FGCU’s Everglades Wetland Research Park in Naples presents five preeminent national and international speakers in its fifth annual Moonlight on the Marsh Distinguished Lecture Series in 2017.
The free lectures, which run from Jan. 19 through March 16, are sponsored by a generous donation by Bernard C. and Susan Master of Marco Island and Columbus, Ohio.
The theme of this year’s series is water — water quality, water availability, wetlands preservation and protection of coastal and river areas from overabundance of water. Two of the five speakers are Stockholm Water Prize laureates, considered by many to be the Nobel Prize for water. Topics will include new approaches to coastal water management in The Netherlands, wetland management and conservation in South America and a frank assessment of Florida Everglades restoration efforts.
All of the lectures except one will be presented at FGCU’s Harvey Kapnick Education and Research Center at the Naples Botanical Garden, 4940 Bayshore Drive, Naples. Programs begin at 7 p.m. unless otherwise noted.
“Since our auditorium has filled to capacity for most of these lectures in the past few years, it is recommended that anyone wishing to attend should register in advance,” said Dr. William J. Mitsch, eminent scholar and director of the Everglades Wetland Research Park.
Participants can leave a message for him at (239) 325-1365 or email reservations to [email protected].
The lecture lineup:
- Thursday, Jan. 19: “The Dutch solution to floods: Live with water, don’t fight it” by Leon P.M. Lamers, Ph.D., professor of Aquatic Ecology & Environmental Biology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
- Thursday, Feb. 2: “Rethinking conservation and development in South American wetlands: A challenge beyond the borders” by Luisa Fernanda Ricaurte, Ph.D., freelance consultant, Alexander von Humboldt Institute, Bogotá, Colombia.
- Friday, Feb. 10: “Restoring the Greater Florida Everglades — what has gone right and what has gone wrong” by William J. Mitsch, Ph.D., 2004 Stockholm Water Prize laureate and Juliet C. Sproul Chair for Southwest Florida Habitat Restoration and Management at FGCU. The presentation at 6 p.m. will be part of a Wetlands Day Celebration at Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, 375 Sanctuary Road W., Naples.
- Thursday, March 2: “The global freshwater crisis” by Gary A. Lamberti, Ph.D., professor and past chair, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Ind. This lecture is co-sponsored by the Notre Dame Club of Naples.
- Thursday, March 16: “Monitoring for water quality and health” by Joan B. Rose, Ph.D., 2016 Stockholm Water Prize laureate and Homer Nowlin Chair in Water Research, Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Mich.
The Everglades Wetland Research Park is dedicated to research on the wise management of freshwater and coastal ecosystems of Southwest Florida and the Florida Everglades and to the protection and enhancement of wetlands and water resources worldwide. More details are available on the park’s website.