Growing up in Stuart, Florida, naturally led me to be immersed in the local water issues impacting my community. Water quality in the Indian River Lagoon and St. Lucie River has fluctuated over the years, often for the worse, prompting me to become an environmental activist and a leading member of a nonprofit organization called River Kidz at the young age of 8. I’ve observed toxic blue-green algae blooms coating the surface of the St. Lucie River and have stayed up to date on new bills passed that affect the Greater Everglades ecosystem. With other River Kidz, I’ve traveled to Washington, D.C., to bring awareness to the crisis plaguing these waterways on Florida’s east coast, as well as organized [...]