On March 3, 2026, the Conservancy of Southwest Florida joined our partners to celebrate the grandeur of our nation’s first national preserve, the Big Cypress National Preserve. The event, entitled “Protecting Big Cypress: Voices for the Swamp,” brought together artists, advocates, and historians to talk about issues impacting the 729,000-acre Preserve and the Greater Western Everglades
Marisa Carrozzo of the National Parks Conservation Association moderated the panel, which kicked off with Gladesman, conservationist, and historian Capt. Franklin Adams telling stories of when the Big Cypress National Preserve was first publicly secured in the 1970s. Eve Samples of Friends of the Everglades and Elise Bennett of the Center for Biological Diversity spoke about the ongoing litigation against Alligator Alcatraz, located in the Big Cypress ecosystem. Their comments harkened back to the legacy battle in the 1960s to stop the then-proposed Jetport, which would have been the world’s largest airport if it hadn’t been stopped. They also educated attendees about the impacts on dark skies and wildlife from the current detention center uses. Photographer Anthony Sleiman stunned the audience with breathtaking images of the Big Cypress environment, where, without light pollution, the Milky Way can be seen with the naked eye.
The Conservancy’s Senior Environmental Policy Advisor, Amber Crooks, spoke about the threat of onshore oil drilling within the sensitive landscape. She discussed the organization’s 10+ year efforts to limit new oil drilling and exploration within the Preserve, as well as its ongoing battle to hold Burnett Oil Company accountable for the 110 miles of damage that occurred when they conducted a seismic survey search for privately-held oil resources underneath the publicly-owned surface of the Preserve. Amber spoke about the possibility of new oil access roads and pads in two locations, both of which would be proposed within endangered Florida panther and bonneted bat critical habitat. Her talk concluded with a solution: there is currently an opportunity to secure those privately-held mineral rights and safeguard against future oil exploration and drilling.
The Conservancy was proud to sponsor the event and happy to discuss our longstanding work to protect the Big Cypress watershed. We will remain vigilant in our work to protect the integrity of the Big Cypress National Preserve ecosystem that is vital for our water, wildlife, and future.
