close

‘Ground Owl Day’ | Cape Coral tradition to take place this weekend

By CJ HADDAD 4 min read
article image -
Burrowing Owl Photo Contest youth winner, Abigail Gallagher, whose photo will be used for the Ground Owl Day T-shirt. PROVIDED

A fun and quirky Cape Coral tradition takes place this weekend, as the city’s official bird will again serve as the prognosticator of weather to come.

The burrowing owl takes center stage as the Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife and Cape Coral Parks and Recreation Department host the sixth annual “Ground Owl Day” on Sunday, Feb. 2, at 10 a.m. at Pelican Baseball Complex, in what is the city’s take on Groundhog Day.

Will the city’s official bird see its shadow? Only time will tell if the protected species will signal six more weeks of “winter” in Southwest Florida.

“This event sort of marks the beginning of the fun season down here in Southwest Florida, and we’re always looking ahead to the Burrowing Owl Festival,” said CCFW spokesperson Janet Windisch. “This event is always very special.”

Fox 4 reporter Bella Line will serve as the master of ceremonies for the event, which will feature a special appearance from the burrowing owl mascot, Athene. Community members are invited to join in the excitement to see if Athene will see her shadow and signal the coming of spring. Local leaders and wildlife enthusiasts also will be in attendance to show their support for the conservation of these unique birds.

“Along with being the official city bird, burrowing owls are a very unique animal and threatened species,” Windisch said. “It’s the only owl that makes its home in the ground. There are thousands of these lovely owls that make their home in Cape Coral, and makes the city a really special place. This is a fun event to celebrate that. There are a lot of owls that have burrows at Pelican Baseball Complex. So after the event, you can see the owls — staying 10 feet away from the nests — and have your picture taken with Athene.”

Judy Mitchell, president of Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife, added, “We are excited to bring the community together for this special event, which highlights the beauty of our local wildlife and the importance of preserving it for future generations. Don’t miss this chance to join in the fun and celebrate the arrival of spring with your neighbors.”

Other than being a fun way to celebrate the burrowing owl and be an event precursor to the annual Burrowing Owl Festival (Feb. 22), Ground Owl Day is a way to become educated on the importance of the burrowing owl, how to preserve their population and the ecotourism dollars they bring to the city.

“While it feels like there are many burrowing owls here, they are still a threatened species,” Windisch said. “There are not very many throughout the state. Nature brings us joy. It makes our city special, and we really need to all be aware of how fragile they are, and it takes a whole community to support wildlife. For the joy they bring residents, for the visitors that come to Cape Coral to see our wildlife and photograph our owls, it’s really important that we come together and support them.”

CCFW has roughly 500 volunteer members, who put in a collective 10,000 hours last year. Volunteers mark burrows and report the location to the city. They trim vegetation around burrows, as does the city. CCFW also helps maintain purple martins and gopher tortoises.

CCFW has a sister organization, the CCFW Wildlife Trust, which purchases and acquires land to be held in perpetuity as a wildlife habitat.

“The amount of new construction in the city is accelerating,” Windisch said. “Big developments are coming that are going to displace wildlife. So, as much as we can do to preserve what land we can for them — for residents, if there’s less and less open lots for burrowing owls to live, they can put starter burrows in their yard. There’s lots to do to persevere our wildlife.”

Special “Ground Owl Day” shirts will be available to purchase at the event. The image on the shirt this year comes from the Burrowing Owl Photo Contest youth winner, Abigail Gallagher.

For more information on CCFW, starter burrows, and the upcoming Burrowing Owl Festival, visit ccfriendsofwildlife.org.

Pelican Baseball Complex is at 4128 Pelican Blvd.