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 through the Everglades. It was not uncommon to log into our emails on any given morning to find a stream-of-thought analysis of some Everglades project or policy position that was nagging at her conscience. It was just as likely to find one headlined something like “Last minute paddle invitation – anyone up for joining?” We will sorely miss her comprehensive understanding of all things Everglades, and her fierce optimism against all odds.

Each month, we offer a roundup of news featuring Everglades issues of particular importance. This month we’re dedicating this space to recent coverage about Maggy. Read just a few of them and it’s easy to see how dynamic and courageous she was, how many people she formed personal connections with, and how deeply appreciative the environmental community remains for her legacy. In her absence, we take up the torch to carry on the work she cared so much about. And in her honor, we will all try to live a bit more like Maggy.



#LiveLikeMaggy


In lieu of flowers, the Hurchalla family is requesting donations to Friends of the Everglades to continue powering the work that she was so very passionate about. If you’d like to make a contribution in honor of Maggy, please click here.