The Lakes Park Enrichment Foundation's Mission is to enhance & enrich the beauty and experience of Lakes Park 

A Message From The President 🎄

I sincerely hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends, and that we all remembered to help those less fortunate than ourselves. In these difficult times, it’s hard to imagine that people are without food in America.

Our gardeners continue to deliver fresh food to the Community Cooperative. The more we grow, the more we give.

It seems impossible that we are already entering the holiday season, and that my next newsletter will be wishing you a Happy New Year!

If you haven’t visited the park lately, there’s so much happening. The Water Parks are under construction and scheduled to be up and running this spring—just in time for the warm weather. The Water Clarification (Alum) project is also ongoing and should be completed by early spring.

The weather is gorgeous, and a walk through our beautiful gardens or around the lakes, with nature on full display, will give you a much-needed break from holiday stress.

Be sure to check out the Farmers Market on Wednesday mornings—you just might find the perfect gift.

And speaking of gifts, consider buying a commemorative brick for family or friends. For December, bricks are on sale for $90.

As you plan your year-end giving, please don’t forget us. It’s easy to donate—just visit our website, lakespark.org, and click the “Donate” button. If you love Lakes Park, the Foundation is the perfect place to contribute and help us continue enhancing your experience.

Happy Holidays to all of you!

Barbara Manzo
President LPEF
barbara.manzo@lakespark.org
239-229-0387

The Little Free Library in the Children’s Garden is being repaired and refreshed!

Look for it to return in early 2026!

Visit us at Lakes Park Farmer's Market every Wednesday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Experience & enjoy fresh produce, local products, and a lively community atmosphere. You won’t want to miss out!

Visit us at the Foundation Booth
for Plant sales-Every 2nd & 4th Wednesday
& Craft Sales-Every 1st & 3rd Wednesday

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Are you a Railfan/Train-buff or just love our trains and museum? Please consider volunteering here at the Railroad Museum of South Florida.
You're Never Too Old To Play With Trains!

Shout Out to our Volunteers!
Between Halloween and Holiday Express events, Doc Ford's Rum Bar & Grill employees have contributed over 50 man-hours to the RRMSF this year! We’ve built a nice collaborative relationship with this local business over the last few years.
Thank you!

  🚆 Current Train Operating Hours 🚆

Monday through Friday, 10 am-2 pm, and

Saturday & Sunday, 10 am-4 pm

Follow this link to sign up to volunteer!
www.rrmsf.org/volunteer

November’s Story Time & Lee County Library System Visit Was a Huge Success!

We had a wonderful turnout for November’s Story Time! A big thank-you to the Lee County Library System for joining us and sharing their love of reading with our community. The kids had an amazing time exploring stories, songs, and hands-on fun. 📚✨

Check out Garden.org
🌿 Get tips, inspiration, and all things gardening!
Your go-to source for useful information to help your garden flourish.

Collard greens before picking and after, with all of the other goods given to the food bank. The shelves are emptied quickly. Many thankful families.

We are giving away all of the extra plants. If you see plants on the picnic table, please feel free to take them. Also, there are packets of seeds on the table for you to take.
Enjoy!

 Hoses and nossles are one of our biggest expenses. Please always disconnect the hose from the nozzle after watering. Wrap the hose so it doesn’t touch the ground, and avoid wrapping it too tightly. Lastly, always check the nozzle before attaching the hose—little critters love to nap inside!

Have you registered to be a volunteer? It's simple to register, and you receive a parking pass after helping for just 40 hours. You can contact Juliana Silva at jsilva@leegov.com, and she will help you. Anything you do outside of your bed is considered volunteer hours.

 Here is a note from Juliana.
If you have any questions about parking, please call or email her.

Lee County Parks and Recreation no longer gives out parking stickers - we will be working with Premium Parking to redeem your Parks Perks Pass! We are here to support you during this transition! Here are some frequently asked questions and information:

Did you know?
To apply for the Parks Perks Pass, you must complete 40 volunteer hours within a 12-month period. Hours cannot be grandfathered in. The 12-month period is based on your start month, not the fiscal year. You must also be an active volunteer and track all hours through Volgistics to be eligible.

If you have any questions on how to track, need login assistance, or need ideas on what you are able to help with, please email Juliana Silva at jsilva@leegov.com.

The confirmation email from Premium Parking currently lists the parking location as P2961, 21580
Pearl St, Alva, FL. Please disregard this - your Parks Perk pass remains valid.

If you need to change your license plate or are unsure about your status, please call Premium Parking directly at 844-236-2011

Valid Locations:
Bonita Beach Access #1
Little Hickory Island Beach Park (Bonita Beach Access #10)
Bowditch Point Park
Bowman’s Beach
Turner Beach
San Carlos Bay/Bunche Beach Preserve
Alva Boat Ramp
Davis Boat Ramp
Imperial River Boat Ramp
Lavender’s Landing Boat Ramp
Matlacha Boat Ramp
Punta Rassa Boat Ramp
Pine Island Commercial Marina
Lakes Park
Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve
Manatee Park
Hickey Creek Mitigation Park
Caloosahatchee Regional Park
*The Parks Perks Pass does not include any other Premium Parking lots

Juliana Silva, CGSP | Recreation Specialist
Lakes Regional Park
7330 Gladiolus Drive, Fort Myers, FL 33908
cell: 239-671-2006
email: jsilva@leegov.com
web: www.leeparks.org

 I picked this little guy off a tomato plant. I found another one nearby. I asked Linda Sapp, a fellow gardener and tomato expert, what it was, and below is what she said.

"That is a tomato hornworm. Infamous for quickly eating up the green leaves and the fruit too. They can take a tomato plant DOWN in a short amount of time. They have to be picked off and killed by stomping on them, throwing them in the lake or something. I’m glad you got this one."
They are hard to see and look just like a leaf. Check your plants and don't let them take over. 

There are "Water Me" signs in the low bin by the front gate. If you are leaving for a short trip, put one in your garden and your neighbors will help you. These signs are for temporary use only—not permanent structures. Did you know that watering someone else’s garden counts as volunteer hours?

Important information about parking and the Lakes Park event.
You will need to pay for parking anytime you come into the park. It is very important that you sign up for a parking pass or pay each time you drive into the park. A license plate reader will scan your car as you come in and give you a $50 ticket if you do not have a pass or pay the daily fee. Gardeners and volunteers are not exempt from this rule. 

 Our season is just getting started, but we are already working on next year. Renewals will go out on September 1st. Registration and payment will be required by September 15th. New gardeners will be able to sign up for a bed on October 1st. This break in time will help with processing all of the invoices. Thanks for your understanding. 

The Farmer's Market is on Wednesdays from 9-1. This is the one time that parking fees will not be charged. If you don't have a pass and don't want to pay, come at this time to tend your garden.

If you have questions or suggestions, please do not reply to this newsletter. I don't have the answers and don't check it often. Email Betsy at wildflowergreen22@gmail.com