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Research:
The Land Stewardship Committee has supported and undertaken various research projects relating to the land and the flora and fauna. Some of this was done by outside scientist groups while other material was gathered from membership field notes. All of the research is considered important to the preservation, development and stewardship of the land and the bio-systems dependant upon it. Studies by biology students from Florida Atlantic University and botany teachers from Fort Meyers Community College have been instrumental in land management practices at Mary Help of Christians. Members of the Land Stewardship Committee consult frequently with advisors from Broward County Agricultural Service, the Florida State Department of Natural Resources, and Florida State Forestry Service. Aerial photographs dating back four decades indicate that the present 24 acres is the extreme southwestern corner of a large mixed cypress maple hammock. Approximately two miles to the northwest is a state protected Indian burial site. The fact that the surrounding area was once the headwaters for the Cypress Creek water basin suggests that Indian activity may have been prevalent in the area. The relative young age of the trees, though, probably means that Native American campsites would not be common on the church grounds. Much older and larger cypress growth and pineland area lie east of the church property. Radar soundings of the waterway south of the social hall show that the water ways are rich in several species of fish.
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