LaBelle and Southwest Florida:
LaBelle:
LaBelle is a town of 3400 (which grows to about 12000 during the winter growing season) situated on the banks of the Caloosahatchee River in Hendry County. It is 26 miles east of Fort Myers and is named "The Citrus Capital of Florida" for a very good reason; grapefruit and orange growing is the mainstay of the area's economy, and Hendry County has 15 million citrus trees; more than any other county in Florida.. It has strong sense of community, has a marina and more fast food places per square mile than anywhere else in the world (I made that one up but I wouldn't be surprised if it was approaching the truth!). Despite containing a small population it is rather spread out, so the area of the city is disproportionately big, even though in the United States this is typical. Whilst LaBelle may not be particularly big, with not much to do, and is away from the beach it is an interesting place to do an internship in grant writing due the small town local politics! Additionally it's good to experience small town America at close proximity, especially when it has natural features such as the Caloosahatchie River and unique and varied wildlife (gators, manatees etc.) to add.
Hendry County
As the table shows, Hendry County, of which LaBelle is the County seat, has not had the benefit of prosperity that elsewhere in Florida has enjoyed. Southern DataStream intends to address some of these issues, through the International Mentorship Proposal and through involvement with the community. The two major towns of Clewiston and LaBelle are largely agriculturally based. Appropriate, sustainable and intelligent agricultural practices are therefore the key to a bright future for Hendry County.
Southwest Florida
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Southwest Florida is unique. Rivers, swamps, perfect beaches, barrier islands, abundant and unique wildlife, a subtropical climate; it has it all (except for hills and snow of course, but you can go to Vermont for that). Lapped by the waters of the Gulf of Mexico, it is a rather nice place to spend an internship. Fuelled by the major cities of Tampa, St. Petersburg, Fort Myers this part of Florida, unlike much of the rest of the state, are all expanding economically at a quickening rate. It is a fast changing place. The population of South Florida overall will double by 2050, and much of its fate lies with the CERP, and this combined with continued economic growth increasingly will place pressure on the environment which sustains it.
