Pine Island (Lee County, Florida)
Encyclopedia
Pine Island is an island located in Lee County, Florida
, on the Gulf
coast of southwest Florida
. It is the largest island in the state of Florida, and the 118th largest island in the United States. The Intracoastal Waterway
passes through Pine Island Sound, to the west of the island. Matlacha Pass runs between Pine Island and the mainland
. Pine Island lies west of Cape Coral.
y barrier island
s of Sanibel
to the south, Captiva
to the southwest, and North Captiva
to the west, Pine Island has no large beaches and is made from the same coral
rock
as the mainland
. Sanibel owes its unique shrimp
-like shape (and orientation perpendicular
to the coast) to being on the leeward side of the Gulf Stream
from Pine Island. Pine island is surrounded by mangroves and includes three aquatic preserves. Residents and visitors are attracted to Pine Island's natural rural character, fishing and boating. Pine Island is mostly agricultural zoning; some visitors travel over a hundred miles to purchase tropical fruit such as lychee
and mangos grown and sold on Pine Island.
towns: Pine Island Center, St. James City, Bokeelia and Pineland
. Matlacha is also considered one of the communities but is actually on its own small island. Pine Island has a small town atmosphere, with no traffic lights and mostly agricultural zoning. Each community has its own largely volunteer fire station, marinas, shops and fine casual restaurants. According to the 2000 census the population of Pine Island is about 9000. However, the population varies seasonally, Pine Island being a winter home for many residents.
Pine Island Center is located at the intersection of Pine Island Road and Stringfellow. Pine Island Road (State Road 78) is the only road on and off Pine Island. Pine Island Center is the location of the island's single large grocery store, elementary school, library, museum, swimming pool and a large park. Sixteen mile long Stringfellow Rd (County Rd 767) is Pine Island's main road and connects St. James City on the south end of the island with Bokeelia and Pineland on the north side of the island. St. James City, Pine Island's most heavily populated area, offers a splendid view of Sanibel Island and the Sanibel Causeway.
Bokeelia extends to the far northern tip of Pine Island ending at tiny Bokeelia island which is accessed by a small bridge. Bokeelia is at the mouth of Charlotte Harbor
. On clear days you can see across the water to Cape Haze and Boca Grande Pass where the Gulf meets the Harbor. Pineland is also on the northern portion of Pine Island, west off Stringfellow Road, about halfway between Pine Island Center and Bokeelia. Pineland features a golf course and country club as well the Randell Research Center. The Randell Research Center is located near several shell mounds which are the remains of a Calusa Indian village located at the sight for over 1500 years. The center is dedicated to learning and teaching the archeology, history, and ecology of Southwest Florida and the Calusa people.
East of Pine Island Center, along a two mile (3 km) stretch of Pine Island Road, is Little Pine Island. Little Pine Island is a 4700 acres (19 km²) development free wild life preserve and the former location of a sewer treatment plant. The island community of Matlacha is east of Little Pine Island and west of the city of Cape Coral on the main land. The Matlacha Bridge
, a small drawbridge nicknamed "The fishingest bridge in the world", is almost always occupied by people fishing. Matlacha also has a large park and pier, as well as several shops, bars and restaurants.
. Little Pine Island is a state-owned wildlife refuge
, currently being "de-developed" and returned to its natural state. Osprey
s, heron
s, egret
s and ibis
es, and, roseate spoonbill
s are often seen, as well as owl
s, hawk
s, bald eagle
s, and songbird
s.
The local form of the marsh rice rat
has been recognized in some classifications as a separate subspecies
, Oryzomys palustris planirostris.
s unearthed on the island have been dated to about 6000 years ago. The Calusa
are thought to have inhabited Pine Island since around the year 300
, with a cultural center called Tampa (or Tanpa or Toempe) at the mound-site now known as Pineland, where an archaeological dig is underway. Spanish
explorer Juan Ponce de León
landed near the city in 1513, and careened his ship for repairs in Pine Island Sound. After the Calusa empire collapsed in the 18th century due to war and disease
s, the island was only sparsely inhabited until the 1870s.
