SCCF attends annual Everglades Coalition Conference
The Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) attended the 40th annual Everglades Coalition Conference from Jan. 30 through Feb. 1 at the Miccosukee Casino & Resort in Miami.
Hosted by the Everglades Coalition, it provides a forum and gathering space for the stakeholders working to restore America’s Everglades, including conservation groups, elected officials, business leaders, scientists, students, and local, state, tribal and federal partners.
In attendance were Chief Executive Officer James Evans, Environmental Policy Director Matt DePaolis, Policy Associate Allie Pecenka, Communications & Marketing Manager Denise Blough, and trustee Bob Brooks.
“The annual Everglades Coalition Conference is the largest gathering of the ‘who’s who’ of Everglades restoration. It brings federal, state, tribal and local leaders together with NGOs and other organizations to rally behind the restoration of America’s Everglades,” Evans said. “We are so proud to be a part of the Everglades community. Our participation is essential to ensure our success in restoring the River of Grass and our coastal estuaries.”
This year’s theme, “Reflections on Progress and Opportunities,” was weaved throughout 10 panel discussions about topics such as the power of community, clean water economy, indigenous traditional ecological knowledge in the Everglades, and how to strengthen wildlife and water corridors across the greater Everglades ecosystem.
This year was the first conference to be held on tribal lands, and the 2025 Public Service Award was given to Chairman Talbert Cypress of the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians.
“This conference is not just the best opportunity to learn about what our partner organizations are doing to further the largest ecological restoration effort in the world, it’s also an important opportunity to forge new relationships and hear from voices that we may not interact with in our day-to-day,” DePaolis said. “It was an honor to be hosted by the Miccosukee Tribe on their lands, and I am excited to continue to learn from their wealth of knowledge of the system.”
DePaolis spoke on the “Beyond the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP): What Should the Next 40 Years of Everglades Restoration Look Like?” panel, which was moderated by environmental lawyer and advocate Richard Grosso.
The other panelists included: U.S. Geological Survey’s South Florida Regional Science Advisor Nicholas Aumen, Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida’s Chief Sustainability Officer Kevin Cunniff, Stetson University College of Law’s Jacobs Law Clinic for Democracy and the Environment Director Jaclyn Lopez and Friends of the Everglades senior scientist Dr. Thomas Van Lent.
The group discussed the long-term survival of the Everglades in the face of climate change, development pressure and ongoing water quality challenges. They also considered how best to sustain and ensure the success of CERP projects, as well as what priorities would be most urgent once all projects are completed.