The Everglades Foundation

Lawmakers from across the aisle are seeking robust Everglades restoration funding in their 2026 budget request, following The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s recent report. Click to read our Vice President of Policy Bradley Watson’s quote featured in E&E News ??

The Everglades Foundation’s Everglades Literacy Program team of educators recently attended the Florida Association of Science Supervisors and the Florida Association of Science Teachers conferences. We connected with more than 500 teachers statewide through hosting an Everglades Literacy Teacher Training and presenting two sessions to bring Everglades Literacy to the classroom. One of our sessions highlighted our amazing partnership with Inwater Research Group, Inc., co-presenting a session titled How Nonprofits Support Place-Based Environmental Education in the Classroom. We are proud to work with other science-based organizations that create meaningful, hands-on, and experiential environmental education for teachers and students statewide. It was an absolutely pleasure working with Rebecca Mott and Yashira Cruz Rodriguez, M.A. from IRG and with my fellow teammates Tate Vangellow and Tessa Whalen.

Did you know that November is typically the month when manatees return to warm waters in Florida – including the Everglades? Kick off Manatee Awareness Month with us by sharing these fun facts about the beloved gentle giants that glide through our waters ??

Did you catch our “Miami’s Water and The Everglades” video series? ?? ?? ?? From the Everglades to the #BiscayneBay aquifer, through canals, the Biscayne Bay and to your tap – Miami Waterkeeper's Rachel Silverstein, Ph.D. and our own Meenakshi Chabba, Ph.D. took us on a journey to understand why “It’s All about the Water”. By watching, liking, and sharing this series, you helped bring this journey to life and educate others on why this matters! Our organizations' year-round work of protecting South Florida’s water is only possible when our communities understand its importance in their day-to-day lives. It is thanks to supporters like Knight Foundation and The Jorge M. Pérez Family Foundation that we can work together towards a more resilient Miami-Dade County! Missed an episode? Watch the full playlist on YouTube ?? https://lnkd.in/gH76qZHG

Congratulations to our graduating '23-24 class of ForEverglades Fellows! ?? From studying Everglades wildlife like sharks, to microplastics pollution, species diversity, and much more – we could not be prouder of the work that this year’s class has accomplished. For 17 years, our ForEverglades Research Enhancement Grant has supported outstanding graduate students pursuing innovative scientific research to advance the restoration and protection America’s Everglades. This class included students from Florida International University, Cornell University, Georgia Southern University, Florida Gulf Coast University, University of California, Davis, and the University of Pennsylvania. These critical scientific grants are made possible thanks to the support of Patrick P. Lee Foundation, Bass Pro Shops & Cabela's Outdoor Fund, The Green Family Foundation, Florida International University, VoLo Foundation, The Woodbury Foundation, The Farmer Family Foundation, The Crawford Taylor Foundation, and The Batchelor Foundation. Stay tuned to meet the 2024-2025 class of ForEverglades Fellows soon!

In their Tenth Biennial Review of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan, The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) highlights the historic progress being made in Everglades restoration, as well as the on-the-ground benefits already being seen in our treasured ecosystem. “This means restoration is working and that these benefits will continue to expand across South Florida over the next decade,” says our Chief Science Officer Stephen Davis, Ph.D. Click to read our science and policy teams’ statements on the latest NASEM review: Progress Toward Restoring the Everglades ??

Today at AFP Miami - The Association of Fundraising Professionals, Miami chapter’s 2024 Anniversary Awards Luncheon, we celebrate and offer our heartfelt gratitude for this year’s Outstanding Grant Maker Award winner: Lynn & Louis II Family Foundation. ? The Foundation’s invaluable support of our communication efforts has allowed us to educate the public on the value of Everglades restoration. From our recent campaign highlighting the Everglades as a source of drinking water, to our "Everglades Stories From Across the Watershed" video series, digital storytelling enables us to connect our mission directly to the day-to-day lives of Floridians. Congratulations to the Lynn & Louis II Family Foundation!

Get in the spirit of Halloween by learning about a mystery that has haunted scientists and naturalists for generations! The endangered Ghost Orchid’s beauty, history and rarity have given it a supernatural reputation that has attracted scientists, writers, filmmakers, photographers, and orchid poachers in an unparalleled frenzy. Yet few have seen one in person. Click the link below to learn about the Ghost Orchids in our own Everglades watershed featuring striking photographs and writing by Mac Stone ?? https://lnkd.in/e42w7VpT

This month, Miami Waterkeeper and The Everglades Foundation shared the journey of Miami's water from the historic Everglades to the Biscayne Bay aquifer, Miami's only source of freshwater. ?? Our future relies on restoring our waterway system to create a resilient #Miami! ?? Join us in our shared mission to #ProtectTheWaterYouLove and restore the Everglades to support quality of life for both #SouthFlorida's wildlife and its people. ???? Have any questions? Let us know in the comments below! ??

Spooky season is officially here! ?? That means it’s time to talk about the mysterious and fascinating lives of the 5 bat species that help keep Everglades ecosystems thriving. Every night while we sleep, bats are busy pollinating flowers, spreading seeds that grow new plants and trees, and, of course, eating tons of insects ?? Click below and swipe through to learn about the 5 bat species that call the Everglades home!