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A diverse coalition converged in Naples from January 28-30 to celebrate and learn from each other as we continue to restore and protect the Everglades. The conference is the largest annual forum focused on Everglades restoration — a time to exchange knowledge and align priorities within the community.
The Audubon team was a major force at the event. The team ran an Audubon-hosted lunch with remarks from Vice President of Habitat Conservation and Water Conservation Julie Hill-Gabriel, as well as a keynote address by Congresswoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz. Senior Everglades Policy Manager McKee Gray served as an expert panelist on the opening session, “Restoration in the Shadow of Sprawl,” focused on the impacts of last year’s Senate Bill 180. While intended to assist in disaster recovery, Senate Bill 180 limits local governments’ ability to strengthen land use and environmental protections, thereby undermining coordinated, long-term efforts needed to restore and protect the Everglades.
On day two, Senior Policy Director Beth Alvi moderated a lively discussion on the “Beyond CERP: Fixing Lake Okeechobee’s Future” panel. The panel highlighted the critical need for restoration north of Lake Okeechobee in order to capture, store, and clean water before it flows south. Without these upstream projects, excess nutrient pollution and erratic water releases continue to disrupt ecosystems downstream, undermining the broader goals of Everglades restoration.
Additional panels at the event focused on improving water quality and reducing harmful discharges to estuaries through the BMAP program, protecting critical habitat for the Florida panther, and strengthening resilience in the face of climate change and sea level rise. The conference proved to be a success and reinforced the importance of transparency, science-based decision-making, and public engagement in Everglades restoration.
Article first appeared in the Spring 2026 State of the Everglades report.