Allie Preston, Author at Friends of the Everglades

From Birdwatcher to Changemaker: Welcome Sophia Lima

It’s our pleasure to introduce our 2025 Karen Mashburn Environmental Scholar, Sophia Lima. Sophia Lima, the 2025 Karen Mashburn Environmental Scholar. Sophia, a Miami native, is an honors student studying Wildlife Ecology and Conservation at the University of Florida. Her lifelong connection with nature has led to a variety of work and volunteer experiences in environmental education, wildlife rehabilitation, and animal care. During her first year at UF, Sophia participated in wildlife acoustics and bird banding projects and volunteered in the Ornithology Collections at the Florida Museum of Natural History. Sophia has been hooked on birds since she discovered birdwatching in high school. She believes in the power of birding to spark kids’ curiosity about the natural [...]

Allie Preston2025-06-16T12:13:21-04:00June 17th, 2025|Karen Mashburn Environmental Scholars Internship and Scholarship, Young Friends of the Everglades|

WATCH NOW — How ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ would damage the Everglades

https://youtu.be/YBssADiRs80?si=LiqRZM9wKd5YXUUx There are two paths ahead for the Everglades. One is carved by Big Sugar and its lobbyists — driven by profit, not the public good. It’s a future where the value of cane fields are inflated by federal handouts, and you pay more at the grocery store so billionaire sugar barons can get richer. The other path is grounded in truth and science. It’s a future where restoration — not exploitation — guides our decisions. A future where we Rescue the River of Grass to protect the water, wilderness and people whose lives depend on it. It’s the path Friends of the Everglades has blazed since our founding by Marjory Stoneman Douglas. We are at that fork in the [...]

Allie Preston2025-06-16T10:39:50-04:00June 17th, 2025|Farm Bill, Voice of the Everglades|

This is what Florida’s water future needs to look like

The side-by-side renderings of the historic, altered and restored Everglades seen above highlight the root of Florida’s water challenges and reveal a path to hope for Florida’s future. The shallow, slow-moving sheetflow of the historic Everglades shaped a vastly different landscape than what we know in Florida today. It was an uninterrupted River of Grass. The altered Everglades depicts the current status quo — showing a landscape dominated by canals, levees and industrial agriculture, choking the natural flow of water from Lake Okeechobee to Florida Bay. Unnatural canals flowing east and west from Lake O disrupt and endanger ecosystems, while sugarcane fields block clean water from reaching the southern Everglades. Big Sugar is also a source [...]

Allie Preston2025-06-09T16:04:22-04:00June 10th, 2025|Everglades Restoration, Rescue the River of Grass|

The Southland rock mine fight isn’t over

Last week the Palm Beach County Commission’s vote to approve the Southland rock mine was a slap in the face to the overwhelming public opposition voiced by Floridians who showed up, spoke out and demanded better. This week, the fight turned to Belle Glade. As expected, special interests doubled down, showing up to the South Florida Water Management District public meeting to push misinformation and protect their profits. And once again, we were there to challenge them. Let’s be clear: This rock mine is not about water. It’s about profit — at the expense of Everglades restoration, clean water and public trust. We need to hold our public officials and agency representatives accountable. They are making decisions that will [...]

Allie Preston2026-10-19T16:30:43-04:00May 30th, 2025|Rescue the River of Grass, Southland Rock Mine|

Palm Beach County Commission approved the Southland Rock Mine in the historic Everglades

Ignoring overwhelming outcry from Floridians, the Palm Beach County Commission approved the permit for the Southland rock mine Thursday evening. We will remember the commissioners who voted yes on this dangerous proposal: Commissioners Marino, Baxter, Flores, Powell, Weiss and Woodward. The rock mine is being sold by Big Sugar as a “water resources” project so that they can further boost their bottom line, all while failing to prove ANY meaningful benefit to the Everglades. While yesterday was a step in the wrong direction, this isn’t the end of the fight against this project. Stay tuned because we will need you to speak up again soon! Yesterday’s events are also proof that Friends of the Everglades’ work to acquire and [...]

