still a good launch spot, but parking is severely restricted after recent storms. An early arrival and patience are essential. The gate opens at 8 a.m. and closes at sunset, and the line forms around 7:30. Bring coffee and a donut for the wait. The water here is protected from nearly every wind direction except northwest.

Trick: The kayak launch puts you on “Ski Alley,” which can be busy and hazardous. The opposite shore, however, has small sandy beaches that let kayak anglers escape the crowds. The best fishing lies along the winding channel between Peterson Island and Whidden Key — a designated slow zone with sand bars, deep pockets, and mangrove shorelines. Strong tidal flow allows anglers to drift north or south. We anchor on shallow spots and fish lures into deeper pockets down‑current. At the north end of Whidden Key, the opening to Lemon Bay features a deep channel along southern mangroves and productive flats to the north. Sheepshead, snook, redfish, small grouper, ladyfish, jack crevalle, and pompano are common catches.

A Final Halloween Message

We hope these tricks and treats help kayak anglers find quality fish in Southwest Florida. Please practice catch‑and‑release in these heavily fished areas. It’s more fun to catch a big fish twice than to eat it once — and mature fish are the best stocking program we know.

Kimball and Les Beery, authors of Angler’s Guide to SHORE and KAYAK Fishing Southwest Florida, contribute these excerpts from both WATERPROOF books to promote the excellent fishing available in the Englewood area. They are available locally at Old Florida Gallery on West Dearborn, and for download at www.anglerpocketguides.com&amazon.com.

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In a state where contractors work nonstop to pull pythons out of the Everglades, the idea of releasing one seems almost reckless. Yet researchers do this on purpose. This isn’t a mistake; it’s how they find more snakes.

This python stretched 16 feet and tipped the scales at almost 148 pounds. Instead of meeting the usual fate, she got a radio transmitter, and interns from the University of Florida released her right back into the swamp. USGS biologists tracked her from above, piloting a drone over the thick grass.

So why let a giant, invasive snake go free? The USGS has a year-round “scout” program. Selected male and female pythons wear transmitters, and researchers from USGS and university interns track their movements. During breeding season, these “scouts” lead trackers right to clusters of other pythons and their nests. That’s where removal efforts do the most good.

Tracking isn’t easy. Researchers slog through sawgrass and swamp on foot, which eats up time and money. Drones change the game. They carry radio-tracking gear or cameras, and teams are testing them to see if they make detection faster and more efficient, cut down on labor, and help gather better data.

Florida needs every edge it can get. Burmese pythons invaded the region over the last forty years, now thriving across the Greater Everglades. Some grow beyond 17 feet. Females can lie up to 111 eggs in a batch.

The impact on wildlife is brutal. A 2012 PNAS study found that in the most remote parts of Everglades National Park, raccoon sightings dropped by 99.3 percent, and opossums by 98.9 percent compared to the 1990s. USGS links these snakes to the dramatic decline in mammals.

Removal efforts are massive. About 100 contractors hunt pythons year-round, and the state’s annual Python Challenge brings in over a thousand participants. Yet the most basic figure still escapes scientists. No one knows just how many pythons there are, as their camouflage is so effective that most go undetected.

As for the drones, their tracking abilities are still an open question. USGS hasn’t published concrete numbers on how many snakes aerial tracking helps find. For now, what matters is the data: a radio-tagged python, tracked from the air, reveals movements across places almost impossible for people to navigate.

Florida knows all too well how these stories begin. Australia’s rabbit plague started with just 24 rabbits released in 1859, and farmers in the U.S. once got paid to plant kudzu. This time, they released the animal on purpose to help fix the problem, not make it worse. Somewhere in the Everglades, a radio-tagged 16-foot python moves through the grass, and for once, researchers know exactly where she’s headed.

Click here for more information. 

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Have you tried Lickity Split Cafe, located at 2828 S. McCall Road in Tiffany Square, yet? Let us know your favorite dish below!

The post The Retro Diner in SWFL You Didn’t Know You Needed 🥪 Lickity Split Cafe (Video) appeared first on Englewood Review.

Jay, a trapper with Treasure Coast Wildlife Trappers, says he’s already pulled out close to 50 snakes in the past month according to WPBF. We’re talking about venomous ones too, rattlesnakes, water moccasins, coral snakes. And it’s not just happening near canals or wooded lots anymore; snakes are turning up anywhere you’d least want to see them: next to patios, at front doors, where kids and pets play.

Jay tells stories of finding snakes under porches, inside garages, and even visiting a vet clinic where a rattlesnake settled just outside the door. “The water levels are bringing them up. They want to stay dry, so they head for higher ground,” he explains. With so much flooding, dry spots like driveways and the edges of buildings feel just right for a snake trying to escape the rising water.

Everyday activities, like opening a garage, letting the dog outside, even just walking into the backyard, could suddenly put you face-to-face with a stressed, unfamiliar snake. With the animals displaced and anxious, these run-ins are riskier than usual.

The good news: snake activity should drop off once the weather changes. As the rains slow and temperatures cool, the critters will slip back to where they came from. Experts say this spike in sightings isn’t permanent, just a reaction to the recent flooding.

