Florida has lost tens of thousands of acres of wetlands in recent decades — transforming landscapes, altering water systems, and threatening wildlife and the communities that depend on them. The pressure isn't easing: every year brings new development proposals, new local battles over comprehensive plans and urban development boundaries, and new court fights over who has authority to permit wetland destruction.

Join us on May 13 for From Swamp to Suburbia: The True Cost of Wetland Loss in Florida — the closing session of our 2025–2026 John M. DeGrove Webinar Series. This free 90-minute webinar brings together three leading voices working at the intersection of science, policy, and law.

The webinar will also feature the recently released wetlands mapping tool from the Conservancy of Southwest Florida — using aerial imagery and time-slider visuals to make decades of wetland change visible at a glance.

Meet the Speakers

• Julianne Thomas (Conservancy of Southwest Florida) Will demonstrate the Conservancy's wetlands mapping tool and what decades of aerial imagery reveal about Southwest Florida's transformation.
• Mariana Aziz Pico (Miami Waterkeeper) - Will examine Miami-Dade County's Urban Development Boundary and the local planning and policy tools available to protect remaining wetlands.
• Christina Reichert (Earthjustice) - Will close with the federal legal landscape, brief overview of section 404 of the Clean Water Act, the recent D.C. Circuit ruling that keeps federal wetlands permitting in place, and what the evolving definition of "Waters of the United States" (WOTUS) means for our wetlands future.

The webinar is free, but registration is required. Don’t wait, sign up today!

From Swamp to Suburbia: The True Cost of Wetland Loss in Florida

Wednesday, May 13

noon–1:30 PM (EDT)

Virtual | Free

To register go to:

https://events.zoom.us/ev/Av-4WfJSpqsxAv_fTu3vLW6O__SXHJBJsTbVZBDWey3wi-17RRoA~AvipEcbrx2M7LkUcsz-LFIX43DsRjVp3hLSGw1zld9YArAbMIiuaAd00Vg

Approved Continuing Education Credits (available to live attendees only)

• American Institute of Certified Planners — 1.5 AICP CM (#9328597)
• Florida Bar — 1.5 General CLE (#2605259N)
• Florida Environmental Health Professionals — 1.5 Contact Hours / 0.15 CEUs

Additional credit applications for Certified Floodplain Managers and Florida Landscape Architects (DBPR) have been submitted and are pending approval.

We hope to see you there.