Year of the Everglades event: the River of Grass Gala on December 11

Year of the Everglades-10th Annual Cypress Harvest

Interns make a splash at the GEER Conference

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY: The SIP 2010 on Valuing Ecosystem Services of a Restore River of Grass Poster Paper and write-up has the 2010 SIP Class over the top and up even another notch. Lots of good comments on what the interns have accomplished. Sponsoring Dr. Richard Weisskoff, Environmental Economist, who actually wrote the book on the Economics of Everglades Restoration, gave us even more presence at the GEER Conference. To answer a lingering question, GEER 2010 was more than worth the investment (as in priceless). The photos better tell the story, and will be some of the highlights in the Graduation Luncheon presentation.

SIP ESV POSTER PAPER
Perhaps the biggest coup at the Conference was the impromptu working lunch Break out session (remarked by a few as one of the best presentations), “sponsored” by Ronnie Best, Conference Co-Chair. Handout: Costanza, et al, paper (green) with written public comment
• Introduction Ronnie Best (JAM)
• Keynote speaker: Dr. Richard Weisskoff
• Summer Intern Presentation of Poster Paper (Angelique, Jim; JAM intro)
• Discussion and Questions (There were some)

The Summer intern Poster paper was posted early (day 1) on an extra display board, along with the 2008 poster paper (Top Ten Science Needs and Gaps); These posters stayed up all five days. Also the SIP 2010 display, as noted below.

Several VIP’s were briefed by the Summer Interns and the SIP Team (including Dr. Weisskoff, Dr. Tom, JAM, Shannon); each of five got a VIP folder package, including a CD.
• CD was another great SI idea, we passed out about 18 CD’s, which contained most of the hand outs and more); VIP’s briefed include…
• Eric Buermann (pictured below), Chair, Gov Board, SFWMD (“I will use these numbers)
• Rock Salt, Assistant Secretary of the Army for Civil Works (an hour of hard questions)
• Colonel Al Pantano (1.5 hours of discussion, including how the USACE works)
o His deputy, LtCol Kinard was at the Rock Salt Brief
• Cheryl Ulrich (at the Noon Breakout, when she asked for more details; invitation to NCER)
• Stephanie Johnson, National Research Council (Biennial report?),
• Greg May, Executive Director, Dept of Interior Task Force, at the poster and in Pubic Comment

RESULT: Virtually every major principle VIP now knows of the SIP, the 2010 interns, and the direction of the ArtMarshall.org. Of course exposure was not limited to the VIP’s.

PR: The SIP Team yellow shirts worked out great; lots of recognition of the SIP Team
• We also “acquired” a vacant vendor table and posted the SIP 2010 display; also included 2010 year of the Everglades report, brochures, and flyer advertising SIP 2011.

Recognition from the Podium
• Paul Sousa (Marshall interns are our replacements, our future) Other Recognition:
• Larry Fink, SFWMD retired – “Great WRAC presentation by Summer Interns; You must be proud” (Many more like this, acknowledging yellow shirt team)


PUBLIC COMMENT ON ECOSYSTEMS SERVICES VALUATION (ESV), SYNTHESIS, etc.
o JAM To SCG/WG meeting Noon, July 14 (Costanza handout, blue copy); invitation to attend poster paper #14; some blue copies made it to noon breakout session; Only NGO to comment.
o To Paul Wetzel on Synthesis of Everglades Restoration and Ecosystem Services (SERES)
o Potential for ARMF/FEI S&T committee to be involved in SERES/CESI.
o Potential for Dr. Weisskoff to be involved as TBD Environmental Economist on list of Core Team members
o RECOVER Report (Double Sized notebook DRAFT), regarding speaker comments interim goals and objectives, and shared vision of “what is restoration” – Question:
o Is CERP Table 5-1 goals and objectives in the document?
 Increase total spatial extent of natural area, etc
 Everybody should be made to memorize these objectives. o Answer, we will make sure it is there.



