The Conservancy of Southwest Florida Announces Transformative $25 Million Grant from John & Carol Walter Family Foundation
The Conservancy of Southwest Florida is honored to receive a historic $25 million grant from the John & Carol Walter Family Foundation, the largest philanthropic commitment in the organization’s history.
This extraordinary grant builds upon 60 years of visionary donor support, enabling the Conservancy of Southwest Florida to transform the current Nature Center brand and offerings into the new redefined John & Carol Walter Nature Experience. The goal is to inspire and invite the community to protect our shared natural environment that uniquely preserves our way of life enjoyed today, and throughout the future.
This landmark grant will not only direct the transformation of the community’s experience but also dramatically expand the way the Conservancy engages with residents and guests alike, by creating new spaces, program offerings, and continuously evolving highly interactive exhibits for the greater good of the community. The John & Carol Walter Nature Experience will inspire individuals to take action and support the Conservancy’s critical mission to preserve Southwest Florida’s water, land, wildlife, and future, for generations to come.
The new John & Carol Walter Nature Experience will feature:
Interactive and Dynamic Learning Programs
Hands-on exhibits, guided tours, traveling exhibits, and state-of-the-art multimedia technology will make education engaging, memorable, and ever-changing. Visitors will gain a deeper understanding of local ecosystems and conservation challenges.
Family-Friendly Features
Inclusive programs and facilities will be designed for all ages, with child-centered activities and accessible amenities to ensure a welcoming experience for everyone
Immersive Natural Settings
Carefully preserved diverse habitats and peaceful spaces will create new opportunities for visitors to connect with nature, reflect, and recharge.
Best-in-Class Sustainability Practices
A transformed guest experience featuring a new welcome center complex as the gateway to the Conservancy’s mission, showcasing exhibits, thematic programs, and traveling exhibits; a sustainably designed building including a two-and-a-half-story parking garage with a solar panel roof; and a half-acre stormwater lake and enhanced filter marsh system to showcase innovative water quality enhancement efforts.
Conservation and Stewardship Education
Clear, accessible exhibits and materials will inspire action, showing visitors what they can personally do and contribute to preserving Southwest Florida’s environment as members, volunteers, and advocates
Cultural and Community Engagement
Collaboration with local schools, artists, and organizations will continue to enrich the visitor experience, fostering a sense of shared responsibility and regional stewardship.
The opening of the John & Carol Walter Nature Experience is anticipated in the first half of 2028.
The John & Carol Walter Nature experience will enhance and expand the Conservancy’s current Nature Center offerings. These include the Susan and William Dalton Discovery Center with the John & Carol Walter Discovery Wing, electric boat tours along the Gordon River, guided kayak and canoe excursions, and lectures and presentations in Eaton Conservation Hall. Visitors can view conservation films in the recently updated Jeannie Meg Smith Theater or participate in docent-led programs on reptiles, birds of prey, oceans, and wildlife injury prevention. Additional highlights include a wildlife exhibit and programs in the Ferguson Learning Lab, such as Little Explorers for children aged 18 months to five years, daily education talks, and more.
About the Conservancy of Southwest Florida
The Conservancy of Southwest Florida is a non-profit environmental protection organization with a 60-year history focused on the issues impacting the water, land, wildlife, and future of Collier, Lee, Charlotte, Hendry, and Glades counties. The Conservancy accomplishes this mission through the combined efforts of its experts in environmental science, policy, education, and wildlife rehabilitation. The Conservancy of Southwest Florida, world-class Nature Center, and von Arx Wildlife Hospital are headquartered in Naples, Florida at 1495 Smith Preserve Way. Learn more about the Conservancy’s work and how to support the quality of life in Southwest Florida at Conservancy.org.
About the John and Carol Walter Family Foundation
John & Carol Walter Family Foundation is a private foundation founded in 2011 by John R. and Carol A. Walter of Naples, Florida. The foundation’s mission is to support distinctive organizations and programs that foster meaningful community partnerships and promote energy, excitement, and transformational improvements to community life. The family’s values and history reflect decades of invitation-only, strategic philanthropy given to preserve and protect conservation, advance the welfare of children and animals, promote health and well-being, and support the vitality of the performing arts and education.
Media Inquiries: Reneé Stoll, Conservancy of Southwest Florida Director of Communications and Marketing, (239) 430-2460, renees@conservancy.org
