We are elated for the grand re-opening of 7-Eleven along the north-end of Fort Myers Beach Florida! This is one of the many places decimated by Hurricane Ian back in 2022, and seeing this venue – and all the other homes and business – coming back stronger than before makes our hearts sing with happiness. Congratulations, 7Eleven crew – thank you for your valiant efforts in returning to our island!
An array of events celebrating 250 years of freedom are taking place around Southwest Florida in the coming days. Here’s a great selection, all courtesy Breeze Newspapers
Fort Myers Beach
Fort Myers Beach to renew fireworks, parade for Fourth of July
What’s Up FMB raised funds for festivities to celebrate 250th anniversary of nation’s founding
The Fourth of July parade and fireworks show will return to Fort Myers Beach this year to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, after a fundraising effort by the local business group What’s Up FMB.
The Fourth of July parade will start on Estero Boulevard from near the Fort Myers Beach Library at 10 a.m., followed by a “Freedom by the Bay” event honoring veterans at 4 p.m. with a ceremony and concert at Bayside Veterans Park off Old San Carlos Boulevard, near Snug Harbor Waterfront Restaurant. The concert will begin at 5 and run until 8 p.m.
The fireworks show will take place at dusk from a barge near the Fort Myers Beach Pier close to Times Square and Lynn Hall Memorial Park, around 9 p.m.
Fort Myers Beach Manager Will McKannay’s staff is overseeing preparations for the parade.
“We’re looking forward to a great day,” McKannay said. “We are looking forward to everything that Fort Myers Beach is used to” with the parade, he said.
“We welcome everybody to return to Fort Myers Beach,” McKannay said.
McKannay, a retired U.S. Army colonel and garrison commander, said the veteran’s event at Bayside Veteran’s Park will honor veterans from around Southwest Florida.
For McKannay, the 250th anniversary of the founding of the country is a special moment.
“For all of us, it’s significant. The experiment that still is the USA,” McKannay said. “The 250th year is definitely something that should be proud of. For me, it’s significant because I spent 30 years of my life of my life protecting those freedoms so it has extra special meaning to me.”
Fort Myers Beach Parks and Recreation Manager Neil Mathes said the town has a dozen entries for the parade as of this past weekend. He is expecting more applications from people and organizations looking to participate in the next week. The parade application can be found on the Bay Oaks Park page from the Town of Fort Myers Beach website, and the application can be turned in at Town Hall or Bay Oaks Recreation Center. The deadline to submit an application is Friday, June 26th. For more information on how to participate in the parade, contact Mathes at 239-765-4222 or by email at Nmathes@fmbgov.com.
The parade will start from the Bay Oaks Recreational Campus and head down Estero Boulevard to the Times Square area.
The Matanzas Pass Bridge will be closed from 9 a.m. until noon for the parade in the morning, and again at night from 9 to 11 for the fireworks
What’s Up FMB raised $129,000 through donations for the fireworks and parade. The amount covers the fireworks, as well as other costs, such as funding for the Lee County Sheriff’s Office detail.
What’s Up FMB raised $129,000 through donations for the fireworks and parade, after the Town of Fort Myers Beach cut fireworks out of its budget last year due to fiscal considerations.
Dawn Miller, the co-founder of What’s Up FMB, said the fundraising for the fireworks was done through the collection of donations from local businesses and individual contributions, as well as promotions by local businesses in which they donated a portion of sales for the fireworks.
Miller said the first 100 veterans who attend the “Freedom by the Bay” veteran’s ceremony at Bayside Veteran’s Park, will receive a special gift from What’s Up FMB. Miller said she is most excited about the “Freedom by the Bay” event.
Miller, who also made a large donation for the fireworks with her husband Mike Miller, said that having a fireworks show and parade was important.
“There was no reason why we should not have the festivities this year considering it’s 250 years,” Miller said. “We are super-excited about it. The parade, we certainly could use some more participation in it.”
