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About Allie Preston

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So far Allie Preston has created 523 blog entries.

VIDEO: Relive the energy of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Legacy Celebration!

More than 250 people gathered at The Biltmore in Miami to join Friends of the Everglades at our 3rd Marjory Stoneman Douglas Legacy Celebration. With the event’s theme — “Be a Voice of the Everglades” — resonating through the afternoon, attendees were left inspired and energized by the words of influential speakers including Carl Hiaasen, Betty Osceola and Houston Cypress. Betty implored the audience to “Listen to the water, the air and the trees” while Carl emphasized the importance of remaining proactive, stating “Stay pissed off.” Houston poeticized a profound message, urging us to recognize that “Every step is a prayer.” We are grateful for voices like Carl, Betty and Houston, that serve as a reminder of the collective [...]

2024-03-18T15:33:38-04:00March 18th, 2024|Defender of the Everglades Award, Marjory Stoneman Douglas, Marjory Stoneman Douglas Legacy Celebration|
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2024 Marjory Stoneman Douglas Legacy Celebration Highlights

Thank you for joining us at our 3rd Marjory Stoneman Douglas Legacy Celebration at The Biltmore in Miami! As we sat among friends who share a deep desire to see the Everglades persevere, Betty Osceola implored us to “listen to the water,” and Carl Hiaasen reminded us to “stay angry” as we fight to protect the iconic ecosystem that brought us all together. Evoking tenacity and dedication in keeping with the spirit of Friends of the Everglades founder Marjory Stoneman Douglas, they reminded us of our personal responsibility to honor the land by ensuring its vitality for generations to come.  It was truly inspiring to gather with so many people dedicated to the cause. We invite you to relive [...]

2024-03-08T15:27:25-05:00March 7th, 2024|All Posts, Marjory Stoneman Douglas|
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Tell lawmakers to kill HB 789/SB 738

We need you to speak up! All session long, we’ve been cautiously watching House Bill 789/Senate Bill 738, sponsored by Rep. Toby Overdorf and Sen. Danny Burgess.  We sounded the alarm — and you responded — in order to successfully kill two dangerous proposals in the original versions of the bills. It was a small, noteworthy victory. The bill is less bad now, but it’s still bad news. Friends of the Everglades remains very concerned about a remaining provision in the bill that would prohibit citizens from suing polluters for personal injury or economic damages, if the event that caused the injuries was duly permitted or authorized by a government agency.  Sounds to us like a backdoor way [...]

2024-02-26T17:54:19-05:00February 26th, 2024|Action Alerts, Action Alerts, All Posts, Bad Bill Alert, Cindy Stevenson, Florida Legislative Tracker, Florida Legislature, HB 789, Toby Overdorf|
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WATCH NOW — Floodgates are open from Lake Okeechobee — AGAIN

https://youtu.be/UdoHOYv2t0M This is the moment we've been bracing for. Last Saturday, the Army Corps of Engineers opened the flood gates from Lake Okeechobee to the northern estuaries — allowing billions of gallons of polluted water to flow, untreated, into the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie Rivers and the Lake Worth Lagoon. If you haven't seen these damaging discharges, check out our video footage from the St. Lucie Lock & Dam. A whitewater torrent is flowing from the gates, and it could continue until April 1. The Army Corps of Engineers is using these fragile estuaries as relief valves in an attempt to lower Lake Okeechobee ahead of rainy season. The effects are swift and violent. Salinity levels plummeted in the [...]

2024-02-22T10:27:28-05:00February 22nd, 2024|All Posts, Farm Bill, Lake Okeechobee, Voice of the Everglades|
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WATCH NOW: Citizen participation makes a real difference in Tallahassee

https://www.youtube.com/live/2kS3TVhfWCU?si=pLqKtDG32rJF7JFu Today's livestream demonstrated the value of environmental groups working together to accomplish common goals. Though geographically different, the Everglades and Florida's Springs are both unique ecosystems that are valuable to our economy and important to our water supply. By working together, we made some good progress this year in Tallahassee — including heading off  a dangerous bill provision that would have harmed the average citizen's ability to challenge the government for environmental failures. Even so, plenty of work remains. The Springs and Everglades allies are stronger together, and the importance of citizen participation cannot be overstated. As Florida Springs Council's Executive Director Ryan Smart put it, "We can’t promise we’ll win every time you take action, but we [...]

2024-02-14T15:15:48-05:00February 14th, 2024|Florida Legislative Tracker|
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Friends of the Everglades 2024 Florida Legislature: Mid-session report

We feared the worst, but it hasn’t (yet?) come to pass. And some of the credit goes to you. Several of the worst bills we identified in our pre-session report haven’t moved; others have seen their momentum begin to wane. And one of the worst proposals out of Tallahassee this session was effectively neutered after Friends of the Everglades and other conservation groups helped generate thousands of phone calls and emails to legislators. Senate Bill 738 and its House twin, HB 789, initially stipulated that anyone challenging a permit or other “authorization” by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection or a water management district would have to pay the legal fees of the agencies and any other “intervenors” (like [...]

2024-02-14T15:02:14-05:00February 14th, 2024|All Posts, Florida Legislative Tracker, Florida Legislature|
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Your moment of Everglades Zen: “Creatures of Mud and Starlight”

Photo by Anthony Sleiman. Autumn Bryan You've probably heard us sing the praises of our first-ever Karen Mashburn Environmental Scholar recipient, Autumn Bryan. During her time as a Friends of the Everglades intern, Autumn provided invaluable contributions to our Young Friends program, which included her leadership in the launch of our new Library Learning Kits. The Library Learning Kits, available in Martin, Palm Beach, and Broward County libraries, include Marjory Saves the Everglades by Sandra Neil Wallace, animal figures, and lessons for children. They are made all the more inspiring with the addition of original poetry by Autumn. Her poems narrate the unique wonder and beauty of the Everglades, celebrating its creatures large and small, [...]

2024-02-07T10:02:51-05:00February 6th, 2024|All Posts, Everglades Zen, Karen Mashburn Environmental Scholars Internship and Scholarship|
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Shoreline armoring protects private property over Florida’s public beaches

Friends of the Everglades joined the Surfrider Foundation, Center for Biological Diversity and the Sea Turtle Conservancy in signing onto the following letter in opposition to to the Extension of the Hurricane Restoration Reimbursement Grant Program. The program in question provides grants to eligible private beachfront property owners to carry out dredge and fill projects (“sand placement”), as well as temporary and permanent armoring projects to protect their private properties. As the letter states, "Shoreline armoring only protects upland private property. It does not protect the public beach or mitigate public beach erosion. In fact, shoreline armoring adversely impacts beaches and public trust tidelands by exacerbating erosion. It also results in “coastal squeeze,” as sea levels rise... referring to [...]

2024-01-31T15:07:02-05:00January 31st, 2024|All Posts, Friends of the Everglades Statements|
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