The Conservancy of Southwest Florida is a nonprofit environmental organization in Naples dedicated to protecting the region’s water, land, and wildlife across five Southwest Florida counties through science, policy, education, and wildlife rehabilitation. It began on April 11, 1964, when Naples residents organized against a proposed road through Rookery Bay, then raised more than $300,000 to preserve the area as a sanctuary. From that advocacy effort, it expanded into a campus centered on research, teaching, and animal care. Its Nature Center and von Arx Wildlife Hospital connect public education with conservation, while scientists and policy staff use research to address growth, land use, and habitat protection.