Allie Preston2026-10-19T16:30:23-04:00May 23rd, 2025|Southland Rock Mine|

Don’t Undermine Florida’s Wetland Safeguards — Veto SB 492

On May 21, Friends of the Everglades sent the following letter to Governor DeSantis urging him to veto SB 492, which would weaken Florida’s wetland protections by allowing the premature sale of mitigation credits and the use of credits from areas with no ecological connection to impacted sites. The bill threatens the integrity of Florida’s wetland mitigation system, undermines local restoration efforts and jeopardizes the state’s progress on water quality, resilience, and Everglades restoration. We ask that the Governor stand with Florida's communities, ecosystems and future by vetoing this bill.

Allie Preston2025-05-21T15:18:48-04:00May 21st, 2025|Florida Legislative Tracker, Florida Legislature, Friends of the Everglades Statements|

WATCH NOW — Floridians stopped the state parks attack, and we can stop the Southland rock mine too

https://youtu.be/VtFmlgK4sFk?si=TWEOoVJq67YmuKqy From the desk of our Executive Director, Eve Samples, your Voice of the Everglades update: A high-stakes vote is scheduled this Thursday before the Palm Beach County Commission — one that could forever alter the landscape south of Lake Okeechobee and undermine the future of Everglades restoration. Two industrial sugarcane corporations — U.S. Sugar and Florida Crystals — have joined forces with engineering firm Phillips & Jordan to seek approval for an 8,600-acre rock mine in the Everglades Agricultural Area. They’re peddling it as a “water resources project” and are seeking approval to mine limestone before the impacts on the Everglades have been evaluated. Southland didn’t emerge through normal channels. Like the recent sneak attack on Florida’s state parks, [...]

Allie Preston2026-10-19T16:30:01-04:00May 20th, 2025|Action Alerts, Southland Rock Mine, Voice of the Everglades|

WATCH NOW — Catch our live end-of-session report

https://www.youtube.com/live/UN-KIGP6qgM?si=FPZjIgfnTn0coXfZ Today's livestream with Executive Director Eve Samples and Policy Director Gil Smart led us through key updates as we near the end of the 2025 Florida Legislative session. Our biggest takeaway? Grassroots advocacy works. If you sent an email, made a phone call, showed up at a rally or a protest — you made a difference. The progress we've achieved together to protect state parks from harmful development is proof of that. Still want to help us get that particular fight across the finish line? Send this message to Gov. DeSantis asking him to sign the State Park Preservation Bill into law now! As always, we recommend that you stay up to date with all the latest on [...]

Allie Preston2025-05-16T14:55:01-04:00May 16th, 2025|Florida Legislative Tracker, Florida Legislature, Friends of the Everglades LIVE|

Friends of the Everglades 2025 Florida Legislature: End-of-session report

We scored some crucial wins this legislative session in Tallahassee — both on offense and defense. The Legislature passed, and Gov. DeSantis has promised to sign, landmark legislation protecting Florida’s state parks. Several of the worst bills this session — the worst ideas this session — did not pass. And while some damaging bills did pass, and good proposals that would have protected Florida’s natural environment went nowhere, things could have been far worse. Unfortunately there’s still time for things to GET worse, as the House and Senate have not yet agreed on a budget, and could tack some of those bad ideas onto budget implementing bills as amendments. So the bottom line is, we’re not in the clear just [...]

Allie Preston2025-05-16T11:56:06-04:00May 16th, 2025|Florida Legislative Tracker, Florida Legislature|

Your impact in the Everglades — View Friends of the Everglades’ 2024 Annual Report now!

The Everglades isn’t just a place. It’s a refuge for wildlife, for water and for people. Our 2024 Annual Report is a tribute to this incredible ecosystem and the individuals (including YOU!) who empower this movement to preserve, protect and restore it. It’s your passion and persistence that fuels our mission at Friends of the Everglades — allowing us to transform grassroots advocacy and sound science into smart policy and meaningful change. This year’s report intentionally focuses on images of people out enjoying the Everglades, reflecting a powerful truth: Those who love and experience this special place become its strongest protectors. In turn, we find the solace and rejuvenation that only nature can provide. Our executive director Eve Samples [...]

Allie Preston2025-05-15T11:35:49-04:00May 15th, 2025|Friends of the Everglades Statements, Who We Are|

About Allie Preston