Policy hit the road last weekend, giving multiple talks throughout Lee County. 

On Friday July 11, Environmental Policy Director Matt DePaolis gave a presentation at Shell Point Retirement Community discussing the importance of Florida’s endangered species and evaluating some of the pressures facing them. From Florida panthers to the smalltooth sawfish, Florida’s endangered species are increasingly under threat, largely from habitat loss due to development. 

DePaolis explained some of the state and federal legal tools available to protect these key species, and the larger benefits to the ecosystems and human communities that are realized when we manage our natural spaces in a way that is conducive to wildlife.

On Saturday July 12, DePaolis presented at the Calusa Waterkeeper’s ‘State of Our Water‘ event at the Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium, alongside new Calusa Waterkeeper Joe Cavanaugh. 

DePaolis’ talk, ‘Pollution and Pragmatism,’ explored the current state of our impaired waterways in Southwest Florida, some of the causes of the pollution, and how we can approach solutions in the future. 

The talk was timely, as it occurred just days before the C-43 Reservoir was set to come online, and highlighted the importance of continuing to seek creative solutions to storage and treatment within the Caloosahatchee watershed.