Fort Myers
City of Fort Myers and River District Alliance partner to celebrate America’s 250th birthday in downtown Fort Myers
Cape Coral
Red, White & Booze Pub Crawl set for June 27
Fourth of July event to close Cape Coral Bridge
Cape Coral-Fort Myers motorists should use alternate routes
What’s Up FMB raised funds for festivities to celebrate 250th anniversary of nation’s founding
Cape Coral Councilmember Bill Steinke, with other council members and city staff, cuts the ribbon at Tropicana Park last Friday. The waterfront park at at 4101 Tropicana Parkway offers a number of amenities including two public docks a beach area, gazebo, pavilions, playground, fitness stations and rest rooms. From left to right those pictured include: Deputy Parks & Recreation Director Mike Massoglia, Councilmember Jennifer Nelson-Lastra, Councilmember Laurie Lehmann, City Manager Michael Ilczyszyn, Councilmember Bill Steinke, Councilmember Joe Kilraine, Councilmember Rachel Kaduk. CITY OF CAPE CORAL
A decade ago, John Niehle’s granddaughter became a member of the Cape Coral Rowing Club. The club, started in 2007, has been a popular place for local rowers of all ages to connect and build strength on the water.
“It is a great activity for a young person,” Niehle said. “Anytime our young people want to be outside, being active, with their noses out of their phones, we should encourage it.”
On Friday, Niehle, joined a group of close to 100 rowing club supporters who rallied in protest as the city of Cape Coral officially opened Tropicana Park with the traditional ribbon cutting. The park opening came in the wake of a Cape Coral City Council deadlock on a long-promised lease arrangement with the club for a designated spot at the park where they could store their boats and easily launch from the public dock.
The deadlock vote meant the lease agreement effectively failed just weeks before the park opening and the event, usually a celebratory occasion, was filled, instead, with contention.
Protestors carried “Let them Row” signs in support of the club and its rowers. They wore T-shirts. At least one wore a costume evoking The Handmaid’s Tale.
The new park has two public docks dedicated to non-motorized water craft, including kayaks and paddle boards, but the rowing club — long promised a lease to use the $500,000 dock specially designed for rowing — failed to garner final approval of a proposed lease from the Cape Coral City Council, which deadlocked 4-4 on an arrangement.
Club supporters say they do do not understand the reasoning.
“Barring these kids from rowing at Tropicana Park is ridiculous,” said Amy Gaziano, a neighbor of the Spreader waterway, at the opening. “Taxpayers had our money spent and the dock is here. I don’t understand the confusion.”
Half of city council — council members Rachel Kaduk, Jennifer Nelson-Lastra, Bill Steinke and Dr. Derrick Donnell — supported the lease agreement at Tropicana Park
Half of the elected board — Mayor John Gunter and council members Joe Kilraine, Laurie Lehmann and Keith Long — voting against.
Those opposed contend the rowing club would be better located at another city park, Crystal Lake, where another organization, which rows with dragon boats, is to be located.
There is, however, no dock at Crystal Lake.
Without a lease, and despite a subsequent voted 5-3 by council to pursue a plan B for the organization, club officials said the nonprofit is left without a home.
“I just don’t understand it. During the design of this park, Mayor Gunter asked for heavy input from the rowing club in designing the dock, and he got it,” Danielle Fitzsimmons said. “My son is a member of this club. Our taxpayer dollars of around $480,000.00 went to this design, and now my son and his friends can’t row here.”
Wade Johnson, a Cape Coral Rowing Club member and student at Bishop Verot High School, said his goal is to get a college scholarship in rowing.
“I have no idea where we are going to row,” Johnson said.
He glanced at the ground and shook his head.
“Without the use of Tropicana Park, it’s just month-to-month for us.”
Following the morning ceremony, Johnson asked Lehmann, who was among the city officials who attended Friday’s ribbon cutting, if she might reconsider her vote.
“I have no plans to reconsider it,” Lehman replied.
“I have had citizens coming to me constantly, mostly homeowners from the top of the North Spreader, and they don’t want the rowers here,” Lehman said of her position. “I have a permanent home for the rowing club, three miles away. It is the third island. And, I have a private bid for a dock that would cost around $40,000.”
Lehman said she hopes to secure corporate sponsors for a new dock, she proposes, that would be a permanent home for the rowing club further north along the spreader.
Niehle is among those not convinced.
“I have watched this proposal as it has progressed,” he said. “Even in 2022, city planning had provisions at Tropicana Park for the rowers. The city paid nearby homeowners for additional parking spaces. Mayor Gunter added a 60-foot dock, for other non-motorized water sports, to accompany the 150-foot dock that rowers need. Everything was in place.”
City representatives, including Cape Coral Communications Manager Melissa Mickey, shared their commitment to the new park.
Mickey said she hopes the community will enjoy the “beautiful new space,” which includes not only the public docks but a beach area, gazebo, pavilions, playground, fitness stations and rest rooms.
