Although the hot days of summer are heading our way, you can still enjoy Cape Coral’s parks, as many provide a lot of shade. According to the Department of Energy, shade from trees can reduce the surrounding air temperatures by as much as 6 degrees.

“Parks offer visitors a chance to engage in physical activity, encourage healthy lifestyles, connect with others, build a sense of community, get close to the environment, and develop a respect for nature,” explains Omar Leon, the city's arborist. 

Some of the city’s parks that provide shade and tree cover include Four Freedoms Park, Jaycee Park, Gator Trails Park, Rotary Park & Wagging Tails Dog Park, and Four Mile Cove Eco Preserve, Yellow Fever Creek Preserve (under construction), Strausser BMX Sports Complex, BMX Park Boat Ramp, and Lake Kennedy Center. 

The Four Mile Cove Eco Preserve in Cape Coral. Image courtesy of the City of Cape Coral

“Tree canopy is an integral part of our city’s green infrastructure. Having a healthy, sustainable, and resilient urban tree canopy contributes to the economic development of the city, and its cultural identity, and helps create vibrant connected neighborhoods,” says Leon. 

Replacing fallen or dead trees is part of a sustainable urban forestry program. This will allow the city to continue building healthy and vibrant tree canopies, and the city has been planting new trees in some locations. One recent example took place on April 12, 2023. 

“With the help of the Arbor Day Foundation, we planted 60 Live Oak, Gumbo Limbo, and Crape Myrtle trees at the 16-acre Cultural Park to help replenish tree cover destroyed by Hurricane Ian,” says Leon. 

The environmental benefits, from these new trees over the next 30 years, include but are not limited to:

•  Capturing over 3.3 million gallons of rainfall
• Preventing over 350 thousand gallons of stormwater runoff, which will improve water quality
• Storing over 1 million pounds of CO2 in the trees’ hardwood
• Capturing over 1 ton of harmful air pollutant particles
• Providing plenty of shade so all can enjoy more outdoor time

“Parks offer visitors a chance to engage in physical activity, encourage healthy lifestyles, connect with others, help build a sense of community, provide a way to get closer to the environment, and help one develop a deeper respect for nature,” explains Leon. 

The Four Mile Cove Eco Preserve in Cape Coral. Image courtesy of the City of Cape Coral

Bike riders can also enjoy a cooler ride on the bike path along Veterans Parkway. Assisted by the non-profit Future Forestry, a combination of Slash Pine, Live Oak, Cypress, and Maple is being planted. Cultural Park, the newly opened Gator Trails Park, and the currently-under-construction Yellow Fever Creek Preserve are just a few of the parks that have been improved or established under the 15-year general obligation (GO) bond to fund major parks and recreation improvements throughout the city.

This $60 million expansion of the city's parks and recreation amenities was voted in by Cape Coral residents in 2018. Seven new neighborhood parks, the development of three community parks, Yellow Fever Creek Environmental Park, and improvements to 17 existing parks are part of the improvements. The most up-to-date site plans can be found on each individual park page in the GO Bond Projects section. Improvements and new amenities at existing parks include adding shade structures to 10 existing parks. The shade covers everything from playgrounds to bleachers at athletic fields. 

“The projects provide positive benefits that contribute toward quality of life for current and future generations,” says Leon.

Find out more about Cape Coral Parks and Recreation at https://www.capecoral.gov/department/parks_and_recreationhome/index.php.

Ann Marie O’Phelan is a SW Florida resident and a regular contributor to TOTI Media.