Lee County, Florida
Lee County is a county located in the U.S. state of Florida. Located in southwest Florida, the principal cities in the county are Fort Myers and Cape Coral...
, on the Gulf
Gulf of Mexico
The Gulf of Mexico is a partially landlocked ocean basin largely surrounded by the North American continent and the island of Cuba. It is bounded on the northeast, north and northwest by the Gulf Coast of the United States, on the southwest and south by Mexico, and on the southeast by Cuba. In...
coast of southwest Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
. It is the largest island in the state of Florida, and the 118th largest island in the United States. The Intracoastal Waterway
Intracoastal Waterway
The Intracoastal Waterway is a 3,000-mile waterway along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts of the United States. Some lengths consist of natural inlets, salt-water rivers, bays, and sounds; others are artificial canals...
passes through Pine Island Sound, to the west of the island. Matlacha Pass runs between Pine Island and the mainland
Mainland
Mainland is a name given to a large landmass in a region , or to the largest of a group of islands in an archipelago. Sometimes its residents are called "Mainlanders"...
. Pine Island lies west of Cape Coral.
Geography
Unlike the sandSand
Sand is a naturally occurring granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles.The composition of sand is highly variable, depending on the local rock sources and conditions, but the most common constituent of sand in inland continental settings and non-tropical coastal...
y barrier island
Barrier island
Barrier islands, a coastal landform and a type of barrier system, are relatively narrow strips of sand that parallel the mainland coast. They usually occur in chains, consisting of anything from a few islands to more than a dozen...
s of Sanibel
Sanibel Island
Sanibel Island is an island located on the Gulf coast of Florida, just offshore of Fort Myers. In 2000, it had an estimated population of 6,064 people...
to the south, Captiva
Captiva Island
Captiva Island is an island in Lee County in southwest Florida, located just offshore in the Gulf of Mexico.-History:According to local folklore, Captiva got its name because the pirate captain José Gaspar held his female prisoners on the island for ransom or worse...
to the southwest, and North Captiva
North Captiva Island
North Captiva Island is an island in Lee County in Southwest Florida, located just offshore in the Gulf of Mexico. It lies just north of Captiva Island, separated by a channel called Redfish Pass which was created in a 1921 hurricane...
to the west, Pine Island has no large beaches and is made from the same coral
Coral
Corals are marine animals in class Anthozoa of phylum Cnidaria typically living in compact colonies of many identical individual "polyps". The group includes the important reef builders that inhabit tropical oceans and secrete calcium carbonate to form a hard skeleton.A coral "head" is a colony of...
rock
Rock (geology)
In geology, rock or stone is a naturally occurring solid aggregate of minerals and/or mineraloids.The Earth's outer solid layer, the lithosphere, is made of rock. In general rocks are of three types, namely, igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic...
as the mainland
Mainland
Mainland is a name given to a large landmass in a region , or to the largest of a group of islands in an archipelago. Sometimes its residents are called "Mainlanders"...
. Sanibel owes its unique shrimp
Shrimp
Shrimp are swimming, decapod crustaceans classified in the infraorder Caridea, found widely around the world in both fresh and salt water. Adult shrimp are filter feeding benthic animals living close to the bottom. They can live in schools and can swim rapidly backwards. Shrimp are an important...
-like shape (and orientation perpendicular
Perpendicular
In geometry, two lines or planes are considered perpendicular to each other if they form congruent adjacent angles . The term may be used as a noun or adjective...
to the coast) to being on the leeward side of the Gulf Stream
Gulf Stream
The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension towards Europe, the North Atlantic Drift, is a powerful, warm, and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates at the tip of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the United States and Newfoundland before crossing the Atlantic Ocean...
from Pine Island. Pine island is surrounded by mangroves and includes three aquatic preserves. Residents and visitors are attracted to Pine Island's natural rural character, fishing and boating. Pine Island is mostly agricultural zoning; some visitors travel over a hundred miles to purchase tropical fruit such as lychee
Lychee
The lychee is the sole member of the genus Litchi in the soapberry family, Sapindaceae. It is a tropical and subtropical fruit tree native to Southern China and Southeast Asia, and now cultivated in many parts of the world...
and mangos grown and sold on Pine Island.