The park at 4101 Tropicana Parkway abuts the Seven Islands property an 47-acre site of Old Brunt Store Road to be developed as Gulf Gateway Resort and Marina Village.
The developer, who purchased the property from the city, has been allowing the Cape Coral Rowing Club to launch from one of the manmade “hammerhead” islands, dubbed island three.
Feature courtesy Cape Coral Breeze
A ribbon-cutting celebrating the rebuild of Jaycee Park took place later last month, now celebrating 50 years open to the public.
City Manager Michael Ilczyszyn said the rebuild of Jaycee Park was done sooner than some of the other parks because of an unsolicited public-private partnership arrangement that identified a revenue stream to help pay for the rebuild that has cost $18.7 million to date.
While that vendor arrangement ultimately did not come to fruition, the city partnered with another for the planned bistro and food truck component and is looking forward to the next phase, which will continue with more work on the Caloosahatchee waterfront.
To accommodate the traffic that the city is anticipating for Saturday’s event, officials have activated five parking lots that will have shuttle services to the park.
Lot one is at 4117 Coronado Parkway and lot two is at 4140 Coronado Parkway.
Overflow parking will be at lot three at 4508 S.E. 15th Ave., lot four at 4427 S.E. 15th Ave., and lot five at 1629 S.E. 47th St.
There is going to be a drop off area on the south side, he said, for people to drop off members of their family, as well as rideshare like Uber drop off at the front entrance of the park.
The Jaycee Park parking lots are reserved for disabled parking with valid permits, Ilczyszyn said.
“Everyone else will park outside of the park and shuttle in,” Ilczyszyn said. “It’s not the intent of this event to impact anybody on Beach Parkway. We believe we have put together something that will allow us to enjoy the waterfront activation and enjoy a movie in the park.”
A bevy of businesses are sponsoring the event.
The new amenities at the park include an elevated boardwalk along the Caloosahatchee offering views that expand to the Cape Coral Bridge and Midpoint; a band shell; bathrooms; three new playgrounds, including a splash pad; beach volleyball courts; cornhole, pool, and shuffleboard tables; misting/drinking stations for dogs, as well as numerous places to sit.
Along the paths are 425 new trees, as well as new native vegetation.
The park is at the end of Beach Parkway at 4215 S.E. 20th Place.
Feature information courtesy Cape Coral Breeze
Three weekends of original beers, live music, and Southwest Florida flavor
Fort Myers Brewing Company, Southwest Florida’s first and largest craft brewery, is bringing back its annual Grouper Fest for three consecutive weekends from Friday, June 12, through Sunday, June 28. The festival transforms the brewery into a full-scale summer celebration with exclusive beer releases, live music, food trucks, games, contests, and limited-edition merchandise.
The festival officially kicks off with the “First Pour” at 6 p.m. on Friday, June 12, debuting the 2026 Grouper lineup of six festival-exclusive beers brewed specifically for Grouper Fest, including the highly anticipated new Lil’ Grouper, a Session Hazy IPA.
“Grouper Fest has become one of our favorite traditions because it’s everything Fort Myers Brewing is about: incredible beer, live music, community, and not taking yourself too seriously,” said co-founder Jen Whyte. “Every weekend has its own personality this year, from exclusive merch drops and specialty beer rotations to some fun games and contests that people are going to be talking about long after the festival ends.”
This year’s festival also introduces new interactive experiences, including the Grouper Fest Pint Glass Challenge, a drinking game where participants catch a grouper by targeting their sips to score points and win prizes, and a beer-filled hula hoop competition during the Grand Finale Weekend.
The 2026 Grouper Beer Lineup (available exclusively during Grouper Fest)
Mosaic Grouper (Hazy IPA): Bold aromas of mango and melon
Red Grouper (Red IPA): Caramel malt and piney hops, West Coast-style
Black Grouper (Black IPA): Roasted malt balanced with Simcoe and Mosaic hops
Goliath Grouper (Double IPA): Passionfruit, white grape, and strawberry
Crispy Grouper (Rice Lager): Crisp and refreshing with Jasmine rice
Lil’ Grouper (NEW) (Session Hazy IPA): Low ABV, hop-forward, with peach, passionfruit, and citrus
Each weekend features its own theme: First Pour Weekend (June 12-14) with the opening merch and koozie release, Father’s Day Weekend (June 19-21) with a second merch drop, and the Grand Finale Weekend (June 26-28) with specialty beers rotating every two hours on Saturday, the final merch release, and the festival’s signature hula hoop challenge.
