40th Annual Everglades Coalition Conference

A document variety of attendees got here collectively for the fortieth annual Everglades Coalition Convention, “Reflections on Progress and Alternatives,” held this 12 months in Miami on the Miccosukee Lodge and On line casino. The convention marked the primary time the gathering was held on Tribal land.

Organized by the Everglades Coalition—a various group of conservation organizations, scientists, coverage leaders, and companions—the occasion introduced collectively practically 500 advocates throughout the area, Tallahassee and Washington, DC to chart the way forward for Everglades restoration and to rally help for the very important ecosystems of South Florida.

Audubon Florida, a proud member of the Everglades Coalition, performed a key function on this 12 months’s convention, as Director of Everglades Coverage Kelly Cox co-chaired the occasion.

The convention kicked off with company leaders, companions, and Everglades Coverage Affiliate Caitlin Newcamp touring the Biscayne Bay Coastal Wetlands CERP venture.

Audubon then hosted a breakfast with native wildlife photographer, writer, and board member Kirsten Hines, with remarks by Government Director Julie Wraithmell and Nationwide Audubon Society’s Vice President of Water and Habitat Conservation Julie Hill-Gabriel. Within the afternoon, the Audubon staff went out on a Miccosukee airboat tour with congressional staffers to see restoration on the bottom!

The convention was stuffed with panels and classes that highlighted not solely the challenges nonetheless dealing with the Everglades but additionally the spectacular progress made in recent times. Audubon’s Jerry Lorenz, PhD, together with representatives from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Fee and the Nationwide Parks Conservation Affiliation, mentioned how totally different plant and animal populations are adapting (or not) to a altering local weather and the way we will help these species within the face of future impacts. Shows centered on key points affecting the Everglades, together with water administration, wildlife safety, habitat restoration, and group engagement. It additionally served as a platform to acknowledge the achievements of restoration efforts underway, together with the folks and groups which might be making it occur.

Congratulations, Charles Lee!

Charles Lee, Audubon Florida’s director of advocacy, was named to the Everglades Coalition Corridor of Fame. In entrance of a packed home on the fortieth Annual Everglades Coalition Convention held in Miami, Government Director Julie Wraithmell recounted Lee’s environmental legacy, which formally started as a youth member of the Tropical Audubon Society. Over his 50-plus-year profession with Audubon Florida, he has contributed to a number of the most vital laws of our time. Lee now joins a shortlist of people that have made a considerable dedication to Everglades restoration, together with Marjory Stoneman Douglas, Arthur R. Marshall, and Nathaniel Reed.

This text was revealed within the State of the Everglades Report/Spring 2025 edition