Maggy Hurchalla Opportunity Fund virtual event

Maggy Hurchalla was a force of nature, and a force for nature.

She rallied so many of us around a vision that was intertwined with the way she led her life. It was rooted in her deeply held belief in protecting our wetlands and waterways and safeguarding Florida’s last remaining green spaces.

It’s a vision we are committed to at Friends of the Everglades, and we’re incredibly grateful to you for contributing to our work in Maggy’s memory.

This is a critical time to sustain the momentum Maggy created.

In May, the U.S. Supreme Court issued a ruling in the Sackett case that gutted protections for wetlands under the Clean Water Act. Earlier in the spring, the Florida Legislature advanced damaging legislation that will make Florida more susceptible to sprawling development.

What would Maggy do in the face of these setbacks? For starters, she would talk to the experts she trusted most.

Friends of the Everglades and the Hurchalla family invite contributors to the Maggy Hurchalla Opportunity Fund and those who have donated in honor of Maggy Hurchalla to join us September 7, 6-7 p.m., for a virtual event with two of the experts Maggy called upon often during her life:

Royal Gardner is an internationally recognized expert in wetland law and policy who serves as Professor of Law and Co-Director of the Institute for Biodiversity Law and Policy at Stetson University’s College of Law. He served with Maggy as a member of the Friends of the Everglades Policy & Science Committee.

Richard Grosso is a public-interest environmental and land-use lawyer dedicated to advising, advocating, and litigating on behalf of clients seeking to preserve our natural resources, communities, and planet. He worked closely with Maggy on legal issues impacting Martin County.

Royal will speak with us about the implications of the Sackett ruling, and Richard will discuss the state of growth-management in Florida.

We also will be joined by Gretchen Hurchalla, daughter-in-law of Maggy. The conversation will be moderated by Eve Samples, Executive Director of Friends of the Everglades.

RSVP now to join this hour-long virtual gathering in support of the Maggy Hurchalla Opportunity Fund.