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A J ale of iwo Women
Marjon Stonemnan Douglas and Mlaijoric 1 larris Carr
Segment: Role of "Friends of the Everglades"
Source: Interview with Sharyn Richardson, Secretary of Friends of the Everglades and personal assistant
to Marjory Stoneman Douglas. Videotaped at the Douglas House in Coconut Grove.
Length of Segment: 00:02:14
Transcript and audio recording are copyright 1983-2009 Florida International University.
TRANSCRIPT
Richardson: "Our main role is protection of the Everglades, of the Everglades System, as a whole. That
system includes a lot of different areas. It includes the Big Cypress. It includes the Fakahatchee Strand. It
includes Everglades National Park. It includes all the Everglades that are not designated wilderness areas
or whatever. I think our main objective is to make people, in general and specifics, specifically the
bureaucracy, the people who make the laws, make them aware that that whole system is a part of us,
that we're all connected, in some way. I mean, that's our water. That's how our water is; it originates in
the Kissimmee chain of lakes, but it filters down through the entire Everglades System. All of South
Florida depends on that water. Without water, what do you have? Not much. And so, we have to make
people aware of the fact, we have to educate them, first of all, as to exactly what the Everglades System
is, what it does, what it means to people, to wildlife, to everything. It's all connected: people, wildlife,
water, cypress trees, melaleucas, everything. We're all intertwined in this life that we have down here in
South Florida, and that's what we have to let people know. We have to make them realize that if we
lose it, if we don't protect it, if we don't preserve it, and keep it functioning as a system, we're not going
to be here. We're not going to be here, comfortably, like we are today. I think this is the thing, really,
because I think once people know, they're not going to turn away in ignorance. They're going to want to
do something."
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