Naples is particularly susceptible to sea-level rise, saltwater intrusion, flooding, storm surge, and extreme precipitation events, as well as hurricanes and climate change. With watchful eyes on some of the most pristine and enviable tracts of land in South Florida, Collier Waterkeeper K. C. Schulberg and his team will begin educating the public about the big issues facing the Paradise Coast. 

Public awareness building on big issues list—how to preserve wetlands, the impact wetlands haveEventbrite.com/e/ccwks-distinguished-speaker-series-1-climate-change-now-or-never-tickets-219457241517atershed and aquifer, potentially negative impacts of development and sprawl, the persistent and growing menace of red tide and blue-green algae to the community’s health and the health of our ecosystem and the local economy, as well as stormwater runoff and coral reef preservation—begins in January with a Distinguished Documentary Series and a Distinguished Speaker series, featuring worldwide recognized expert speakers.

Distinguished Documentary Series: third Wednesday of each month.

Phosfate, 6 to 8 p.m., January 19: How phosphate mining in Florida has had severe consequences on the economy, environment, and health of nearby residents, while The Mosaic Company reaps millions and runs roughshod over government restrictions.

Silverspot Cinema, 9118 Strada Place, Naples.

Tickets $20 at Eventbrite.com/e/218293911967.

Distinguished Speaker Series #1

Climate Change: Now or Never, 6 p.m., January 25: Norris Center. 755 8th Avenue., Naples.

Tickets $20 at Eventbrite.com/e/ccwks-distinguished-speaker-series-1-climate-change-now-or-never-tickets-219457241517.

Dr. Harold R. Wanless, named one of Politico’s 2016 50-plus thinkers, doers and visionaries transforming American politics, researches climate change as chair of the department of geological sciences at the University of Miami, in Coral Gables.

Dr. John Capece serves as the Kissimmee Waterkeeper advocating for water issues in Florida as part of the Waterkeeper Alliance. He holds a Ph.D. in engineering from the University of Florida and recently attended the COP26 climate change conference in Glasgow, Scotland.

Buy six distinguished speaker evenings or six distinguished documentary series for $100 (a $20 discount) from the nonprofit Collier County Waterkeepers. All donations are tax-deductible. For more information call 239-784-0880 or email [email protected]. See ad, page 43.