Grouper Fest consistently draws thousands of guests from across Southwest Florida and has become one of the region’s signature summer events. A full weekend-by-weekend schedule with food trucks, live music, and event times is below.
Weekend 1 Schedule
• Friday, June 12 – Doors open at 2 p.m.
Food Trucks: Detour Diner, Price Panzarottis
Live Music: Dead Man’s Hand (Smokin’ Aces)
Featured: First merch and koozie release of Grouperfest 2026
• Saturday, June 13 – Doors open at NOON
Food Trucks: Beau’s BBQ, South Pizza Co., Detour Diner
Live Music: Rockstead at 2 p.m., Gator Nate and The WHOMPERS at 6 p.m.
• Sunday, June 14 – Doors open at NOON
Food Truck: King’s Tacos & Burritos
Live Music: Austin James Duo at 2 p.m.
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Weekend 2 Schedule
• Friday, June 19 – Doors open at 2 p.m.
Food Trucks: King’s Tacos & Burritos, Wicked Streatery
Live Music: Got You Covered, Southwest Florida’s premier Alt, Emo, Pop Rock, and Classic Rock cover band
Featured: Second merchandise release of Grouperfest 2026
• Saturday, June 20 – Doors open at NOON
Food Trucks: Yo Samara’s, South Pizza Co., Wicked Streatery
Live Music: Sara L. at 2 p.m., The Moonstone Riders at 6 p.m.
• Sunday, June 21 – Father’s Day – Doors open at NOON
Food Truck: The Meat Cottage
Live Music: Bobby James at 2 p.m.
Featured: Father’s Day session — bring dad to Lee County’s first production craft brewery
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Grand Finale Weekend Schedule
• Friday, June 26 – Doors open at 2 p.m.
Food Trucks: Detour Diner, Wicked Streatery
Live Music: Edison Schetter and The Rum Runners at 6 p.m.
Featured: Final merchandise drop of Grouperfest 2026
• Saturday, June 27 – Doors open at NOON
Specialty Beers: Rotating every two hours throughout the day
Food Trucks: Ro & Co Barbecue, King’s Tacos & Burritos, South Pizza Co., Wicked Streatery
Live Music: Charlie Pace at 12 p.m., DJ Bigs at 3 p.m., ROCK REPUBLIC at 7 p.m.
• Sunday, June 28 – Doors open at NOON
Theme: Help kick the kegs and close out Grouperfest 2026
Food Trucks: Blades of Glory and more
Live Music: Ben Allen Band at 3 p.m.
Event Details
Location: Fort Myers Brewing Company, 12811 Commerce Lakes Drive, Suite 28, Fort Myers
Admission: Free entry; beer and food available for purchase
Website: fmbrew.com
About Fort Myers Brewing Company
Established in March 2013, Fort Myers Brewing Company became the first microbrewery to open in Lee County and has since grown into one of the largest craft breweries in Florida. Founded by husband-and-wife team Rob and Jen Whyte, the brewery operates from a 22,000-square-foot facility with a four-vessel, 30-barrel system producing 15,000 barrels of beer annually. Fort Myers Brewing distributes to more than 1,600 bars, restaurants, and retail locations across the state.
The taproom, located at 12811 Commerce Lakes Drive, Suite 28, Fort Myers, is open seven days a week and features food trucks daily, live music, and family- and pet-friendly events year-round. For more information, visit FMBrew.com or follow @FMBrew on social media.
The Clinic for the Rehabilitation of Wildlife is seeking handmade knitted or crocheted nests for orphaned and injured baby birds and small mammals in their care. Needed sizes are 8-inch, 10-inch, and 12-inch diameters for the nests. They should be made with tight stitches, a soft but sturdy construction, and machine-washable materials such as acrylic or cotton yarn.Please avoid fuzzy yarns, large holes, decorations, or anything that could snag tiny claws or toes. These nests help provide warmth, comfort, and support for vulnerable wildlife during rehabilitation.Visit CROW’s how-to HERE for more information.
All donations are greatly appreciated and are tax deductible. Donations may be delivered to CROW Visitor Education Center, 3883 Sanibel Captiva Road, Sanibel, FL 33957, or mailed to CROW, P.O. Box 150, Sanibel, FL 33957. For more information, contact Pam at (239) 472-3644, ext. 229.
This has been a busy season for CROW. According to CROW Communications Manager Meredith Darnell, the patients at CROW currently include baby birds that have fallen from their nests, or found abandoned, or whose nests were destroyed. Some of the baby birds were injured in attacks by cats and dogs.
