Saturday, December 6

SWFAS announces our 2025 Field Trip to the Pineland Archaeological Site at the Randell Research Center on Pine Island. You must register for this field trip by December 1, 2025 and lunch will be available after the tour at the historic Tarpon Lodge and Restaurant on the waterfront across from the Pineland parking lot. Participants will meet at 9:45 AM in the Pineland parking lot across from the Tarpon Lodge for the tour that starts at 10 AM. 

THE SITE
This field trip to the Pineland Site Complex will be escorted by our SWFAS archaeologist Theresa Schober who is highly familiar with this site. The site consists of two main sectors; Batteys Landing with the tall Browns' Mound and five other associated mounds, and the Randell Mound Complex with two mounds. These two areas are separated by the location of the former aboriginal Pine Island Canal that traversed Pine Island and Cape Coral and connected canoe traffic to the Caloosahatchee River. This was the major Calusa settlement on Pine Island Sound for over 2,000 years and is the second largest Calusa site after Mound Key.  LEARN MORE about Calusa Heritage Trail – Randell Research Center at Pineland

TO REGISTER
Contact John Furey at jffurey@charter.net by 1 December with your name, e-mail, phone number, number of attendees, and if you plan to reserve places and join us for lunch at the historic Tarpon Lodge Restaurant.

MAP LINK
DIRECTIONS
From the south, take the 75 fwy north toward Ft. Myers. Take exit 136 toward SR-884 W/Ft Myers onto CR-884 W (Colonial Blvd). In 4.9 miles keep left onto Colonial Blvd (CR-884 W) toward Colonial Blvd/Cape Coral. In 12.8 miles, turn left onto SW Pine Island Rd (CR-78 W). In 5.5 miles, turn right toward Stringfellow Rd/CR-767. Continue on Stringfellow Rd (CR-767) for 3.3 miles. Turn left onto Pineland Rd. Take Pine Island Road to Pine Island, go right at Stringfellow Road, go left at Pineland Road. Pineland Road turns into Waterfront Drive at Pine Island Sound. Continue past the historic Post Office building and the Randell Research Headquarters to the parking lot across from the Tarpon Lodge.

From the north, take the 75 fwy south toward Ft. Myers. Take exit 138 toward SR-82/ML KING JR BLVD/Ft Myers/Immokalee. Turn left onto Dr Martin Luther King Jr Blvd (SR-82 W). In 3.8 miles turn right onto Evans Ave, then continue on Park Ave. and then continue on Edison Brg (US-41-BR N). In 1.1 miles, continue on N Tamiami Trl (US-41-BR N). In 0.6 miles turn left onto Pondella Rd (CR-78A). In 3.6 miles turn left onto NE Pine Island Rd (SR-78 W). In 12.4 miles, turn right toward Stringfellow Rd/CR-767. Continue on Stringfellow Rd (CR-767). In 3.3 miles turn left at Pineland Road. Pineland Road turns into Waterfront Drive at Pine Island Sound. Continue past the historic Post Office building and the Randell Research Headquarters to the parking lot across from the Tarpon Lodge.