Photo Credit: Ann Schoenacher

Miccosukee Elder Buffalo Tiger speaks about his life in the Everglades.

Betty Jean Steinshouer portrays the Everglades most famous advocate, Marjorie Stoneman Douglas.

The cruise presents a great opportunity for one-of-a-kind photos.

Everglades City - November

November 2-4, 2007

Schedule of Events

Pre-Gathering
During the Pre-Gathering we will:

Hike through the complex mosaic of the Fakahatchee Strand, which supports plant species not found anywhere else in the United States. Biologist Mike Owen will lead us off the trail, deep into this rich ecosystem, and introduce us to rarely seen varieties of orchids and other botanical wonders. Lunch is included. Please note: this activity requires some physical exertion and includes wading through water. Space is limited.

The Gathering
During our weekend together we will:

• Enjoy an Evening with the “Everglades Czar,” Dr. J. Allison DeFoor, II. Dr. DeFoor, a seventh-generation Floridian, served as Gov. Jeb Bush’s “Everglades Czar,” helping to put together the largest land restoration project in world history. Now the State Coordinator for EarthBalance, an environmental restoration firm, Defoor is a well-known conservationist, Florida historian, former county and circuit judge and Sheriff of Monroe County.

• Visit Miccosukee tribal lands with Tribal Elder Buffalo Tiger and Anthropologist Patsy West. Ms. West will introduce us to the rich heritage of the Indians who made their home in the untamed environment of the Everglades. Then Miccosukee Elder Buffalo Tiger will guide us by airboat to his ancestral village and speak about how his people once lived deep in the Everglades.

• Meet "The Voice of the Everglades", Marjory Stoneman Douglas, portrayed by Betty Jean Steinshouer, independent scholar and Chautauqua performer. We will follow the matriarch of Miami as she begins her crusade to restore the Everglades. Since the 1947 publication of her book, Everglades: River of Grass, Ms. Douglas has realized that her focus must be on restoration, not conservation—"Conservation is now a dead word. You can’t conserve what you haven’t got."

• Cruise through the exotic Ten Thousand Islands of the Everglades National Park, contemplating the area’s natural beauty and unique history.

• Dine at the famous Rod and Gun Club, and hear from historian Gary Mormino, author of Land of Sunshine, State of Dreams: A Social History of Modern Florida, as he regales us with tales of colorful characters and events in Everglades history.  From Totch Brown to the Tamiami Trail, Dr. Mormino will share fascinating stories of the Everglades’ past.