Allie Preston, Author at Friends of the Everglades

About Allie Preston

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So far Allie Preston has created 148 blog entries.

Miami-Dade County Urged to Protect Exisiting Urban Development Boundary

On December 7, Friends of the Everglades joined Tropical Audubon Society and Everglades Law Center in sending letters to the Miami-Dade Board of County Commissioners and the Department of Regulatory and Economic Resources to express concerns regarding the application to expand the Urban Development Boundary (UDB) in Miami-Dade County to create the South Dade Logistics and Technology District (SDLTD). We have many concerns regarding this application, not least of which is the threat it will pose to Everglades National Park, Biscayne Bay, and existing and future Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Projects and goals. The environmental damages caused by the construction of the proposed SDLTD are disqualifying and we urge the Board of County Commissioners to deny the application. To read the [...]

Allie Preston2021-12-08T10:44:59-05:00December 8th, 2021|Friends of the Everglades Statements, Homestead Air Reserve Base|

Your Everglades moment of zen: The secret life of alligators

"Snorkeling in the Florida Everglades" What would you do if on your next snorkeling adventure you ended up face-to-face with this prehistoric lizard? We’ll admit that this video might defy the average person’s idea of a “moment of zen.” It features a voiceover from a snorkeler calmly interacting with several of the Everglades’ most famous apex predators — from a safe distance — as he explores a maze of underwater tree root systems. Along the way he points out different species in surprisingly clear water, offering a truly unique perspective of the thriving and interconnected ecosystem that lives beyond the view of most Everglades sightseers. We’re perfectly happy to join you in viewing this particular moment of Everglades zen from [...]

Allie Preston2021-12-07T12:04:39-05:00December 7th, 2021|Everglades Zen|

Friends of the Everglades presents Stories From the Sawgrass

You're invited! Join Friends of the Everglades December 15, 2021, from 6:00 - 7:00 p.m. for a virtual storytelling event with Miccosukee poet and activist Reverend Houston Cypress, environmental advocate Maggy Hurchalla and Friends of the Everglades board member and Glades community activist Robert Mitchell. The happy-hour event, Stories from the Sawgrass, is free to our Marjory’s Circle members, and additional tickets are available to the public for $25. Stories from the Sawgrass is our way of thanking our Marjory’s Circle members for their support of our work to preserve, protect and restore the only Everglades in the world. If you'd like to become a Marjory's Circle member, sign up today and we'll send you a discount code making your [...]

Allie Preston2021-12-06T10:29:21-05:00December 6th, 2021|Friends of the Everglades Statements|

Friends of the Everglades joins amicus brief to challenge Collier County development of Rivergrass Village

Friends of the Everglades joined the Conservancy of Southwest Florida and thirteen other environmental and civic organizations November 30, 2021, in filing an amicus brief to challenge the development of Rivergrass Village in Collier County. The development is located within the Rural Lands Stewardship Area (RLSA), adopted in 2002 to protect wetlands and listed species habitat, prevent the premature conversion of agricultural lands, and avoid sprawl in eastern Collier County. The Conservancy’s appeal brief focuses on the fact that the trial court declined to hear evidence that Rivergrass Village will cost Collier County taxpayers millions of dollars, will result in widespread worsening of traffic congestion, and fails to comply with the Collier County Land Development Code. Should the lower court’s [...]

Allie Preston2021-11-30T16:40:30-05:00November 30th, 2021|All Posts|

For the next generation of Everglades advocates…

This Giving Tuesday, we are giving you a sneak peek at our brand new youth education program! Friends of the Everglades will deliver the first “Everglades Learning Exploration Kit” to our pilot school, Royal Palm Elementary, later this month. The kit draws on the legacy of our founder, Marjory Stoneman Douglas, to teach students about Everglades ecosystems, water quality, native species and more. Marjory knew reaching young people was critical to the future of the Everglades. Our newly revived Young Friends of the Everglades program is one of the many efforts you support when you make a donation to Friends of the Everglades this Giving Tuesday — TODAY! Our Young Friends of the Everglades youth outreach program helps kids tackle [...]

