Honoring Our Founder Ellen Peterson –
December 5, 1923 – October 14, 2011
In 1972, Ellen Peterson purchased the property that is now known as The Happehatchee Center as her home. Ellen’s place was “home” to many of people of all walks of life for forty years. It was a private retreat used often by small groups including the Girl Scouts.
Ellen was a passionate social justice activist and Florida's top advocate for environmental conservation. In 2005, Ellen began to conceive preserving the historical and environmental significance of her own property, "Happehatchee" or Happy River, as being worthy of preservation. Ms. Peterson decided to gather like-minded people together to discuss her vision of a community gathering place centered on sustainable land use and spiritual wellness. In 2006, Ellen created the Happehatchee Center, Inc., a private non-profit organization to preserve the lush five acres of “old Florida” on the banks of the Estero River.
Today, the Happehatchee Center's team of volunteers and staff are dedicated to sustain the Center's mission to provide environmental and healing arts education. They preserve and honor Happehatchee’s vibrant land as a way to make connections with ourselves, each other, and nature. The land and Historic structures are utilized by groups for private gatherings, weddings, life ceremonies as well as weekly, and monthly classes throughout the year.
Ellen Peterson was deeply involved in the Southwest Florida community. Ellen had at least a thousand best friends, according to accounts we’ve heard since 2011 when she died.
Here is a list all the organizations in which she was actively involved.
All Faiths UU Congregation, Fort Myers.
The Calusa Chapter of the Sierra Club. Met monthly at Happehatchee, local chapter created by Ellen.
The CIW, Coalition of Immokalee Workers, teaching English to farmworkers, marched to Tallahassee.
The CUUPs (Covenant of UU Pagans) group, monthly meetings and regular gatherings.
The DWC, Democratic Women’s’ Club.
EPEC, the Environmental and Peace Education Center. Demonstrations in Georgia at the School of the Americas.
The Guatemalan Rural Adult and Children’s Education Project (GRACE).
The Happehatchee Center, Inc. Founder, Trustee and first President, 2006.
Quality Life Center, Dunbar, FL
The RGMC, Responsible Growth Management Coalition.
SOC, Save Our Creeks, to protect Fisheating Creek in Palmdale. Founder.
The Unitarian Universalist Church of Fort Myers, UUCFM, Sundays and events. Was on the Board of Trustees.
Enjoy the slideshow below of Ellen's remarkable life:
The Land:
The five acres of land, now called Happehatchee Center were originally part of the Koreshan Settlement in Estero, Florida in the early 1900’s. The land was planted with citrus groves, which were situated alongside the Estero River to take advantage of shipping through the waterways of Florida.
The ownership of the land traded hands among small farmers, and was acquired by the local Girl Scouts in 1947. This organization was part of the Girl Scouts of the USA, a national organization founded in 1912. It’s mission, to empower girls, to help teach values such as honesty, fairness, courage, compassion, character, sisterhood, confidence, and citizenship through activities including camping, community service, learning first aid, and earning badges by acquiring and demonstrating practical skills. A camp was made with the inclusion of two buildings purchased from the Buckingham Air Field.
On November 1, 1954, the trustees for the Fort Myers Council of Girl Scouts deeded over the parcel to the Lee County Council of Girl Scouts, a non-profit Florida Corporation.
On February 26, 1960, the Lee County Council of Girl Scouts Inc. changed its name to Caloosa Council of Girl Scouts, Inc. And on August 15, 1962, the Caloosa Council of Girl Scouts, Inc deeded over the parcel to The Gulfcoast Girl Scout Council Inc.
Girls Scouts of Camp Caloosa had camped, held meetings, and conducted ceremonies here and have been linked to Happehatchee since 1947. In 1963, The Gulfcoast Girl Scout Council Inc. sold the property to a family from Key West as a “Northern Retreat.” Happehatchee Campus (land and buildings), is now an official Lee County Historic Preservation Site, our current office space and meeting rooms were the original buildings of the Happehatchee Historic House and were built as World War II Bunkers at the Buckingham Army Air Field.
