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The Island Inn highlights Mangroves and the Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation

As the Islands’ oldest hotel, the Island Inn shares a common goal with local environmental organizations of preserving the well-being of our estuaries, the health of our local ecology, and the quality of life for those that live, play, and stay on Sanibel Island.

Sanibel Ecosystem in clean water ecosystem
Red Mangrove root system

Starting in the Summer of 2022, we’ve partnered with the Sanibel Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) to collect and nurture Red Mangrove propagules that wash ashore on  the Island Inn’s beach, playing an import part in their Coastal Watch ‘Adopt-a-Mangrove’ program. This program was initiated to teach the value of mangroves on the islands through community involvement.

Guest Sullivan Pohl from Hoover, AL with his Red Mangrove propagule collection while on on the beach at the Island Inn

While out on leisurely strolls on the shores of the Island Inn, guests are invited to collect mangrove propagules (seeds) that have dropped from their parent trees, floated far distances away, and washed onto our beach. These individual propagules are then relocated into a special vase in each of the Inn’s rooms, suites and cottages, where the Inn and its guests then nurture these potted propagules into seedlings.  Once mature, the mangroves come out of the Inn’s rooms and are delivered SCCF’s nursery, where they are selected to be planted at local habitat restoration sites throughout Southwest Florida.

SCCF biologists & volunteers planting mature Red Mangrove propagules at Hemp Key in SWFL

These mangroves are a critical part to our ecosystem and therefore are a very important component in our barrier island community. “Mangroves protect our shorelines and homes from wind damage, erosion, and storm surge and mangrove-lined shorelines decrease wind speeds and reduce wave height,” said Eric Milbrandt, Ph.D., SCCF Marine Lab Director and Scientific Advisor for Coastal Watch. “This provides additional protection for barrier islands facing sea-level rise.”

The ‘Adopt-a-Mangrove’ program is part of SCCF’s ‘Back to Our Roots’ initiative, which has an ultimate goal to restore mangroves in order to preserve our islands for generations to come. “Back to Our Roots is a way to connect people to nature by teaching them the importance of mangroves and allowing them to take part in a much broader conservation initiative,” said Conservation Initiative Coordinator Kealy McNeal. “Through education, we can teach people to value, understand, and ultimately care for our environment.”

“As a business whose prosperity is directly correlated to the health of our environment, we are proud to partner with organizations such as SCCF, who understand both the economic and environmental value of our ecosystem,” said Island Inn’s General Manager Chris Davison. “The Island Inn has made it a priority to collaborate with science-based organizations such as SCCF as part of a greater movement towards environmental and economic prosperity. We’ve found that our guests share in this feeling of social responsibility and find great value in supporting SCCF and its mission.”

Hotels & Suites

Modern rooms and suits, all within yards of the warm Sanibel Island beaches.

AMENITIES

Featuring 550’ of pristine beach, onsite bikes and kayaks, free WiFi & much more!

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Visitor Reviews

5 star rating GREAT INN !! We booked our reservations before Hurricane Milton and were worried we wouldn’t be able to go. The hotel staff did a great job keeping us informed of the conditions of the hotel. They reassured us that the hotel was up and running and waiting for our visit. The staff are great and so helpful with any questions we had. Island Inn also offers quests a free educational tour of the beach from Sea School Staff. It was very helpful with sea shell identification. The room was spacious and very clean. We had a great view of the ocean. The beach was spectacular for shell collecting. We when to two public beaches and the shells were very sparse. Most of our meals were grocery items from Jerry’s store. We did eat at Doc Fords the Peel and eat Yucatan Shrimp was fabulous. I will forever compare any shrimp dish to this. The island had storm damage and I’m hoping they recover quickly. Take the friendly staff advice and use bug spray for no-see-ums, they are awful.
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Maureen 10/29/2024
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5 star rating We loved it! Came for a short stay Aug 2024. The island and the Inn are still recovering from Ian 2 years ago. Therefore, there are only 20 rooms I believe and that was fantastic. We practically had the beach to ourselves. The shelling was great! The room was clean had everything we needed and the staff were all wonderful. The kitchen and screened porch were added bonuses. If you are looking for amenities like a pool and spa, this may not be for you. If you are looking for a low key beach front relaxing stay, this is it. My only regret is we didn’t stay longer and didn’t pack enough bug spray. Those no see ums will eat you alive!
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Melinda 9/05/2024
5 star rating Most unique, peaceful, and beautiful stay! By far the most peaceful stay I’ve had in years! Sanibel got hit by a bad hurricane two years ago and I used to come as a child with my parents and the experience at Sanibel Island inn is superior! Ken the front desk manager is by far the most knowledgeable and experienced person I’ve met and knows the area very well! For a wonderful beach experience with amazing shelling and amazing dining come to Sanibel and stay at the island inn!
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Merrick 7/28/2024
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