December 14, 3 to 4 p.m. RESET Conversation with Christopher Nesbitt. 

Christopher Nesbitt has run the Maya Mountain Research Farm, an ongoing permaculture project in southern Belize, Central America, since 1988. Former degraded citrus and cattle land, the farm is focused on the intersection of agriculture and ecology. Since 2004, the farm has been working on specific ways to draw down carbon with an emphasis on food security, degraded land repair, multistrata agroforestry systems and staple tree crops. 

Tinyurl.com/ResetWithNesbitt.

The 2020 Wading Bird Report, produced in collaboration with the South Florida Water Management District, Audubon Florida and other partners, is now available. The rise and fall of wading bird population numbers is an important indicator of ecosystem health. Whether or not the health of the Everglades is improving from restoration and conservation efforts is best evidenced in this annual report. which provides insights into system-wide trends in the hydrology of South Florida ecosystems. FL.Audubon.org/sites/default/files/sfwbr_af_2020-final-3.pdf

Fecal bacteria contamination of Florida’s waters is widespread. Numerous sources of fecal bacteria contamination such as aging and malfunctioning sewage treatment plants, leaking septic tanks and animal waste are impairing 1 million acres of coastal estuaries, as well as 9,000 miles of Florida rivers and streams, according to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Florida’s inadequate notification system and ineffective restoration plans are putting an increasing number of Floridians and visitors at risk of dangerous pathogens found in fecal contamination.

While the Safe Waterways Act (SB 604/HB 393) is designed to address this public health risk, public support is needed to demand reinforcement. Floridians have a right to know if waters designated for recreation—boating, wading and fishing—pose a health threat. Floridians also have a right to demand that legislators accelerate restoration in compliance with Florida regulations. Call, write or email Florida legislators to request signage at public access points warning of waters contaminated with fecal bacteria. 

Calusa Waterkeepers new executive director, Trisha Botty, has more than 15 years of experience in driving social change by leading innovative programs, strategies, collaboration, capacity building and campaigns, while building meaningful and authentic relationships that lift up people, organizations, and communities. Her experience comes from working in government, philanthropy, labor, organizing, and nonprofits in Washington, D.C., New York and Southwest Florida. Botty was a 2020 recipient of the 40 under 40 award from Gulfshore Life magazine. A native of upstate New York near Lake Ontario, she resides with her husband and two active children on a freshwater canal in SWFL.

Community garden beds are available for rent at the Bill Brewer Family Gardens, on the grounds of the Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Fort Myers (UUCFM), located at 13411 Shire Lane. With two master gardeners and a third in training, there will be informational classes and onsite assistance. Some seed donations and low-cost vegetable plant starters may be available for renters, as well as compost made in collaboration with the SWFL RESET Center and FGCU. Prices for four-by-eight-foot beds are $85 per bed with automatic watering, $75 without. Growing year—October 15 to September 15, 2022. Contact garden manager Bonnie Jean Clancy at [email protected]. 

Calusa Waterkeeper’s latest film, Waterborne, a documentary exploring the public health impact of harmful algal blooms (HAB) and waterborne bacteria, will be available for viewing on January 12 at the Collaboratory, located at 2031 Jackson St., in Fort Myers. Hear from scientific experts and officials on how Florida’s policies are failing to reduce the occurrence of HABs and bacteria contamination, and inadequately protecting the public from exposure. CalusaWaterkeeper.org, 941-479-2560, [email protected].

1,000 Friends of Florida’s podcast on preemption, the use of state law to nullify a local government ordinance or authority, is available to view. This issue is becoming increasingly problematic in Florida because each year the legislature passes bills that supersede local authority on issues ranging from collecting impact fees to regulating building design, banning plastic bags, regulating cruise ships and more. Even more proposals are anticipated to surface during the 2022 session. Find out why this is a critical issue as 1,000 Friends of Florida Policy and Planning Director Jane West, Florida League of Cities Deputy General Counsel Rebecca O’Hara and Florida Association of Counties Executive Director Ginger Delegal discuss the impacts of inappropriate preemption and the need for more proactive advocacy to counter the problem.