Photo Credit: Cavin Brothers
When you first think about the Everglades, Florida's famous "River of Grass," you may imagine vast expanses of sawgrass, abundant wildlife, deep swamp holes, towering cypress trees, and lush mangrove forests that all add up to an unparalleled, uniquely natural beauty. But these images of a pristine wilderness are in serious danger of becoming a thing of the past. This intertwined and incredibly complex ecosystem is in trouble on many fronts. Now is the time to act to restore the Everglades for future generations. We simply cannot kick the can down the road anymore, millions of lives depend on it––both human and animal.
As complex of an ecosystem as the Everglades is, the history and politics of how it came to be in such a dire state may be even more complex. But there simply isn't enough room in this short post to get into all of that. Regardless of the reason, the fact remains that the Everglades need our help. So take a stand and support Everglades restoration now.
Do we want this? Pristine wilderness...
Or this? Toxic blue-green algae...
Photo Credit: Cavin Brothers
The current Governor of Florida has put forth a bold vision to restore water quality in Florida and the Everglades. His proposal calls for $625 million dollars per year to fund critical restoration projects that will help save this natural treasure from collapse.
The Florida Legislature has this proposal in front of them right now and will be voting on it at the beginning of May. Here is a link that makes it easy to contact your state and federal representatives to let them know you support this plan and funding in full!
It literally takes thirty-seconds to fill out the form and it could make the difference between full funding and a too-small portion of that. Click here to support full funding for Everglades restoration now.
This is a national issue, so please make sure you share this with anyone you know who may have interests in Florida, wants to visit Florida, or who simply just cares about keeping places like the Everglades intact for the future! The federal government shares the cost of this restoration so we can increase our available funds by speaking to all Senators and Congressmen in Washington D.C. as well as the President.
This isn't only an Everglades problem. All of the water systems in Florida are connected, so what happens to the Everglades happens to Florida. That is why it is so important that we act now. Estuaries on both coasts are dying, marine animals are dying, businesses are dying. We can not let toxic algae and polluted water become the norm. Now is our chance to make a difference.
All of us at 4ocean thank you in advance for helping to protect our home state and this one-of-a-kind global treasure!