The CROW patients include a coyote pup who was hit by a car in Cape Coral, a Florida box turtle who was hit by a lawnmower, orphan raccoons who were hit by a car and injured at a construction zone, and 27 infant Virginia opossum who were found after their mothers were hit by a car.
The full list of patients at CROW includes:
• 1 juvenile coyote pup, which was hit by a car in Cape Coral (female confirmed 6-7 weeks old)
• 6 juvenile northern raccoons
• 27 infant Virginia opossum
• 2 infant Eastern cottontail
• 2 neonate Eastern cottontail bird
• 1 juvenile Florida box turtle
• 4 juvenile gopher tortoise
• 1 juvenile corn snake
• 11 mottled ducklings
• 2 hatchling Eastern screech owls
• 1 nestling Eastern screech owl
• 1 nestling white-winged dove
• 2 nestling blue jays
• 3 nestling mourning dove
• 2 nestling northern mockingbird
• 1 nestling red-shouldered hawk
• 1 nestling loggerhead shrike
• 1 fledgling loggerhead shrike
• 1 nestling fish crow
• 3 fledgling blue jays
• 10 fledgling Eastern screech owls
• 1 fledgling boat-tailed grackle
• 6 fledgling mourning doves
• 4 fledgling northern mockingbirds
• 2 fledgling common grackles
Courtesy Cape Coral Daily Breeze
(U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Ryan Dickinson)
As Southwest Florida gears up for the summer season, the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 91 is emphasizing how local boating education directly enhances the safety and quality of life for local waterfront communities. From the deep-water canals of Siesta Isles to the bustling docks of Bayside Estates, the presence of educated, responsible boaters ensures that shared waterways remain a safe environment for all residents.
The upcoming Boat America course on Responsible Boating, a NASBLA-approved program, provides boaters with the “Rules of the Road” necessary to navigate tight channels and busy passes with professional precision. By training residents in situational awareness, the Auxiliary helps transform potential “near-misses” into controlled maneuvers, reducing the strain on local emergency resources.
Participants will learn:
1. The “Rules of the Road” (Nav-igation Basics)
2. Emergency Preparedness & Safety Gear
3. Understanding the Environment
4. Legalities and Ethics
Aside from the knowledge, you’re gaining situational awareness and risk mitigation. Instead of reacting with panic when a large wake approaches or a storm rolls in, you now have a mental checklist to follow. It turns a stressful “near-miss” into a controlled, professional maneuver.
National Safe Boating Week & Community Safety
As a launching pad for National Safe Boating Week, May 16-22, the Coast Guard Auxiliary reminds all mariners that safety is a collective community effort. This national initiative highlights the importance of wearing life jackets, emergency preparedness, and the dangers of Boating Under the Influence (BUI). Educated boaters in communities like Whiskey Creek and Hidden Harbor act as a first line of defense in maintaining the integrity of our local waters.
Complimentary vessel safety checks
In addition to public education, the Coast Guard Auxiliary offers free Vessel Safety Checks. These complimentary evaluations ensure that boats in neighborhoods like Catalpa Cove or St. Charles Harbour are fully equipped with functional safety gear — such as the correct fire extinguishers and PFD types — without the threat of legal citations. These checks are a vital tool for ensuring peace of mind before heading out to the Gulf.
Event registration details
The Auxiliary invites all local residents and out-of-state visitors to register for the upcoming basic safety course:
What: Boat America: Responsible Boating Course
When: Saturday, May 16, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Where: Pine Ridge Community Center, 15660 Pine Ridge Road, Fort Myers, FL 33908
Cost: $45 per person; Students under 17 are free when accompanied by an adult
Registration: Online at aux91fmb.org or call (239) 690-6780.
About the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 91, Fort Myers Beach
The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary is the uniformed civilian volunteer component of the United States Coast Guard. Flotilla 91 of Fort Myers Beach is dedicated to promoting boating safety through public education, vessel safety checks, and providing support to the U.S. Coast Guard in various missions, including search and rescue and environmental protection.
Feature courtesy Fort Myers Beach Observer/Breeze Newspapers
Enjoy capturing photos of wildlife or can’t get enough of the city’s official bird? The Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife will accept entries for its fifth annual Burrowing Owl Photo Contest starting Friday.
The non-profit organization committed to protecting the city’s wildlife is looking for the best the public has to offer when it comes to pictures of the city’s official bird.
