This past weekend, Audubon Florida’s Everglades team celebrated restoration progress and planned for the future at the 28th Annual Everglades Coalition Conference, hosted by the Everglades Foundation in the historic Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables.

The 2013 awards ceremony gave special recognition to a member of our Audubon family. Audubon Florida congratulates Audubon chapter leader Margaret England for winning the 2013 Everglades Coalition John V. Kabler Award. The Kabler Award is presented to someone who has worked to organize and educate the public and generate grassroots support for Everglades restoration. No one exemplifies this more than Margaret England.

As president of Hendry-Glades Audubon, Margaret actively engages her community to become excited about birding with boundless energy and enthusiasm. Among the many ways Margaret engages the community, she collaborates with the South Florida Water Management District to organize and lead birding trips to STA 5, and she actively participates in the Big O Birding Festival every year, the spring and fall migratory counts, and the Christmas bird counts for Hendry and Glades counties. Bravo Margaret!

Audubon also congratulates 2013 Everglades Coalition Conference award winner Cynthia Barnett, our 2012 Audubon Assembly keynote speaker for the George M. Barley Award. Regrettably, Cynthia could not accept the award in person, but sent an Audubon representative to read remarks on her behalf. We also recognize the accomplishments of Senator Bill Nelson for the James D. Webb Public Service Award, and Thom Rumberger’s induction to the Everglades Hall of Fame.

Thank you all for the invaluable contributions to the Everglades!

Photo by Jessica Hodder/Everglades Foundation.