The five acres of land, now called Happehatchee Center were originally part of the Koreshan Settlement in Estero, Florida in the early 1900’s. The land was planted with citrus groves, which were situated alongside the Estero River to take advantage of shipping through the waterways of Florida.
The ownership of the land traded hands among small farmers, and was acquired by the local Girl Scouts in 1947. This organization was part of the Girl Scouts of the USA, a national organization founded in 1912. It’s mission, to empower girls, to help teach values such as honesty, fairness, courage, compassion, character, sisterhood, confidence, and citizenship through activities including camping, community service, learning first aid, and earning badges by acquiring and demonstrating practical skills. A camp was made with the inclusion of two buildings purchased from the Buckingham Air Field.
On November 1, 1954, the trustees for the Fort Myers Council of Girl Scouts deeded over the parcel to the Lee County Council of Girl Scouts, a non-profit Florida Corporation.
On February 26, 1960, the Lee County Council of Girl Scouts Inc. changed its name to Caloosa Council of Girl Scouts, Inc. And on August 15, 1962, the Caloosa Council of Girl Scouts, Inc deeded over the parcel to The Gulfcoast Girl Scout Council Inc.
Girls Scouts of Camp Caloosa had camped, held meetings, and conducted ceremonies here and have been linked to Happehatchee since 1947. In 1963, The Gulfcoast Girl Scout Council Inc. sold the property to a family from Key West as a “Northern Retreat.” Happehatchee Campus (land and buildings), is now an official Lee County Historic Preservation Site, our current office space and meeting rooms were the original buildings of the Happehatchee Historic House and were built as World War II Bunkers at the Buckingham Army Air Field.
AND into the Future
Dear Southwest Florida, Friends of Happehatchee and Citizens of Estero,
In January of 2020, the Happehatchee Center reached agreement with the Village of Estero and gifted the property to the Village for a community park. The Land at 8791 Corkscrew Road will be protected forever and never sold, exactly as Ellen Peterson decreed when she established Happehatchee in 2006.
Here are some of the conditions to which we all agreed:
WHEREAS, Happehatchee Center, desires to convey the Property to the Village to preserve and protect the Property as a unique environmental asset for future generations, as intended by Ellen Peterson, the founder of Happehatchee Center, Inc.; and a longtime resident on the Property, and to fulfill Happehatchee Center, Inc.’s mission of operating an environmental and educational center on the Property; and
WHEREAS, the Village represents that the Property can be integrated into the Village’s surrounding property thus enhancing the overall environmental and public benefit to further both Parties respective missions,
THEREFORE, This agreement serves to memorialize the terms of Happehatchee Center, Inc.’s conveyance of the Property, at no cost, to the Village:
- The Village will provide stewardship to preserve in perpetuity the Property and its unique vegetation, including its Estero River banks (north and south), mature trees, bamboo, native vegetation, and natural water spring, consistent with best practices for land preservation.
- The Village, or a manager of the Property, will actively seek to provide the Estero community with environmental and education programs, workshops, seminars and special events on the Property. Happehatchee Center will identify the existing tenants or organizations utilizing the Property so the Village can negotiate terms for their continued use of the Property for the purposes stated in Happehatchee Center’s bylaws.
- The Village’s obligations shall constitute a restriction running with the land enforceable by Happehatchee Center, Inc. Should Happehatchee Center cease its corporate existence, then this Agreement shall be enforceable by any citizen of the Village of Estero by action for injunction relief, this Agreement being intended to preserve the Property as a public resource for its unique environmental and historic attributes, and as a place for environmental education and mindfulness.
The Board of Directors of the Happehatchee Center trusts the contract we made with the Village. We welcome bicycle and walking paths and protected, natural riverbanks along both sides of the Estero River. We cherish the ancient oaks and pines on the Land, and we appreciate that they will live and be safe in perpetuity.
Thank you to the thousands of volunteers and contributors to the sustenance and care of the Land and the Spirits of the Happehatchee Center.
Blessings, Love and Gratitude,
Genelle G. Grant, Ed.D., President, Happehatchee Center