Allie Preston2021-11-30T10:33:50-05:00November 30th, 2021|Young Friends of the Everglades|

Support the next generation of Everglades advocates this #GivingTuesday

Giving Tuesday is only one week away! This year, we invite you to join Friends of the Everglades in celebration of our newly revived youth education program, Young Friends of the Everglades. Here’s a sneak peek of the Everglades Exploration Kit we will be delivering to our pilot elementary school in December: Help support the next generation in learning how to preserve, protect and restore the only Everglades in the world by making a contribution on November 30 at everglades.org/donate. Raise awareness about our work by sharing your support on social media and using the hashtag #GivingTuesday to get your friends and family involved! Stay tuned and look out for emails from us with Giving Tuesday in the subject line. [...]

Allie Preston2021-11-24T11:57:21-05:00November 24th, 2021|Young Friends of the Everglades|

LOSOM: Better for the St. Lucie, but key questions remain

It’s not all we hoped for. But ultimately, it’s better than what we have now. On Tuesday the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers announced its pick for the Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual; the new playbook will guide lake management for a decade to come. Model 260467 would discharge an average of 117,000 acre-feet of water from Lake Okeechobee to the St. Lucie estuary every year. The good news is that’s 37% less than what might have been discharged had the Corps taken no action and continued to utilize the existing lake schedule. The bad news? It’s a 63% increase over the 72,000 acre-feet per year originally proposed in the Corps’ “preferred alternative,” Plan CC. After selecting Plan CC in [...]

Allie Preston2021-11-17T10:40:29-05:00November 17th, 2021|LOSOM|

Give Back on Give Miami Day!

It's Go Time! Early Giving has officially launched at GiveMiamiDay.org! Now through Thursday at 11:59 p.m., you can support Friends of the Everglades during our most impactful online-giving event of the year: The Miami Foundation’s Give Miami Day. We invite you to make a contribution to help protect, preserve and restore the only Everglades in the world. You don’t have to live in Miami to participate. Donations between $25 and $10,000 will help Friends of the Everglades qualify for a bonus gift! Last year, our supporters raised over $14,000 for Friends of the Everglades during the Give Miami Day virtual event. You can support us again this year by checking out our champion pages and making a donation towards their [...]

Allie Preston2021-11-15T09:21:53-05:00November 15th, 2021|All Posts, Friends of the Everglades Statements|

Everglades Illustrated: LOSOM must protect the estuaries

The Everglades is vast, and restoration is complex. We're breaking it down visually for you. Are Throwback Tuesdays a thing? We’re making them one today, as we take a look back at an image from 2016. The photo above was taken in a neighborhood canal off of the St. Lucie River during a time that is infamously remembered as the toxic summer of 2016. That summer, images like this one were not uncommon in the coastal community of Stuart, Florida — the east coast ground zero for Lake Okeechobee discharges. For those who lived through it, this picture brings to mind a particularly horrific smell. The guacamole-thick mats of blue-green algae emitted a stench so overwhelming that residents had trouble being outdoors. [...]

Allie Preston2021-11-09T12:25:55-05:00November 9th, 2021|Everglades Illustrated, LOSOM|

Honoring Connie Washburn: 2021 recipient of the “Defender of the Everglades” Award

Each year, Friends of the Everglades recognizes a person whose commitment to our mission to preserve, protect and restore the only Everglades in the world stands out among the rest. Not only is this award meant to acknowledge their significant contribution to the world of Everglades restoration, but it also highlights someone who embodies the spirit of our founder, Marjory Stoneman Douglas. This year’s choice is no exception. Connie Washburn has served as a member of the Board of Directors and a tireless advocate for Friends of the Everglades since 1994. Since then, she has fulfilled every supporting role possible within our organization and is always the first to volunteer for any committee or project. We have Connie to thank [...]

Allie Preston2021-11-08T14:43:56-05:00November 8th, 2021|Defender of the Everglades Award, Marjory Stoneman Douglas, Young Friends of the Everglades|

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