From Data to Action: Protecting Wildlife with Smart Mapping on Sanibel Island
From Data to Decision: How Sanibel Island is Using GIS to Protect Wildlife
When you live or work on Sanibel Island, you quickly learn that conservation isn’t an abstract idea — it’s the foundation of everything. With nearly 70% of the island preserved, Sanibel is one of Florida’s strongest examples of what intentional, community-driven environmental stewardship can look like.
But even here, where policy and nature often work hand in hand, human infrastructure still intersects with wildlife movement. In 2022 alone, more than 500 wildlife-vehicle incidents were documented across Sanibel’s roads — from reptiles and wading birds to raccoons, raptors, and the occasional bobcat.
For years, these incidents were carefully recorded by the City of Sanibel’s Natural Resources Department in spreadsheets, PDFs, and emails. The data existed — but the insights were hidden.
In 2025, we set out to change that.
Baby Gopher Tortoise on Sanibel Island
A Conservation Challenge Hidden in Plain Sight
Sanibel’s geography shapes its wildlife movement. Wetlands, mangroves, dune systems, and upland hammocks connect like arteries across the island. For animals, roads are obstacles; for people, they are essential pathways.
The Natural Resources Department had been diligent in tracking every incident, but they faced familiar barriers:
Data came from phone calls, texts, and emails
Location descriptions varied
Spatial trends were difficult to visualize
Species-specific patterns weren’t clear
Reports weren’t optimized for analysis
The challenge wasn’t a lack of effort — it was a lack of tools built for spatial intelligence.
That’s where conservation technology came in.
Transforming Records into Spatial Intelligence
Partnering with the Natural Resources Department, Hammerhead led a GIS workflow designed to take years of raw data and turn it into meaningful insight.
1. Standardizing and Geocoding Data
Historical spreadsheets were cleaned, standardized, and geocoded, aligning every incident with precise spatial coordinates and consistent species classifications. This step transformed the dataset into a reliable foundation for mapping.
2. Modernizing Data Collection
Using Survey123, we built a mobile-friendly reporting tool that allows field staff to document incidents in real time. Photos, species details, exact coordinates, and contextual notes are captured instantly and feed directly into ArcGIS Online.
3. Visualizing Incidents Across the Island
We used ArcGIS Online to map all incidents — past and present — revealing patterns impossible to spot in spreadsheets alone.
4. Building a Real-Time Dashboard
A live ArcGIS Dashboard now shows:
Total incidents
Species breakdown
Monthly and seasonal trends
Location-specific patterns
Newly reported incidents in real time
For the first time, Sanibel had a living, evolving picture of wildlife-road interactions.
Incidents with Protected Area Overlay
What the Maps Revealed
Once visualized, the data told a powerful story.
Island-wide patterns
Nearly every major roadway documented incidents, but three road segments accounted for 56% of all reports between 2022–2025.
Heat maps + statistical hot spot analysis
A simple heat map showed areas of concern — especially along Sanibel-Captiva Road and Tarpon Bay Road.
But a Getis-Ord Gi* hot spot analysis revealed statistically significant clusters aligned with wildlife corridors, wetland interfaces, and vegetation patterns.
These clusters weren’t random. They reflected how animals use the island.
Species-specific movement
Breaking the data down by wildlife type revealed distinct patterns:
Mammals: Hot spot between Rabbit Road and Dimmick Drive
Reptiles: Concentration along southern Tarpon Bay Road
Birds: Significant clustering between Rabbit Road and Wildlife Drive
Amphibians: Strong activity on eastern Middle Gulf Drive, where small ponds and ditches dominate the landscape
These insights pointed to predictable, repeatable wildlife movement intersecting with human roadways.
Sanibel Island Map with Data Points
From Insight to Action: How GIS Informed City Policy
Perhaps the most meaningful outcome of this project wasn’t the technology — it was the impact.
In November 2025, the findings were presented to Sanibel’s City Council. The maps and hotspot analyses allowed a clear demonstration of:
Where wildlife-vehicle incidents concentrate
Why those areas are vulnerable
How specific mitigation strategies could reduce harm
Which measures would protect both wildlife and people
Armed with this evidence, the Council voted in favor of advancing new mitigation measures, including strategic signage placement as well as a pilot program involving targeted traffic calming.
This is the power of spatial analysis: it doesn’t just describe a problem — it helps solve it.
Dashboard Example
A Conservation Model That Scales Far Beyond Sanibel
Sanibel’s story is uniquely local, but its lessons are universal.
Across the world, conservation practitioners collect wildlife incident data — often in spreadsheets or disparate notes. What they need is a better way to see the patterns.
This approach is potentially transferable to:
Wildlife refuges
National and state parks
Coastal communities
Urban wildlife corridors
Freshwater and marine protected areas
Any scenario where wildlife and human movement intersect
The tools are accessible. The workflow is proven. And the impact is measurable.
What Comes Next for Sanibel
Now that a complete spatial and temporal understanding exists, Sanibel’s Natural Resources Department can:
Track incident trends in real time
Measure the effectiveness of interventions
Identify emerging hotspots early
Strengthen grant applications and budget proposals
Inform public education with location-specific messaging
Guide long-term conservation planning
This system is no longer a project — it’s a foundation for the island’s future wildlife protection efforts.
As new incidents are reported, the dataset grows. As interventions are implemented, outcomes become clear. This is adaptive management in action.
Final Reflection
Every dot on a map represents an individual animal — often a life lost. But collectively, those dots tell a story powerful enough to change policy.
When we make data spatial, we make patterns visible.
When we make patterns visible, we make evidence-based decisions possible.
And when decisions are backed by evidence, conservation becomes more effective.
GIS didn’t save wildlife on its own.
But it empowered a community that cares deeply to save more.
Questions or Comments for the Author
Corrie Presland-Byrne, MSc
Lead Conservation Technologist at Hammerhead Technology (Esri Partners)
corrie@hammerheadtechnology.com
Corrie specializes in wildlife conservation, GIS solutions, and digital tools that bridge the gap between data and action. Her work focuses on using spatial intelligence to help conservation organizations make informed, impactful decisions.