Communities
Pine Island is home to four unincorporatedUnincorporated area
In law, an unincorporated area is a region of land that is not a part of any municipality.To "incorporate" in this context means to form a municipal corporation, a city, town, or village with its own government. An unincorporated community is usually not subject to or taxed by a municipal government...
towns: Pine Island Center, St. James City, Bokeelia and Pineland
Pineland, Florida
Pineland is a census-designated place located on Pine Island in Lee County, Florida, United States. The population was 444 at the 2000 census...
. Matlacha is also considered one of the communities but is actually on its own small island. Pine Island has a small town atmosphere, with no traffic lights and mostly agricultural zoning. Each community has its own largely volunteer fire station, marinas, shops and fine casual restaurants. According to the 2000 census the population of Pine Island is about 9000. However, the population varies seasonally, Pine Island being a winter home for many residents.
Pine Island Center is located at the intersection of Pine Island Road and Stringfellow. Pine Island Road (State Road 78) is the only road on and off Pine Island. Pine Island Center is the location of the island's single large grocery store, elementary school, library, museum, swimming pool and a large park. Sixteen mile long Stringfellow Rd (County Rd 767) is Pine Island's main road and connects St. James City on the south end of the island with Bokeelia and Pineland on the north side of the island. St. James City, Pine Island's most heavily populated area, offers a splendid view of Sanibel Island and the Sanibel Causeway.
Bokeelia extends to the far northern tip of Pine Island ending at tiny Bokeelia island which is accessed by a small bridge. Bokeelia is at the mouth of Charlotte Harbor
Charlotte Harbor (estuary)
Charlotte Harbor Estuary is a natural estuary spanning the west coast of Florida from Venice to Bonita Springs on the Gulf of Mexico and is one of the most productive wetlands in Florida...
. On clear days you can see across the water to Cape Haze and Boca Grande Pass where the Gulf meets the Harbor. Pineland is also on the northern portion of Pine Island, west off Stringfellow Road, about halfway between Pine Island Center and Bokeelia. Pineland features a golf course and country club as well the Randell Research Center. The Randell Research Center is located near several shell mounds which are the remains of a Calusa Indian village located at the sight for over 1500 years. The center is dedicated to learning and teaching the archeology, history, and ecology of Southwest Florida and the Calusa people.
East of Pine Island Center, along a two mile (3 km) stretch of Pine Island Road, is Little Pine Island. Little Pine Island is a 4700 acres (19 km²) development free wild life preserve and the former location of a sewer treatment plant. The island community of Matlacha is east of Little Pine Island and west of the city of Cape Coral on the main land. The Matlacha Bridge
Matlacha Bridge
The Matlacha Bridge is a small single-leaf drawbridge located in Matlacha, Florida. It carries State Road 78 over Matlacha Pass, connecting Pine Island with the mainland in Cape Coral....
, a small drawbridge nicknamed "The fishingest bridge in the world", is almost always occupied by people fishing. Matlacha also has a large park and pier, as well as several shops, bars and restaurants.
Ecology
Pine Island is also home to Matlacha Pass National Wildlife RefugeMatlacha Pass National Wildlife Refuge
The Matlacha Pass National Wildlife Refuge is part of the United States National Wildlife Refuge System, located within the Matlacha Pass estuary, approximately 8 miles northwest of Cape Coral, Florida. The 538 acre refuge was established on September 26, 1908. It is administered as part of the J.N...
. Little Pine Island is a state-owned wildlife refuge
Wildlife refuge
A wildlife refuge, also called a wildlife sanctuary, may be a naturally occurring sanctuary, such as an island, that provides protection for species from hunting, predation or competition, or it may refer to a protected area, a geographic territory within which wildlife is protected...
