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An inspiring peek inside our Young Friends classrooms
https://youtu.be/UzwPPHhHVdM?si=iBozrTxRGmHyiZ47 “Take the children out to the Glades and let them learn. Education will be the only way to save the Glades. And tell them the Everglades isn’t saved yet!” — Marjory Stoneman Douglas on the founding of Young Friends of the Everglades As a passionate educator with a background in science, working as the Education and Outreach Coordinator for Friends of the Everglades is my dream job! I have long pursued science-based and outdoor education as a means to engage students and develop environmental stewardship — an approach I've embraced since joining the Friends team in May. We've made a lot of progress, thanks to support from people like you. At this critical point in Florida’s ecological [...]
Friends of the Everglades State Legislative Priorities: 2024
About Friends of the Everglades: Friends of the Everglades was founded in 1969 by Marjory Stoneman Douglas, a driving force behind the creation of Everglades National Park and author of The Everglades: River of Grass. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to preserving the only Everglades in the world, we have identified the following priorities for the 2024 session of the Florida Legislature. 2024 State Legislative Priorities: JUMP TO: Protect wetlands Get serious about toxic algae Fix our failing BMAPs Don't ban fertilizer bans Smarter, controlled development Stop sugarcane burning Send more clean water south 1. Protect Wetlands: Reject any attempt to preempt local authority on wetlands. The U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Sackett vs. EPA imperils crucial wetlands throughout [...]
Young Friends intern looks to the Everglades as an educator
What can we learn from life in the Everglades? By Autumn N. Bryan 2023 Karen Mashburn Environmental Scholar Upon accepting my internship with Friends of the Everglades, I began to consider the prospect of the Everglades as an educator. I have so much to learn from the people here, and even more to unearth from the beautiful River of Grass that connects us. Marjory Stoneman Douglas knew, though academically-educated, that school is not the only place you can find a teacher. All around you are opportunities for priceless lessons. For those that can recognize the beauty of the swamp, the Everglades are the perfect educator. Life in the Everglades provides countless instructions on how to coexist, adapt, and connect. [...]
People, literature and environmentalism motivate our first Karen Mashburn Environmental Scholar
Autumn Bryan, Karen Mashburn Environmental Scholar In August, Autumn Bryan became the first recipient of the Karen Mashburn Environmental Scholars Internship and Scholarship, awarding $10,000 to her academic efforts. Autumn, a graduate student in Library and Information Science at the University of South Florida, and Geoscience at Florida Atlantic University, plans to pursue a doctorate in Environmental Literature. She has published articles about climate change, wildlife conservation, and environment endangerment. She volunteers as a digital archivist, serves on a wildlife conservation organization's board of education, and has founded a Teen Environmental Alliance club at her local library. Autumn plans to continue to encourage awareness around youth services, wildlife conservation, and environmental education through her work in libraries, research labs, [...]
TAKE ACTION: Tell Congress to end damaging sugar protections in the Farm Bill
For the better part of a century, the U.S. Farm Bill has protected billionaire-backed sugar companies at the expense of clean air and water in Florida. We have an opportunity to change that now — with your help. Join the movement demanding an end to sugar handouts in the Farm Bill by signing the Sugar Reform Now petition! How does the sugar program negatively impact us? Through price supports and strict import limits on sugar, consumers and taxpayers pay more — while sugar barons get richer. Windfall profits generated by the sugarcane industry, led by Florida Crystals and U.S. Sugar, are then used to buy influence over lawmakers. This protects the status quo that forces South Florida taxpayers to [...]
Sugar Reform Now: Sign the U.S. Farm Bill petition to protect the Everglades
For decades, private sugar companies have received enormous government handouts via the U.S. Farm Bill — to the detriment of clean air and water in Florida. Through controls on production and strict import limits, the cost of the federal sugar program is shifted to consumers and taxpayers — impacting your wallet. Windfall profits generated by the sugar industry, led by Florida Crystals and U.S. Sugar, are then used to buy influence over lawmakers. This unjust, outdated policy enriches billionaire-backed sugar companies at the expense of the iconic, life-sustaining Everglades and nearby communities. It's a double-whammy for South Florida taxpayers, who also foot the bill to clean polluted water from sugarcane fields south of Lake Okeechobee. Meanwhile, people who live [...]
Everglades in the News: The New York Times spotlights the truth about toxic algae
The front page of Monday’s New York Times spotlighted a threat we contemplate every day at Friends of the Everglades: Lake Okeechobee, still full from Hurricane Ian’s deluge last fall, is now brimming with fertilizer-fueled toxic algae. That toxic algae is likely to be discharged east toward the Atlantic and west toward the Gulf of Mexico as the lake rises this rainy season, posing a threat to our environment, economy, and public health. It’s a crisis we’ve been working to resolve for years, as the government-supported sugarcane industry continues to occupy about a half-million acres south of Lake Okeechobee — impeding true restoration of the River of Grass. The story also highlights Friends of the Everglades’ commitment to science-backed solutions [...]
Your moment of Everglades zen: Flora of the River of Grass
Native plants are a life-source of the Everglades. The Everglades is an oasis of tropical flora unlike any other place in the world. Orchids. Bromeliads. Succulents. Wildflowers. And, of course, the sawgrass that inspires the nickname “River of Grass.” The largest subtropical wilderness in the United States provides a perfect habitat for hundreds of diverse plant species that play a crucial role in the ecosystem. They provide habitat and food for birds, insects, reptiles, and mammals. Native plants also filter and purify water in the Everglades, helping to maintain the balance of the freshwater system and soil stability, preventing erosion and facilitating water absorption. Plant species (from left) poisonwood, ghost orchid, air plant. Unfortunately, over 160 native Everglades plant [...]