Hi Reader,

I realized I've never shared the story of exactly why I wanted to become a marine biologist. It starts when I was a little girl, living just a few houses down from the river.

My dog, a friendly black mutt, would run wild through the neighborhood to her favorite hang out spot by the water's edge. She'd come home sandy, soggy, with a huge canine grin plastered across her furry face. She also came home reeking.

At first, we thought she had rolled in dead fish. (Sometimes, she had). Most often, though, the stench wasn't from something she rolled in, but wafting up from the inky muck caked so thick on her paws it looked like she was wearing black socks.

I learned later that the muck lined much of the bottom of the river, and it was laden with fertilizers, pesticides-- all kinds of things you wouldn't want to touch.

It sparked something in me. How did the muck get there? How do we get it out? How did we allow this to happen?

I wanted to make our waterways healthy, and thought I needed a background in science to do it. Marine biology seemed like a logical choice, and if I got to play in the ocean too, so much the better for me.

While the degree helps, I've learned that what plagues our waters is a political problem. It's been going on for a hundred years.

Which is why I'm so very excited to share today's episode with you.

When we take a moment to pause and look back at the path we're on, we can see how there were little breadcrumbs guiding the way. There are little pivots here, a shimmy over there, and voilà, we realize that we've been creating our own course the whole time.

Sometimes, it's less little nudges and more like one pivotal moment where everything shifts. My guest today had one of these moments.

Eve Samples, Executive Director of Friends of the Everglades joins the podcast today. In this episode we dive into a myriad of topics from career shifts to what one spark of activism can mean for a community. Eve also shares how one lost summer changed the trajectory of her career.

Eve dives into the legacy of Marjory Stoneman Douglas, the woman who helped the world see the Everglades as more than just a swamp. She shares how her career pivoted from newsroom deadlines to leading grassroots efforts in the fight for clean water. Plus, we break down the Rescue the River of Grass campaign and what it means for the future of South Florida’s waterways.

This episode in particular is near and dear to my heart because we explore the history my home waters and how greatly– and very intentionally– they’ve been impacted.

As always, I'd love to hear from you! Leave a comment in the show notes, or hit reply to this email. I read 'em all!

Fair weather and following seas,

Kara Grace

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