It may surprise newcomers that a 2.5-mile stretch of nature, known as Gordon River Greenway Park, runs through the heart of Naples. In 1988, some of the biggest names in the area—Ellin Goetz, Eileen Arsenault, Richard “Dick” Grant, Miles Collier and now-Sen. Kathleen Passidomo, to name a few—united around one idea: Conserve Collier County’s pristine lands. With major growth and development on the horizon (the county’s population nearly tripled from 1988 to 2021), the group saw a need to buy undeveloped lands before they became housing tracts and shopping centers. The team created the Southwest Florida Land Preservation Trust (SWFLPT) and started with a decades-long pursuit to build the riverside trail. More than 30 years later, they’ve accomplished what they set out to do. The county broke ground on the Greenway—which runs from Golden Gate Parkway to around Naples International Airport—in 2014. SWFLPT spent more than $1 million to help fund the last portion, and the final permit went through in March.
The Greenway represents one of the best examples of collaboration here—the county, city and Naples Airport Authority all joined SWFLPT on fundraising efforts to acquire the 140 acres of land. The Conservancy of Southwest Florida, Naples Zoo at Caribbean Gardens and Conservation Collier chipped in along the way. Landscape architect Ellin Goetz, a Gulfshore Life community advisory board member and longtime conservation leader, says before the Greenway, people couldn’t see the river on foot. “We knew there was pressure on precious land,” she says. “That was the driver; this was an incredible resource that should be open to the public.” The trail bridges the gap between development and conservation, with pine flatwoods and native birds sharing the space with joggers, fishermen and strolling families.
With their goal met, the board gathered in July and decided to close the book on SWFLPT. The nonprofit expects to dissolve by the end of the year, but its legacy lives on through the people who created it—and the sanctuary that remains.
