We will get there — one sandy step at a time
It has been nearly two months since Hurricane Ian devastated Sanibel and forced us to close our doors. It is with a heavy heart that I write this. Last week would usually have been a busy one for us as children flood our campus again over the Thanksgiving break, filling it with laughter, cheer and new discoveries.
I dare say the Sanibel Sea School is the quietest it’s ever been. The floors are covered in a layer of silt that not even our sandy bucket school could handle. The walls have been cut in half, and precious contents taken out to the curb. Our passenger vans — Snook, Pelican, Sea Turtle, Sea Creature and Seahorse — that take us farther than our feet can travel have all been towed away.
But in all of the chaos and turmoil that followed in the wake of this storm, I have found great comfort and strength in our community, my coworkers and in you — my Sanibel Sea School family. I have shared so many valuable experiences in and around the ocean with you over the last five years, and it truly has become a home away from home.
We are facing the most difficult time in the Sanibel Sea School’s history — trying to ensure our staff stay fully employed and our facilities are built back better. All while post-traumatically reinforcing children’s love of the ocean and joy in the natural world around them. But I am no stranger to challenge. I started during Hurricane Irma, taught programs creatively through one of the worst red tide events on record, continued to connect meaningfully to children through the pandemic, and kept the Sanibel Sea School’s traditions alive through our integration into the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation family. This is by far the biggest challenge yet, but I’m confident we’ll get through it with your support — just as we always have.
Our team has been working tirelessly on Sanibel since the storm. All of the SCCFs departments have rallied together to work on facilities clean up. It has brought us even closer together, and I am incredibly proud to be a part of this organization. It is unknown at this time when we will re-open for normal operations, but our focus is on rebuilding. We will reopen better than before, and visions for a new and improved campus are coming to life while, of course, holding onto the charm that makes the Sanibel Sea School special.
I cannot wait for the day when we open our doors and campers come running in tracking sand all over the floor as they joyfully chatter about the seahorse they found in a dip net, the sand dollar that turned their fingers yellow or the manatee that stuck its snout out for a breath. It might not be for a while, but we’ll get there — one sandy step at a time.
Shannon Rivard is director of the Sanibel Sea School. Part of the Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation family, its mission is to improve the ocean’s future, one person at a time. For more information, visit https://www.sanibelseaschool.org/.