Summer Interns with Rock Salt

YEAR OF THE EVERGLADES~Marshall Foundation on the Radio

Listen to Education Director, Eric Gehring on WXEL's South Florida Artsview:

http://artsradionetwork.com/?p=1420

Summer Solstice event!

Year of the Everglades--more artwork from Bak Middle School

Meilin O'Malley, grade 6

Sunset Safari photos

Year of the Everglades--more artwork from Bak Middle School of the Arts

Serina August, Grade 7

Year of the Everglades--more artwork from Bak Middle School of the Arts

by 6th grader Hang Luo

Year of the Everglades--artwork from Bak Middle School

Students at Bak Middle School were inspired by the River of Grass Canoe Expedition and created several pieces of artwork for our Paddlers... Here is one: Gabrielle Martine- from Ms. Amedee's sixth grade science class!

Year of the Everglades--Sunset Safari

To celebrate the Year of the Everglades, join us at the Arthur R. Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge on Saturday, March 27 for a Sunset Safari and VIP tour. Tickets are limited and are now available. Call 561-805-8733 for more information or click on the PDF version of the flier: https://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0ByNSF8Tq3eb5YzJlMWVlMjgtMGI2Yy00OGNhLTk4MmYtOTkzNGYwZTM1NTJj&hl=en

Year of the Everglades--from the City of West Palm Beach

Annual Trail Spruce Up--January 30

Join us for our annual Trail Spruce-Up at the Arthur Marshall Loxahatchee National Wildlife Refuge on January 30th from 9am-NOON. We need volunteers to help us remove non-native plants, clean up litter and tidy up the Marshall Trail--all in order to prepare for Everglades Day the following week. RSVP by January 27 at 561-805-8733 or at plantcypress@aol.com.

You can download the flier by following this link: http://docs.google.com/fileview?id=0ByNSF8Tq3eb5YzUyZWJmYmMtMGM1Ny00NjQyLTkwZjAtZWY5MTJlMmZmOTMx&hl=en

Canoe Expedition--from the Post

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/state/twelve-paddle-the-everglades-to-survey-its-health-176531.html

Year of the Everglades-- Canoe Expedition video

Here is a great piece from The Education Network about the River of Grass.

http://vodcast.palmbeach.k12.fl.us/player.php?key=HYP4B4F7729C00B5

Canoe Expedition--from the Sun Sentinel

A nice article from the Sun Sentinel about the River of Grass Canoe Expedition.
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/palm-beach/fl-canoe-expedition-return-20100107,0,2675617.story

A quick quote from the article:

The canoes glided past dome-like patches of trees and toward the dock beneath a
welcoming sun, but it was 11 paddlers -- five women and six men -- in six canoes
who endured the entire journey that followed the flow of our drinking water from
the north end of Lake Okeechobee. About 20 kayaks and canoes joined in for the
last two-hour leg of the trip in a show of solidarity.

The River of
Grass Canoe Expedition was part of the 25th annual Everglades Coalition
Conference hosted by the Arthur R. Marshall Foundation and kicked off 2010 as
the year of the Everglades.

"The whole purpose was not [just] to canoe,"
said canoeist Tomas Boiton, 31, a Grassy Waters volunteer and a transportation
consultant. "The whole purpose was to bring awareness to the Everglades and
sustain it as a resource."

Canoe Expedition update--the Map

Canoe Expedition update--THE LAST DAY!

If you missed this morning's live broadcast you can see it here:

http://breeze.palmbeach.k12.fl.us/p72864869/

And follow the GPS tracker as the Paddlers finish the Expedition at the Grassy Waters Preserve:

http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0qmzCGOazAp5T8tHbCcUls9VFd01RgMQP

Canoe Expedition update--

I cannot believe that tomorrow is the last day! Don't forget to tune in to the live broadcast at 8:10am on Thursday, Jan 7. http://breeze.palmbeach.k12.fl.us/riverofgrass

Canoe Expedition update--from the end of Day 2

BTW--the video looks better full-sized. follow the youtube link http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByVBu4GByd8