Registration is now open for the 40th Annual Everglades Coalition Conference, hosted by the National Parks Conservation Association. The conference will take place from Jan. 30 through Feb. 1, 2025, at the Miccosukee Casino & Resort in Miami.
The Everglades Coalition, an alliance of nearly 60 local, state and national conservation and environmental organizations, hosts the conference each year to educate attendees about the progress on the full restoration of the Greater Everglades Ecosystem.
The theme of the upcoming event is Reflections on Progress and Opportunities. The three-day conference welcomes over 400 participants annually and is the largest forum for discussing the restoration of the Everglades, as well as challenges and future opportunities. Conservation groups, elected officials, business leaders, partners at the local, state and tribal levels, scientists and students attend the conference to further the discussion on restoring and protecting the Florida Everglades.
Much like a reflection on water, the coalition hopes that this year will provide a chance for participants to consider the past four decades of work, while also contemplating where the next four decades may take them. Panel topics will include community involvement; climate change; indigenous knowledge and perspectives; conservation partnerships; economic impacts; and reflections on progress. The first reflections on progress panel will feature past co-chairs.
“We can’t think of a better theme for our 40th anniversary,” said Kelly Cox, co-chair of the Everglades Coalition. “Reflecting on the past four decades is the encouragement we need to achieve our greater mission in the next four.”
The National Parks Conservation Association, the conference’s host sponsor, will host a welcome reception on Jan. 30 for guests. Michael Grunwald, author of “The Swamp,” will be the keynote speaker at the conference’s closing dinner on Feb. 1, and he will also host a book signing. Additional sponsors of the event include “Florida Bay” sponsor: Conservancy of Southwest Florida; “Kissimmee Prairie” sponsors: The National Audubon Society and Florida Oceanographic Society; and “Pahayokee” sponsors: Everglades Law Center, Inc., Friends of the Everglades, and Miami Waterkeeper. Additional sponsorship opportunities are still available.
“Now is the time for researchers, students, local, state and federal agencies, officials, conservation organizations and all members of our community to come together and support America’s Everglades,” said Mark Perry, co-chair of the Everglades Coalition. “It is our hope that this Conference inspires more people than ever before to restore, protect and care for the greater Everglades ecosystem.”
Donations and sponsorship opportunities are still available. Visit EvergladesCoalition.org/Become-A-Sponsor to discover the different sponsorship levels. Students and teachers can also receive discounted tickets to the conference; please contact info@evergladescoalition.org for more information.
To learn more about the conference and to register, please visit EvergladesCoalition.org/Conference.
About the Everglades Coalition
The Everglades Coalition is an alliance of nearly 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. The Everglades Coalition strives to preserve and restore the diversity of ecosystems that comprise the greater Everglades and to provide a forum for those who depend on or care about those ecosystems. We are committed to being inclusive and fostering a collaborative environment where all stakeholders feel valued, respected and engaged — both in our work as an alliance of separate organizations and as a model for engagement by our member organizations. Learn more at EvergladesCoalition.org.