It’s hard to imagine that it’s already been a month since the passing of our friend, mentor, and environmental hero, Maggy Hurchalla. As a staff, this loss has felt particularly close to heart for many reasons, not least of which is our compassion for her granddaughter Kym who serves as our Development Coordinator. Maggy was a frequent participant in Friends of the Everglades activities. She sat on our Science and Policy Committee, offering insight and advice to all manner of environmental issues that helped us deepen our understanding of the fights facing Florida’s natural spaces. She was a repeat special guest during our annual Stories from the Sawgrass event, delighting viewers with poetry recitations and first-hand accounts of wild adventures [...]

Maggy’s impact on Florida’s conservation movement cannot be overstated. She’s the reason developers can’t fill in wetlands in Martin County, and the reason I-95 bends away from Stuart. During her 20 years as a Martin County commissioner, she helped craft development rules that made the community a leader in the state for environmental preservation. Her advocacy was fueled by a deep love for Florida’s wilderness. She kayaked as often as she could, and spoke about the Everglades to anyone who would listen. Those of us who had the honor of joining Maggy for a paddle gained a new appreciation for the magic of mangrove tunnels, and we were often treated to a recitation of poetry by Maggy. She was inspiringly [...]

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 [...]

Friends of the Everglades joined the Southern Alliance of Clean Energy and others in signing on to the following letter to the Florida Congressional Delegation in support of a Clean Electricity Performance Program in order to take action on climate change and protect America's Everglades. As state, the electricity sector is one of the largest contributors to carbon pollution driving climate change — and a huge consumer of water. Impacts from climate change stand to undermine the significant strides that have been made to restore America's Everglades. The letter calls for historic investment in a clean and water-smart energy future and requests swift action from the members of the Florida Congressional Delegation to cut carbon pollution in the next decade [...]