Photo contest submissions need to be in by May 17, and the grand prize winner will have their photo used on CCFW’s 2027 official Burrowing Owl Festival T-shirt. The contest is open exclusively to amateur photographers, who must self-certify their eligibility upon entry.
“This is one of our favorite events for several reasons,” said CCFW spokesperson Janet Windisch. “The photos submitted to us are always so beautiful. The talent and enthusiasm of local photographers is truly inspiring. We are also always excited to see the photo chosen as the grand prize winner because it will be featured on next year’s Burrowing Owl Festival T-shirt. The 2027 festival will be our 25th annual, so it will be especially special.”
There are two division categories for the contest: amateur youth (7 to 17) and amateur adult. No professional photographer can enter the contest.
“This is a great opportunity for young photographers and wildlife lovers to put their photos on display,” Windisch said. “CCFW hopes that encouraging young people to participate will help them appreciate and love wildlife as we do. The youth of today will be the stewards of our environment in the future.”
Participants may submit just one photo.
Permitted photo editing is limited to the following: Crop; make minor adjustments to color, white balance, lighting levels and curves, shadows and highlight, saturation, contrast, sharpness; moderate dodging and burning; removal of dust sports and moderate reduction of image noise. Photographs that have been digitally or otherwise altered beyond standard optimization will be disqualified.
Windisch said Pelican Baseball Complex and the Cape Coral Lee County Public Library are great spots to capture photos.
“Mornings are usually the best time for owl viewing, because they frequently retreat into their burrows to escape the heat of the afternoon,” she added.
In years past, CCFW has received more than 100 submissions and always looks forward to seeing the different ways the city’s favorite bird is captured.
“We are always amazed at the great shots submitted,” Windisch said. “Some of them are breathtaking, some are cute, and some are amusing. It’s also interesting to see where the owls are — at their nest, on front porches, fire hydrants, road signs.”
Judging will be conducted by a CCFW-appointed panel that includes expert photographers. Judges will score eligible photographs on technical quality (30%), originality (30%), and artistic merit (40%).
A final group of pictures will be passed along to judges who are Cape Coral City Manager Michael Ilczyszyn, NBC2 Meteorologist Rob Duns, and last year’s photo contest winner, Darlene Coughlin.
There will be first-, second-, and third-place prizes given to the highest-scoring photograph from the adult division and youth division. Prizes include CCFW swag and a one-year membership to the group.
CCFW encourages every photographer to practice responsible bird photography. Prior to submitting any photograph, participants are strongly encouraged to read Audubon’s Guide to Ethical Bird Photography and Videography. A photograph that appears to the sponsor or judges to reflect a harmful situation is not eligible for submission, and if submitted, will be disqualified at CCFW’s sole discretion.
Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife is a volunteer-driven organization dedicated to preserving and enhancing habitats for protected wildlife species while educating the community about Cape Coral’s unique wildlife resources.
“Hopefully, the contest provides a little incentive to get outdoors and enjoy the local wildlife,” Windisch said. “Once you spend a little time watching the owls, you can learn about their habits. Sometimes you’ll see sand flying as they clean out their burrows. Sometimes you’ll notice bits of trash and debris around the nest-that’s called ‘decorating the nest,’ and owls do it for a number of reasons during nesting season. It’s normal, so don’t be tempted to clean up the trash. Sometimes we get photos or owls eating insects or feeding their young which is really neat.”
Winners will be revealed during a special awards ceremony on May 30 at noon at Rotary Park.
(Pictured above, 2025 winning entry by Conrad Peloquin)
Photo contest submissions
Photo contest submissions need to be in by May 17, and the grand prize winner will have their photo used on CCFW’s 2027 official Burrowing Owl Festival T-shirt. The contest is open exclusively to amateur photographers, who must self-certify their eligibility upon entry.
There are two division categories for the contest: amateur youth (7 to 17) and amateur adult. No professional photographer can enter the contest.
Participants may submit just one photo.
Permitted photo editing is limited to the following: Crop; make minor adjustments to color, white balance, lighting levels and curves, shadows and highlight, saturation, contrast, sharpness; moderate dodging and burning; removal of dust sports and moderate reduction of image noise. Photographs that have been digitally or otherwise altered beyond standard optimization will be disqualified.
For full contest rules, prize details, more information on CCFW, and to enter the photo contest, visit ccfriendsofwildlife.org.
To reach CJ HADDAD, please email cjhaddad@breezenewspapers.com
