2026 Meetings
Coordinator: Tessa Buechler
~Fall 2026~
Thursday, September 17 – FIRST MEETING OF THE SEASON!!!
9:00-9:30 social time; starting promptly at 9:30am
September 17 – Member and Board Meeting
Speaker: Wendy Sprague :: Topic: Butterflies
October 15 – Member Meeting
October 22, 2026 Mound House Tour – see details below under Field Trips
November 19 – Member Meeting
November 25 – Beacon Bites (Thanksgiving)
December – No Member Meeting
December 10 – Holiday Luncheon, “Oda Pizza Bistro”
~Spring 2027~
January 21 – Member & Board Meeting
January 28 – Lee County Recycling and Waste Field Trip, see details below
February 12 – Beacon Bites (Valentines Day)
February 18 – Member Only Meeting (No Speaker):: GALA Presentation
🌺 February 20th, 2027 Annual Garden Club Gala 9am-2pm
March 10 Members Gardens Tours (members only please, details below)
March 18 – Member Meeting
April 15 – Member Meeting
April 28 – Beacon Bites (May Day)
May 20 – Member & Board Meeting
July 2 – Beacon Bites (July 4th)
Field Trips
Coordinator: Tessa Buechler
Helper: Kathleen Hecksher
October 22, 2026 Mound House Tour, house, museum, dig site and gardens.
Fort Myers Beach, arrive at 10am
Lunch to follow “Doc Ford”
Member Cost: $10
Details:
The Calusa History of the Mound House on Fort Myers Beach | Decoding Ancient Florida
A Fort Myers Beach landmark with centuries of stories just became the star of its own film. “Decoding Ancient Florida: Mound House,” a new short documentary now streaming on WGCU+, dives into the Calusa history of Mound House — the oldest structure on Fort Myers Beach, built atop an ancient shell mound. It’s history with a Gulf breeze, and a lot more layers than your average beachfront address. The film also explores how that very shell mound (a “midden”) helped shield the historic home during Hurricane Ian, and visits the site’s Artifact Preservation Center, where thousands of recovered pieces are being painstakingly restored.
January 28, 2027 Lee County Recycling and Waste, Fort Myers
Arrive at 10am
Lunch TBD
March 10, 2027 Members Gardens Tours
Pine Island Homes: Marty Kendall, Paula Moeller & Bonnie Kellen.
Starts at 9am
Lunch to follow “Phuzzy’s”
Past Events
Field Trips
- Sarasota Jungle Gardens Tour
- Sincerely Succulent Gardens
- Fruitscapes in Bokeelia
- Creating mini-succulent bowls at Sincerely Succulent Gardens
- VIP Tour of Selby Gardens, Sarasota, FL
- Sundance Orchids & Bromiliads, Ft Myers, FL
- Everglades Wonder Gardens Tour, Bonita Springs, FL
- Calusa Nature Center and Planetarium Tour, East Ft. Myers, FL
Fun Events
- Beacon Bites Plant Therapy
- Annual Garden GALA “Art in the Park”
- Monthly Speakers in the gardening ‘arena’
Garden Cleanup
- Bokeelia Post Office
- Elementary School Butterfly Garden
- Phillips Park
- Pine Island Museum
- St. James City Civic Association (SJCCA)
