A formidable coalition of environmental nonprofits involved in the Everglades restoration is meeting in Bonita Springs this weekend to present a united front to ensure legislators and decision-makers are clear on the myriad benefits to society from a restored River of Grass.
More than 50 nonprofits formed the Everglades Coalition whose goal, simply put, is to ensure the health and recovery of the Everglades to the maximum extent possible.
The goal may be clear, but the effort it takes to see even one of the dozens of million-dollar fixes to completion is where the power of such a large coalition comes in.
“We're hoping to really use this conference to catalyze a conversation around what the Everglades means and what it delivers when you invest in Everglades restoration,” Kelly Cox, co-chair of the coalition and Audubon Florida’s director of Everglades policy, said at the opening night reception at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida in Naples.
“So that also looks like additional resilience benefits, sequestering carbon in our mangrove forests and our prairies in our swamps, and looking at how we are restoring our aquifers and ensuring a safe and secure water supply.”
The conference is the ecosystem’s equivalent of the Oscars, and its attendees South Florida’s environmental A-listers.
The conference is the ecosystem’s equivalent of the Oscars, and its attendees South Florida’s environmental A-listers.
On Friday at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point Resort & Spa in Bonita Springs, more the 430 people attending the conference will be able to choose among sessions on water quality, land conservation, marine and reef restoration, and restoration efforts such as the one in Florida Bay at the southern tip of Peninsular Florida.
The restoration of the Everglades is a multi-billion-dollar effort to undo what mankind did to the Big Swamp back when it was thought the huge but shallow region of wetlands and marshes could be drained, tamed, and maintained as homes and businesses.
That includes increasing freshwater storage, improving water quality, and restoring as much of the natural flow as possible. Also key is addressing issues like saltwater intrusion and protecting coastal areas from sea-level rise.
Specific projects include reconstructing waterways like the Kissimmee River, and raising Tamiami Trail from ground level to an elevated roadbed that allows water to flow south as is necessary for the health of the entire southern ecosystem in the ‘glades.
The efforts are not just about environmental conservation; they also aim to mitigate the impacts of climate change and try to ensure the ecosystem's sustainability for the future.
This is the 39th year the Everglades Coalition has gathered.
On Saturday, the conference wraps up with a speech by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Shultz (D-FL), co-chair of the Everglades Caucus, a bipartisan group in Congress that works to secure funding for the restoration.
“We're thrilled to be able to bring this conference to Southwest Florida this year,” Cox, the co-chairwoman of the coalition, said. “We are really looking forward to continued progress on a restored river of grass.”
Environmental reporting for WGCU is funded in part by VoLo Foundation, a non-profit with a mission to accelerate change and global impact by supporting science-based climate solutions, enhancing education, and improving health.
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