One of our club’s community grants, made last Spring, was to Friends of Fakahatchee. The monies were to build a Tiki hut at the foot of their Cypress Bend Boardwalk. After a delay due to Hurricane Irma, the 14′ X 20′ Tiki hut was built by a Miami company this past December 29. Authentic Tiki huts consist of all natural, high quality materials and are constructed according to Seminole tradition. Folks have been impressed with how well Tiki huts around the area fared through Irma’s passage.
This month the project will be completed when the dry thatched roof is fumigated and sprayed with fire retardant. The next steps are the addition of crushed shells under the hut, installation of benches and some native plants plus a sign recognizing the generosity and support of Naples Garden Club.
Our $13,000 grant to build the hut provides a much needed comfortable place to educate groups visiting the Boardwalk about the Fakahatchee Preserve.