But if you spot a snake at your place, don’t handle it, and skip the urge to kill it. Call a professional. Dealing with venomous species is a job for someone who knows what they’re doing. Plus, snakes play an important role in the ecosystem. 

It’s not just Florida. All over, floods are sending snakes into developed areas. Firefighters have pulled Burmese pythons out of Florida homes. Across the Mid-South, snake encounters shot up 50 percent after heavy rains. Scientists in Florida have tracked the spread of invasive pythons, even using “scout” snakes to haul out over 8,000 pounds of pythons. And in Arkansas, videos show snakes taking over abandoned properties.

What brings snakes close to people? High water fills up their burrows and marshes, so snakes head for dry ground: house foundations, garages, sheds, porches, anything that’s above the flood line. Prey animals like rats and frogs move too, luring hungry snakes right along with them. Both harmless and venomous species, including rattlesnakes, cottonmouths, and coral snakes, often turn up near schools, yards, and driveways when the weather gets bad.

If you live in a flood-prone area, take a few precautions. Don’t catch or corner a snake. Most bites come when someone’s trying to handle them. Look before stepping into garages, storage spaces, and clutter left by the storm. Pull on boots and long pants if you’re cleaning up debris or walking through standing water. And if you find a snake indoors or somewhere risky, call a wildlife expert.

If someone or a pet gets bitten, call 911 immediately and contact Florida Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 or via Florida’s Poison Control Centers.

Private Wildlife Removal and Pest Control: Companies that specialize in reptile and snake removal (such as Florida Snake Removal / Northwest or national/regional nuisance wildlife operators like Critter Control at 1-800-274-8837) offer 24/7 or same-day emergency removal for venomous snakes. 

Local code enforcement, animal control, or the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) generally do not dispatch personnel to remove nuisance snakes from inside private residences; they typically handle wildlife crimes, injured animals, or provide educational resources. FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline is 888-404-3922.

The post South Florida Flooding Drives Snakes Into Neighborhoods as Trapper Calls Increase appeared first on Englewood Review.

The rebuilt store, now called Store #2091, will welcome shoppers at 1500 Placida Rd Suite C, right in Charlotte County. It’s not just the old market with a facelift; they’re opening with about 55,000 square feet, plus a pharmacy and a brand-new liquor store.

Last September, the original Publix, which had stood for 33 years, closed its doors for good. They demolished it entirely and planned to build it again from scratch. 

This project isn’t just about the market itself. They redesigned the parking lot and built a separate liquor store right next to the main building. When November rolls around, Publix will offer a modern, expanded space and services, ready for a whole new era.

The post A Fresh Start at Merchants Crossing: New 55,000-Sq-Ft Publix Set to Open Early November appeared first on Englewood Review.

Why so much effort? Lionfish aren’t supposed to be here. They’re invasive and wreak havoc on Florida’s native marine life. The entire event is about giving local fish and the reefs a fighting chance.

FWC Chairman Rodney Barreto put it best: this year’s numbers show just how much people can do when they work together. Every lionfish snagged means less pressure on Florida’s fragile marine ecosystems.

Some divers exceeded expectations: Hunter Ledbetter in Monroe County caught 1,541 fish and earned the title “Lionfish King,” while Helen Rodney in Broward County caught 1,488 and received the title “Lionfish Queen” this year. On the commercial side, David Garrett landed the “Champion” title by hauling in 1,136 pounds of lionfish. The top junior? Meagan Huffman from Texas, netting 185 fish. Hunter Ledbetter, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran, also took home the Veteran Champion title. Dive Pros in Pensacola topped the checkpoint list, collecting over 5,000 lionfish tails alone.

So, thanks to hundreds of determined divers, Florida’s underwater world got a little safer this summer. 

Click here for more information at FWC.

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The Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office needs help in finding who owns a silver Jon boat with black trim, found abandoned in Lemon Bay. Officers discovered it near Thornton Key and Stump Pass.

If this boat rings a bell or you know who it belongs to, they want to hear from you. Call the Sheriff’s Office non-emergency line at 941-639-2101 and ask for the Marine Unit.

They plan to pull the boat from the water if no one steps forward by November 7. If you have any information, please contact the CCSO.

Click here to contact the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office.

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The Florida Department of Environmental Protection just added 41 water bodies across Charlotte, Lee, and Collier counties to its “impaired” list. More than half of these failed because of fecal bacteria, like Enterococcus, which points to contamination from both people and animals. That’s especially true for several stretches of the Peace River near Charley Creek, where tests found clear signs of exposure to human waste.

What’s especially troubling is Cape Coral’s tidal canals saw a sudden spike in algae markers after years staying below the threshold. Charlotte County contributed the highest number of newly contaminated waterways, although some parts of Charlotte Harbor improved and now pass nutrient tests that once flagged them.

The list comes out every two years. If a water body doesn’t meet pollution standards, it gets flagged, so the public knows the status. The state now has to assess the pollution levels each spot can safely tolerate and still qualify as clean for swimming, fishing, and wildlife. This process, called calculating total maximum daily loads (TMDLs), sets the limit for pollutants to meet water quality standards.

Click here for more information about the status of our Florida waterways.

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