Lemon Bay Conservancy honors Lary Stulhmiller, who recently passed away. Lary had volunteered with LBC since 2019, mostly at the Lemon Creek Wildflower Preserve. He quickly became an integral member of the preserve team and grew his role over time to become the overall leader for volunteer projects at the Preserve.
“Whenever Lary took on a project, we knew it would be meticulously planned and implemented”, said Eva Furner, LBC former Board member and Preserve volunteer. “His many contributions to the Preserve and to LBC were immense. Lary was an amazing individual, always there to share a laugh and to quietly lead. We will miss him greatly.””
Lary’s volunteer work for Lemon Bay Conservancy included:
- Lary was a regular with the Tuesday/Thursday volunteer work crews, handling a variety of equipment and trail maintenance activities. He often drove the trailer and boat for the juvenile tarpon net pull days.
- In 2021, as part of the Lemon Creek Wildflower Preserve restoration project, Lary took on the design and construction of bird nesting platforms on the newly created island in the brackish-water lagoon. He also worked with the volunteer team to obtain and plant mangroves, slash pines, and salt-tolerant species on the new, initially bare-dirt, island.
- In 2022, he coordinated the team that worked with the Home Depot Foundation to complete and place 16 heavy-duty wooden benches in two areas of the preserve for use in educational seminars.
- Only a few days after bench placement, Hurricane Ian devastated the Preserve, toppling trees and blowing thousands of pieces of aluminum, Styrofoam, and housing debris onto the property. Lary spent countless hours working with the volunteer team to clean up the preserve and repair damage. All the new benches survived and continue to be used today!
- As we entered 2023, Lary took on project leadership to construct a new shed to replace our maintenance shed destroyed by the hurricane. He researched designs, created supply lists, and coordinated volunteers to construct a shed that is far stronger and better than its predecessor.
- Later in 2023, Lary became one of the leaders in developing the Labyrinth on the Hill, a project that included obtaining supplies and developing the detailed layout.
- In 2024, Lary agreed to take on the additional challenge of serving on the LBC Board of Directors. When Hurricane Helene flooded the LBC office, Lary was there to work with other volunteers to salvage furniture and supplies, and to help setup a new office.
- Over the years, Lary worked on many projects to engage young people at the Preserve. He worked closely with the local troop leaders to bring Scouts out for workdays and to help two young men design and implement their Eagle projects.
Long time volunteer Joe Gallagher said “Lary and I became friends and just seemed to work well together, but anyone who worked with Lary will share the same opinion. He was a very good and humble man and impressed everyone who met him with his friendly personality.”
Volunteer Dana Houkal reminisced about Lary, “He was dedicated to the Preserve and spent much time keeping everything running, including volunteers. He was a level-headed and smart doer that encouraged all of us to do our best. The thing I remember most about Lary was his kind and supportive manner; he was our go-to person! I do recall one instance where Lary, Joe Gallagher, and I rescued an anhinga who had gotten its head/neck stuck between the staff gauge and support post on Turtle Pond in front of Joe’s condo. This occurred outside the normal volunteer window, so Joe called Lary, who came running down from his condo. The bird had been thrashing around for some time and was very unhappy. We didn’t know exactly how to save the bird, but time was of the essence. We used a nearby kayak and stick to paddle out to the staff gauge and “gently” lifted the bird to the top of the post where its head became dislodged. The bird appeared to have survived the ordeal but was very upset and upon release immediately dove beneath the water. We laughed and congratulated ourselves on the daring rescue! Every time I see an anhinga at the Preserve, I think of Lary.”
Former Board Member Malcom Collingwood said, “Lary helped with the monthly tarpon net pulls, driving the UTV to and from the ponds and keeping everything tidy. After hurricane Ian destroyed the big maintenance she, we decided to build a new building which Lary and I designed and started building together and which was completed with the help of many other volunteers. We were also board members together for a few years. Lary was a great guy and friend and someone who will be sorely missed in the local community.”
Volunteer Brad Kort, who worked alongside Lary, remembered “He was always a very kind leader who I enjoyed seeing every workday. He was also a very dedicated LBC volunteer who worked long and hard to help preserve southwest Florida.”
Volunteer Bob Hildebrand, said “Lary was a great guy and I so enjoyed working with him.”
Beth McKinley’s favorite memory of Lary, “Lary’s smile. He was a positive, hard worker and fun to be around. I fell in love with the group of volunteers including Lary, Eva Furner and Lucia when I started three and half years ago, they made me fall in love with the Preserve.”
A memorial is planned for Lary at his beloved Lemon Creek Wildflower Preserve Labyrinth in November of 2026.