Coastal & Heartland National Estuary Partnership - CHNEP

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Coastal & Heartland National Estuary Partnership - CHNEP Uniting Central and Southwest Florida to protect water and wildlife.

The Coastal & Heartland National Estuary Partnership (CHNEP, formerly the Charlotte Harbor National Estuary Program) has been protecting the natural environment of southwest Florida since 1995. It is one of 28 Congressionally-designated organizations in the US EPA National Estuary Program, established to protect and restore “estuaries of national significance.” CHNEP is uniting Central and Southwest Florida to protect water and wildlife, covering an area spanning 10 counties and 27 cities.

Thank you to the Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program for hosting the fall National Estuary Program meeting this week. ...
10/20/2026

Thank you to the Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program for hosting the fall National Estuary Program meeting this week. The NEP entities across the country have come together in Corpus Christi Texas to share new tools, research and best practices for coastal restoration and protection. A highlight is always getting to do site visits to the amazing projects our host NEP has done. 🐟

We celebrated at the Science and Environment Council of Southwest Florida’s Alligator Creek Fest! This wonderful educa...
10/17/2026

We celebrated at the Science and Environment Council of Southwest Florida’s Alligator Creek Fest! This wonderful educational event was moved inside because of the rain, but we still had a great time with the 280+ attendees! CHNEP highlighted the importance of seagrass beds in the ecosystem- from preventing erosion to being habitat for the critically endangered Smalltooth Sawfish and many other fish and shellfish species. To protect the animals and water we love, we must protect the plants they depend on. 🌱🐟

10/09/2026

🎉 Join the celebration after Monofilament Madness!

After a morning of making a difference on the water, volunteers are invited to come together for a well-deserved appreciation lunch! 🌊🛶

Clean up, then kick back and celebrate a job well done with your fellow volunteers. 💙
👉 Join us October 31st: bit.ly/KLCB_Events

We had a rootin’ tootin’ good time yesterday at the Old Miakka Schoolhouse’s annual hootenanny! It was amazing getting t...
10/05/2026

We had a rootin’ tootin’ good time yesterday at the Old Miakka Schoolhouse’s annual hootenanny! It was amazing getting to enjoy fresh air under giant trees, listen to local musicians, and talk to so many nice folks! Thank you to the over 80 people who stopped by our booth to learn more about Florida’s wildlife, plants, and waterways! 🌵🦉🌊

10/02/2026

Join us for a special Vertical Oyster Gardening workshop as part of Florida Climate Week 2026, presented by on Friday, October 9th at 10:30 am.💙🦪💙

Dive into the water quality challenges of Charlotte Harbor and uncover the surprising superpower of oysters! Get hands-on and make a difference by building your own Vertical Oyster Garden that will help to filter and clean Florida’s waterways, one oyster at a time.

We hope to see you there to shellebrate Florida Climate Week 2026!

Register here: https://www.checflorida.org/event-details/vertical-oyster-gardening-workshop-3

Today is the last day of , as well as ! To celebrate, we're highlighting a CHNEP-funded project to restore a creek in ...
09/27/2026

Today is the last day of , as well as ! To celebrate, we're highlighting a CHNEP-funded project to restore a creek in our region.

Pollywog Creek in Hendry County unfortunately experienced severe erosion from Hurricane Irma in 2017. The extra sediment that entered the creek has been negatively affecting its water quality and fish populations. Pollywog Creek's health also affects the health of the Caloosahatchee River because it directly drains into it. CHNEP, Hendry County, and engineering companies are currently developing a plan to restabilize ~945 feet of the creek. Reducing erosion will help restore the health of both waterbodies.

We hope you've enjoyed learning more about estuaries and CHNEP during this year's National Estuaries Week! Remember: any day is a good day to ! 🐟

📸 Hendry County GIS Department, Fishbrain

Did you know that overlaps with ? Today is the day where it's most important to and show how much you love America'...
09/26/2026

Did you know that overlaps with ? Today is the day where it's most important to and show how much you love America's public lands!

Public lands can only continue to exist if they have support from the public. If you enjoy a local park, beach, or other piece of public land, support it today by visiting it, posting about, cleaning it up, or anything else you can think of to show your appreciation. Having a safe, accessible, natural place to visit helps to boost the mental and physical health of countless people. 🌎

Considering joining a National Public Lands Day event near you using the following link: https://www.neefusa.org/npld-event-search

Estuaries are a hot spot not only for wildlife, but for humans as well. Many cities, such as the City of Punta Gorda, ar...
09/25/2026

Estuaries are a hot spot not only for wildlife, but for humans as well. Many cities, such as the City of Punta Gorda, are located right on the water and face water-related dangers such as flooding and erosion. Luckily CHNEP is here to help!

On September 10th, CHNEP staff and project partners met to survey the seawalls and water around one of Punta Gorda's shorelines. These surveys were an important step in designing a living shoreline for the area. The living shoreline will introduce mangroves, artificial reefs, and other elements with the goal of reducing the severity of storm surges and coastal erosion.

This by familiarizing yourself with the estuary closest to you. Estuaries probably effect your life more than you know. 💦

📸 CHNEP staff, Jacobs Engineering staff

Hundreds of animals rely on wetlands, but this we're highlighting one you hopefully haven't heard of before- the Marsh...
09/24/2026

Hundreds of animals rely on wetlands, but this we're highlighting one you hopefully haven't heard of before- the Marsh Rabbit! 🐇

Marsh Rabbits are native to Florida and less common than their relative, the Eastern Cottontail. As their name suggests, these rabbits thrive in wetlands. They serve as an important base in the food chain that many predators need to survive. They also help keep aquatic plant populations stable by eating them before they're able to overrun an area and choke out other plants.

Healthy ecosystems are all about balance. How are you going to and help restore balance to your local ecosystem?

📸Elaine Weissborn, CHNEP staff

Learn more about your local waterbodies this by using the CHNEP Water Atlas! 🗺The CHNEP Water Atlas is a free online t...
09/23/2026

Learn more about your local waterbodies this by using the CHNEP Water Atlas! 🗺

The CHNEP Water Atlas is a free online tool available on the CHNEP website. It contains information about every river, stream, lake, beach, and all other waterbodies located within the CHNEP region. Here data regarding harmful algae blooms, endangered animal habitat, nutrient concentrations, and more can be found.

If you would like to explore the CHNEP Water Atlas before heading out to this week, please use the link below.
https://chnep.wateratlas.usf.edu/

📸CHNEP staff

Address

1050 Loveland Boulevard
Port Charlotte, FL
33980

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+19418336580

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