provided to Santiva Chronicle
Registration is now open for the 35th annual Everglades Coalition Conference, the largest yearly forum dedicated to the restoration, protection and enhancement of the Florida Everglades ecosystem.
The conference will be held Jan. 9-11 at South Seas Island Resort on Captiva Island and hosted by the “Ding” Darling Wildlife Society. The three-day event attracts scientists, educators, contractors, conservationists, the media, students and Florida residents, as well as decision-makers and representatives from federal, state, local and tribal governments.
The theme for the 2020 conference is “America’s Everglades: All Hands On Deck,” an acknowledgement that all interests must work together to protect the Everglades’ fragile ecosystem and accelerate restoration projects. Next year also marks the 20th anniversary of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, which was authorized by the U.S. Congress to provide a framework to restore, preserve and protect the Everglades ecosystem and water resources of central and southern Florida.
“This conference brings conservationists together with policymakers, agencies, government leaders and concerned citizens, with each participant walking away with a greater understanding of the issues impacting the Everglades and a renewed commitment for progress in the year ahead,” said Marisa Carrozzo, co-chair of the Everglades Coalition and environmental policy manager at the Conservancy of Southwest Florida.
“Restoring the Everglades will take the combined efforts of multiple partners at the local, state and federal levels, and this conference offers an excellent opportunity to continue drafting a roadmap that will guide Everglades restoration for years to come,” added Mark Perry, co-chair of the Everglades Coalition and executive director of the Florida Oceanographic Society.
To register for the conference, please visit EvergladesCoalition.org/conference or email info@EvergladesCoalition.org. Early bird pricing is available through Dec. 10 at a rate of $150 for the full conference or $100 for a single day. After Dec. 10, registration fees are $190 and $120, respectively. Meal tickets must be purchased separately: $20 for breakfast, $29 for lunch and $60 for dinner.
“Ding” Darling Wildlife Society is the host sponsor. Additional supporters include “Okeechobee” sponsors: City of Sanibel, Conservancy of Southwest Florida and National Parks Conservation Association; “Kissimmee Prairie” sponsors: Captains for Clean Water, Emita E. and Merrill G. Hastings Foundation, Everglades Foundation, Florida Oceanographic Society, Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation, Sierra Club and South Florida Water Management District; “Payhayokee” sponsors: Audubon Florida, Coastal & Heartland National Estuary Partnership, National Audubon Society and Sanibel Captiva Chamber of Commerce; and “Sawgrass Roots” sponsors: Cape Coral Friends of Wildlife, Center for Biological Diversity, Florida Division of the Izaak Walton League of America, Florida Native Plant Society, Martin County Conservation Alliance and Reef Relief.
About the Everglades Coalition
The Everglades Coalition is an alliance of more than 60 local, state and national conservation and environmental organizations dedicated to full restoration of the Greater Everglades Ecosystem, from the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes into Lake Okeechobee and to the estuaries, through the River of Grass, out to Florida Bay and the Keys. Through consensus, the Everglades Coalition is dedicated to: (1) Advocating for the restoration, protection and enhancement of the greater Everglades ecosystem; (2) Supporting and providing education and public understanding regarding all aspects of the Everglades ecosystem; (3) Supporting and sponsoring research in the protection, restoration and enhancement of the Everglades ecosystem; and (4) Facilitating the coordination of information resources, strategies and efforts among Everglades Coalition members. Learn more at EvergladesCoalition.org
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