, currently being "de-developed" and returned to its natural state. Osprey
Osprey
The Osprey , sometimes known as the sea hawk or fish eagle, is a diurnal, fish-eating bird of prey. It is a large raptor, reaching more than in length and across the wings...
s, heron
Heron
The herons are long-legged freshwater and coastal birds in the family Ardeidae. There are 64 recognised species in this family. Some are called "egrets" or "bitterns" instead of "heron"....
s, egret
Egret
An egret is any of several herons, most of which are white or buff, and several of which develop fine plumes during the breeding season. Many egrets are members of the genera Egretta or Ardea which contain other species named as herons rather than egrets...
s and ibis
Ibis
The ibises are a group of long-legged wading birds in the family Threskiornithidae....
es, and, roseate spoonbill
Roseate Spoonbill
The Roseate Spoonbill, Platalea ajaja, is a gregarious wading bird of the ibis and spoonbill family, Threskiornithidae...
s are often seen, as well as owl
Owl
Owls are a group of birds that belong to the order Strigiformes, constituting 200 bird of prey species. Most are solitary and nocturnal, with some exceptions . Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, although a few species specialize in hunting fish...
s, hawk
Hawk
The term hawk can be used in several ways:* In strict usage in Australia and Africa, to mean any of the species in the subfamily Accipitrinae, which comprises the genera Accipiter, Micronisus, Melierax, Urotriorchis and Megatriorchis. The large and widespread Accipiter genus includes goshawks,...
s, bald eagle
Bald Eagle
The Bald Eagle is a bird of prey found in North America. It is the national bird and symbol of the United States of America. This sea eagle has two known sub-species and forms a species pair with the White-tailed Eagle...
s, and songbird
Songbird
A songbird is a bird belonging to the suborder Passeri of the perching birds . Another name that is sometimes seen as scientific or vernacular name is Oscines, from Latin oscen, "a songbird"...
s.
The local form of the marsh rice rat
Marsh Rice Rat
The marsh rice rat is a semiaquatic North American rodent in the family Cricetidae. It is found mostly in the eastern and southern United States, from New Jersey and Kansas south to Florida and northeasternmost Tamaulipas, Mexico; its range previously extended further west and north, where it may...
has been recognized in some classifications as a separate subspecies
Subspecies
Subspecies in biological classification, is either a taxonomic rank subordinate to species, ora taxonomic unit in that rank . A subspecies cannot be recognized in isolation: a species will either be recognized as having no subspecies at all or two or more, never just one...
, Oryzomys palustris planirostris.
History
SkeletonSkeleton
The skeleton is the body part that forms the supporting structure of an organism. There are two different skeletal types: the exoskeleton, which is the stable outer shell of an organism, and the endoskeleton, which forms the support structure inside the body.In a figurative sense, skeleton can...
s unearthed on the island have been dated to about 6000 years ago. The Calusa
Calusa
The Calusa were a Native American people who lived on the coast and along the inner waterways of Florida's southwest coast. Calusa society developed from that of archaic peoples of the Everglades region; at the time of European contact, the Calusa were the people of the Caloosahatchee culture...
are thought to have inhabited Pine Island since around the year 300
300
Year 300 was a leap year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Constantius and Valerius...
, with a cultural center called Tampa (or Tanpa or Toempe) at the mound-site now known as Pineland, where an archaeological dig is underway. Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
explorer Juan Ponce de León
Juan Ponce de León
Juan Ponce de León was a Spanish explorer. He became the first Governor of Puerto Rico by appointment of the Spanish crown. He led the first European expedition to Florida, which he named...
landed near the city in 1513, and careened his ship for repairs in Pine Island Sound. After the Calusa empire collapsed in the 18th century due to war and disease
Disease
A disease is an abnormal condition affecting the body of an organism. It is often construed to be a medical condition associated with specific symptoms and signs. It may be caused by external factors, such as infectious disease, or it may be caused by internal dysfunctions, such as autoimmune...
s, the island was only sparsely inhabited until the 1870s.