GUIDE FOR REGISTERED ATTENDEES
All you need to know for the February 8, 2025 Springs Summit
Contact brendawells@floridaspringscouncil.org with questions
Getting There
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Check-in begins at 8:30AM
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The first session begins promptly at 9:30 and we expect a full house. Arrive early enough to allow a leisurely check-in, time to greet old friends and enjoy breakfast, and find a seat.
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We'll have breakfast pastries, fruit and cheese, juice, coffee, tea, and water waiting for you.
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Stetson Law School is located at 1401 61st St S, Gulfport, FL 33707, minutes from downtown St. Petersburg
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Parking is available in visitor lots on 15th St and on 61st Ave
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Walk from the lot, and follow the Springs Summit signs along 61st St to the "horseshoe courtyard" to find the entrance
Click on map to enlarge
AGENDA
8:30 - 9:30
Check in, pick up shirt orders
from 5801 Print
Coffee service provided by
Friends of the Wekiva River
Enjoy a free breakfast of pastries, fruit, and
cheese cubes
9:30 - 9:40
Great Hall
WELCOME
Welcome from Benjamin Barros,
Dean of Stetson Law
Benjamin Barros,
Dean of Stetson Law
9:40 - 10:50
Great Hall
Springs Perspectives:
the science, policy and political forces that have shaped springs protection and restoration
A wide-ranging and frank discussion about how Florida's springs ended up in their current condition, with legends and founders of the springs conservation movement.
What was done right and wrong in the past? How have recent changes to laws, rules, and agency implementation impacted springs for better or worse? What needs to change in the future to stop the continued decline of our springs? This look back from long-standing experts will give us all firm footing in how we got here, to better discuss where we're going.
Moderated by Dr. Chris Meindl
Dr. Chris Meindl, USF
author of "Florida Springs: From Geography to Politics and Restoration"
Guy Marwick
Felburn Foundation
Dr. Bob Knight
Founder, Florida
Springs Institute
Pat Harden
Founding member, Friends of Wekiva. Former chair SJRWD
Pat Rose
Director,
Save the Manatee Club
11:00 - 12:00
Breakout sessions:
Live podcast &
Deep policy dive
Mann Lounge
The "Madcaps Spectacular"
live podcast recording
This session will be a live podcast recording featuring two great podcast hosts from two of our favorite Florida podcasts!
Ryan co-hosts the Florida Madcaps, a podcast that focuses on exploring the best of Florida, responsibly. Cathy co-hosts Florida Spectacular, about all that's weird and wonderful in Florida. The live podcast will start with a look back at the successful advocacy campaign against developing state parks, with guest Federico Acevedo of the Florida Wildlife Federation. Then we'll have an in depth discussion about responsible recreation in Florida's springs and rivers with Save the Manatee Club biologist Tiare Fridrich.
Ryan Worthington
co-host of the Florida Madcaps Podcast and
fl_excursionist on IG
Cathy Salustri
co-host of the Florida Spectacular Podcast
Federico Acevedo
Florida Wildlife Federation
Tiare "TJ" Fridrich
Save the Manatee Club
Great Hall
Deep Dive into '25
This session is not for the casual learner. Three seasoned advocates and policy experts will give a detailed preview of upcoming rulemaking and legislation, covering topics like Basin Management Action Plans, Minimum Flows & Levels, protection of State Parks and Conservation Lands, and Ocklawaha Restoration.
Casey Fitzgerald
Great Florida Riverways Trust
Ryan Smart
Florida Springs Council
Bob Palmer
Florida Springs Council
12:10 - 1:00
Great Hall
Advocacy:
behind the curtain of Florida’s legislative process
An insider's look at how Floridians can most effectively lobby our state legislature, featuring Rep. Lindsay Cross, Senate staffer Dustin Paulson, and lobbyist Travis Moore. Learn how to influence the legislative process straight from three of FSC's favorite and most respected colleagues in Tallahassee.
Moderated by Ryan Smart, Florida Springs Council
Travis Moore
Lobbyist, Moore Relations, Inc.
Rep. Lindsay Cross
Florida State Representative
Dustin Paulson
Legislative Analyst at the Florida Senate
1:00 - 2:00
LUNCH
Vegetarian boxed lunches for those who reserved them - vegetarian rice and roasted vegetable wraps, chips, fruit, cookies.
Iced tea and citrus water for all.
Lunches will be served in the foyer between the Mann Lounge and the Great Hall.
There is no designated lunch area - you are encouraged to find any spot in the two main rooms or outside in the courtyard to enjoy lunch.
2:00 - 3:50
Great Hall
Communicating
for Change:
harnessing political pressure and public engagement with good communication strategy
Angela Bradbery and Sam Snyder study and work in the field of Public Interest Communications, an emerging field that uses strategic communications grounded in research and science to achieve sustained and positive change.
In this session Angela and Sam will be joined by Florida Springs Council's communications team to discuss how the springs conservation movement can use proven concepts to create communication strategies that move people from awareness to action and create the changes we need to protect Florida's springs.
Angela Bradbery
University of Florida Frank Karel Endowed Chair in Public Interest Communications
Sam Snyder
True Blue Strategies,
University of Florida instructor,
Public Interest Communications
Chloe Dougherty
Communications Director,
Florida Springs Council
Brenda Wells,
Engagement Director,
Florida Springs Council
4:00 - 6:00
Great Hall
Springs Counsel:
options, opportunities and legal strategies for protecting springs in the courtroom
To cap off the 2024 Springs Summit, Stetson Law's Jaclyn Lopez will host a session highlighting recent, ongoing, and upcoming public interest legal advocacy around Florida’s springs, waters, and wetlands.
This two-hour session will cover both state and federal legal matters touching on water quality, springs flow, best management practices, state assumption of federal permitting, phosphate, and wetlands. Each set of presentations will be followed by expert panels featuring some of the brightest minds in Florida’s legal community.
State legal presentations by: James Adams, Stetson Law; Perry Kaplan , UF Law; John Thomas, FSC attorney
Panel featuring Jake Varn, Doug MacLaughlin, and John Thomas, moderated by Jaclyn Lopez
Federal legal presentations by: Norissa Hogans, Stetson Law; Audrey Timmins, Stetson Law; Elise Bennett, Center for Biological Diversity
Panel featuring Rachael Curran, Elise Bennett, and Matt Farmer, moderated by Jaclyn Lopez
Jaclyn Lopez
Director, Jacobs Public Interest Law Clinic for Democracy and the Environment at Stetson University College of Law
Rachel Curran
Staff Attorney, Jacobs Public Interest Law Clinic for Democracy and the Environment at Stetson University College of Law
6:00
Banyan Courtyard
BANYAN BASH
Awards and social hour
This social hour in the courtyard will give us all the opportunity to exchange ideas and contact information with other springs advocates.
Awards will be given to some of the shining stars of springs conservation.
First Mag Brewing has donated beer, and light food will be available.
Free to attend, but you must register
