PRESERVING AN OASIS :
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fort Myers in Transition
By Emilie Haertsch Senior Communications Manager , Partners for Sacred Places
In September 2024 , Partners spoke with the Rev . Sue Gabrielson and Bill Petrarca of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fort Myers , Florida . As a consulting client of Partners , UUCFM is in the process of transitioning its buildings and property . The following interview has been condensed for length and clarity .
What is the history of your congregation ? Bill Petrarca : UUCFM was founded as one of the first US congregations in the denomination after the Unitarians and Universalists merged in the 1960s . We began in a small building in the center of Fort Myers , but 25 years ago we moved to our current suburban location , which was then farmland .
Describe the building and land your congregation occupies . BP : Originally the founders bought ten acres in a watershed area . They turned five acres into a wildlife preserve and filled in the other five to elevate them above the floodplain . A parishioner bought and added to our holdings with an adjacent two-and-a-half acres , which became Holton Eco-Preserve , and essentially serves as a park now . We own five actively used buildings on the campus : two classroom buildings , one administrative building , the sanctuary , and a social hall . Sue Gabrielson : The congregation intentionally fostered green space here . Our campus contains a garden , labyrinth , amphitheater , and trails . UUCFM has evolved as a natural oasis , because our area increasingly is eaten up by urban sprawl . Many people use the land here . We have a community garden available for public rental , and a local environmental organization holds their seed sale
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