Responding to Friday's Palm Beach Post opinion piece--

For those of you who haven't read Sally Swartz's article from Friday's PB Post you can find it here:

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/opinion/columnists/finally-the-river-of-gra-181516.html

Below is my response...

Dear Ms. Swartz,

Thanks for posting a very interesting article on the Everglades Coalition Conference. Please find below, a few comments for the record, from the Host Committee, Chaired by Nancy Marshall, President, Arthur R. Marshall Foundation and Florida Environmental Institute, Inc: ArtMarshall.org

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The fee covered a fancy burlap tote bag to carry away literature.
Not exactly; the ArtMarshall.org furnished the tote bags, courtesy of one of our board members. Thus this was one of the Host organizations contributions, freeing up fee money for other expenses. The 25th anniversary tote bag proved so popular people came back for seconds, but alas, no tote bags were left. The tote bag also contained Florida Trend and Art and Culture magazines featuring articles on the Conference and events generated by the host committee.

The ArtMarshall.org host committee intentionally went green for a reusable bag made of biodegradable material, which can be re-used as a tote bag for groceries, etc. We have similar ones from an ArtMarshall.org event, if you would like one.

Our office is right across the street from the Palm Beach Post facility, so if you are in the vicinity we would be glad to deliver one personally, with some of the handouts.

As previously noted, The Arthur R. Marshall Foundation was the host organization for the conference. We had a host committee of some 50 people from organizations like the Palm Beach Cultural, Palm Beach Visitors and Convention Bureau, SFWMD, Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge, League of Women Voters, and many Local NGO organizations. Our accomplishments as host included:
An Education plenary at Pine Jog Education Center featuring 9 speakers and 100 attendees, on how to bring the Everglades ecosystem to the classroom
A six day canoe expedition beginning Jan 2 and ending Jan 7 at grassy waters, to highlight the plight of the Everglades, as the "conference" opener; covered by radiogreenearth.org.
Schools kids sponsored each of six canoes, and were provided live question and answer interviews via cyberspace.
A grand flotilla of 25 kayaks and canoes escorted the canoers to grassy waters, and the lead canoe was Mayor Lois Frankel
A reception for the canoers was attended by over a hundred people, With Commissioner Jeff Koons, Mayor Frankel, and heading the list of dignitaries speaking.
A Friends of the Florida National Wildlife Refuge meeting at the Arthur R. Marshall Refuge.
A Conference close-out tour of the new Refuge Visitor's center, and recently acquired interactive displays, paid for by an energetic Arthur R. Marshall Foundation fund-raising committee: close to a million dollars raised.
For the 25th anniversary conference, more funds raised by the host committee than any other conference, including the highest contribution ever made during the 25 year history of the Coalition.
Close to a dozen resolutions from PB County and City Commissions through-out the county declaring 2010 the Year of the Everglades.
Planner of a Plenary and a Break-out session, pushing the economic valuation of ecosystem services
Science & Technology Vision contribution to the Everglades Coalition 2020 vision released Jan 7, at the conference.
Getting kids involved more than in any other Conference, including a kids art exhibit.
A program for ethnic diversity
Let's see, what have I forgotten: 22 months of planning by hundreds of volunteers.
All the above was a result of the Marshall Foundation host organization intention to make the 25th anniversary special, rather than ho-hum. Here one of the smallest organizations in the Everglades Coalition made big things happen.

A lot of the credit goes to Nancy Marshall who was among 30 women recently recognized by the Women in Power organization, for contributions not limited to those noted above.

If you would like a tour of the Arthur R. Marshall Refuge, we would be glad to oblige. We have also offered an airboat tour to any takers at the Palm Beach Post. So far there have been few takers.

By the way, the latest agreed upon figure for the CERP (+) restoration effort is running close to $20 Billion.

Now you know some of the rest of the story. I envision you will never the likes of such a conference again.

Thanks again for the posting, and kudos for other articles in the Palm Beach Post, helping us to make 2010 the year of the Everglades.

For the Art Marshall approach,
Semper Fi!

John Arthur Marshall
Chairman of the Board
www.ArtMarshall.org