Thanks to those who joined us, our first-ever Marjory Stoneman Douglas Legacy Luncheon on November 3, 2021, at The Ritz-Carlton in Naples was a smashing success! Our work honoring the legacy of Friends of the Everglades' founder continues thanks to the generosity and passion of our supporters. We are sincerely grateful. Please enjoy some highlights from the event below.
Last week we told you about a new monument being built in honor of Friends of the Everglades founder Marjory Stoneman Douglas. This week, we're thrilled to share the first episode of a complementary animated mini-series produced by Hulu that tells the stories of the women that inspired the monuments. This episode, dedicated to Marjory, chronicles her life as a writer, conservationist, and "professional nuisance" as she battled powerful industries and public perception to preserve and protect the vital Everglades ecosystem. In the end, she knew that one voice was not enough. Marjory made sure to preserve the legacy of environmental advocacy she pioneered, founding Friends of the Everglades in 1969 and inspiring thousands to step up as voices of [...]
Here's to the "women who did not let what people imagined they were limit who they became." — Saya Woolfalk This Women’s Equality Day, we have news to share. Of roughly 5,200 monuments in this country, fewer than 400 are dedicated to women. That imbalance inspired the video-streaming company Hulu to create three new public monuments — including one dedicated to Friends of the Everglades founder Marjory Stoneman Douglas. We are ecstatic. Hulu’s monuments will honor the contributions of three American women who dramatically shaped our culture through their commitments to inspire lasting and impactful change. In addition to the monument honoring Majory Stoneman Douglas, Hulu is creating monuments to Ruth Bader Ginsberg and Coretta Scott King. Artist mock-up [...]
A new exhibit at the Museum of Florida History is honoring Florida women who changed history. Just 101 years ago, the Nineteenth Amendment granting women the right to vote became a part of the U.S. Constitution. The Museum commemorates this milestone event with Beyond the Vote: Florida Women’s Activism, an exhibit showcasing the history of women’s activism in Florida, covering many topics including suffrage, the environment, civil rights, and equal rights. Featured among these notable women are two in particular that Friends of the Everglades owes a great debt of gratitude for their work laying the foundation of Florida's environmental movement that sought to protect Florida's natural places and the famed River of Grass. One of those was the "Mother [...]
Set in the early 1900s, Among the Beautiful Beasts is the untold story of the early life of Friends of the Everglades founder, Marjory Stoneman Douglas. Though not focused on the details of Marjory's later life — where she become known as a fearless and passionate environmental advocate — this novel weaves a story from the lesser-known details, outlining the path that lead Marjory to become the person that would pioneer a shifting perspective on the Everglades from worthless swamp to timeless treasure. Author Lori McMullen grew up in unincorporated Dade County, outside of Miami, and now lives with her family in Chicago. Friends of the Everglades asked Lori to share the inspiration behind her debut novel which becomes available to [...]
When we get depressed about bad politics and the degradation of our environment, we turn our thoughts to the next generation of Everglades advocates. Young Friends of the Everglades inspire us — and today’s chat with children’s book author Sandra Neil Wallace was no exception. Sandra’s newly published book, “Marjory Saves the Everglades,” tells the story of our tireless founder, Marjory Stoneman Douglas. Watch Sandra’s chat with Young Friends of the Everglades: Signed copies of the book are available! Click here to give one to a young environmentalist in your life. And don’t forget to check out the activity kit and curriculum guide that accompany Sandra’s book! Your donations make Young Friends of the Everglades possible. Less than 24 hours remain for [...]
Marjory Stoneman Douglas was, at her core, an advocate for equality. Five decades before she founded Friends of the Everglades in 1969, she blasted corrupt politics and advocated for civil rights in her column for the Miami Herald. Marjory wrote about the injustice of “convict leasing,” a system of penal labor that overwhelmingly targeted black men in the United States, allowing a form of slavery to endure. She advocated to bring sanitary plumbing systems to poor neighborhoods of Miami. She also traveled to Tallahassee to lobby for women’s suffrage, undeterred by the unsympathetic state legislators she faced there. More fundamentally, Marjory recognized and spoke out against the devastating and multi-generational impact of slavery on black people in the United States. [...]