Did you hear? Young friends of the Everglades are leading the fight to protect Florida’s state animal, the Florida panther. This endangered species faces a significant threat from a set of new toll roads, known as M-CORES, proposed to cut through territory that is vital to the panther’s survival and recovery efforts.

In a new initiative launched last week, kids across the state sent letters to Gov. DeSantis and members of the Florida legislature urging them to protect the endangered Florida panther by stopping construction of the new toll roads. Their commitment set a worthy example for Floridians of all ages that care about the preservation of state wildlife. To make a real difference, we need all of you to weigh in.

Without your voices, we stand to lose a magnificently beautiful and rare Everglades species. Though we designed this letter as a learning component for our Young Friends of the Everglades program, this action item is not limited to children and it needs support from all members of the public. Please follow the easy instructions to send a letter yourself, and help us keep the platform in motion by encouraging any young people in your life to get involved too. Initiatives like these are how we foster activism in the next generation. Here’s how to participate:

Email your comments to Gov. DeSantis and lawmakers directly by clicking here or clicking the button below to open a pre-formatted email window. If you’d like to add an additional comment, space has been provided. Just add your own story and click “Take Action.”

Please don’t wait. The legislature passed a bill paving the way for the new toll roads in 2019, but there’s still time to stop construction. Gov. DeSantis and Florida lawmakers need to hear from you.