The power of experience

by Jon Dain, NRLI Director

"The miracle of light pours over the green and brown expanse of saw grass and of water, shining and slowly moving, the grass and water that is the meaning and the central fact of the Everglades. It is a river of grass." - Marjory Stoneman Douglas

Majestic, mystical, expansive, magical, awe-inspiring…, these are among the terms used to describe the region we call the Everglades - and the protected areas that surround it. They are accurate but cannot truly convey the impact of first-hand experience. Our January session was not the first visit I’ve made to Big Cypress Preserve but witnessing the colors in the sky as the sun rose or set, the outline of egrets floating against the sky and the twitching of leaves as an unknown animal darted through the underbrush impacted me in a way that even the best adjectives never could. Experience is visceral, it changes us, it can even impact our values. 

In NRLI, we believe in experiential learning because experiencing a resource is different than reading about it, practicing designing a meeting is different than hearing about it, engaging with those connected to a given natural resource issue is different than learning from a secondary source. In the stories below, you will see links to our new Learning Series where alumni like Chelsea Crandall of FWC share first-hand experiences. You will read the newest “Where are they now?” Alumni Spotlight series interviews where Jay Garica of the US Forest Service notes the impact of having experienced facilitation practice. In the session summary written by current Fellows Rachel Rhode (Environmental Defense Fund) and Jeffrey Smith (Florida Power and Light) you will perceive the effect produced when experts showed us how to capture an invasive python and when alumni guided us through a thigh-deep swamp walk*.  I am confident that when this year’s NRLI class members encounter issues related to the Everglades, including the impact of invasive species, they will understand them better for having experienced Big Cypress. The same goes for experiencing seagrasses in Crystal River, urban landscapes in Orlando, Red Grouper fisheries in Madeira Beach and sea level rise in St. Augustine. The participants in the 2024 Effectively Engaging DEP Stakeholders program will have the opportunity to visit clam leases in Cedar Key and learn from watermelon farmers on their farms in their March session later this year. And just as importantly, they will be better equipped to manage and protect Florida’s natural resources for having practiced the skills and approaches required to effectively listen, collaborate, and lead in their organizations.  

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*A BIG and grateful thank you to alumni Sarah Funck and James Erskine!  

"Where are they now?"

Alumni Spotlight Series

As part of a new alumni series, we are featuring graduates who left our state and continue to tap into the NRLI network and toolbox.

Project team member Joy Hazell and NRLI alumnus Jay Garcia sat down for a virtual coffee break before the December holidays, and this is what Jay shared about using NRLI skills in his new role.

Jay Garcia spent much of his career in the Ocala National Forest where he participated in NRLI as a fellow in Class 18. In April 2023, he and his lovely wife Moira moved from Florida to Roanoke Virginia so he could take on the position of Forest Wildlife Biologist for the George Washington & Jefferson National Forests. Jay shared that he is taking his time to get to know the new position and move from competency to proficiency.

Tell me about your job.

Jay’s job is to coordinate with the six biologists who work with anything and everything involving wildlife across the one million acres of the George Washington & Jefferson National Forests. He also oversees grants and collaborates with multiple stakeholders including state wildlife agencies and nonprofit organizations.

What NRLI Skills are you using?

Being relatively new to his position Jay is still in the analysis phase of his work. “I'm really trying to figure out what's going on by listening to folks and completing the situation assessment matrix in in my head. Trying to figure out what those power dynamics are, what the issues are for the people in the room.”

What advice do you have for new fellows?

"The first thing off the top of my head would be to not worry about the practicum. It all kind of falls together. Just focus on having a good time in the sessions and continue to engage with everybody.

I remember Jess (Sutt) and I facilitated a stakeholder discussion together and that was the one where it clicked to me that I was little bit too focused on trying to figure out the solution to the actual problem that we were there for. The point was to understand the different ways that the people are engaging with their user groups in these different contexts, to pull out positions and interests, so we can take that back to our home units and use those things to understand what's going around us better.”

If you could do a NRLI bonus session, what issue would you like to learn about?

“I would like to have it cover something that I had no idea that there existed a conflict around. I know that there's lots of consumptive uses around the phosphate industry. That's the closest thing to mining that Florida has and I'd be interested to see what that conflict is like there. Those types of land uses occur frequently in this part of the country. Florida, you have a whole different host of water and land use issues that I’d like to learn about."

Python invasion: the covert threat to the Everglades' ecosystem

By Rachel Rhode & Jeffrey Smith, NRLI Class 23 Fellows

Greetings from the heart of our ongoing adventure with the Natural Resources Leadership Institute! Jeff and I, active participants in this transformative program, are thrilled to share profound takeaways and reflections from our recent session delving into the intriguing realm of python management. Buckle up, it's been a wild ride.

We kicked off the second half of NRLI by mapping our journey thus far with a timeline tool exercise. As our memories became chronological illustrations across the paper, the bigger picture of the NRLI process came into focus. The utility of the timeline tool demonstrated a means of gaining a greater perspective of the task at hand.

We took a deep dive into the fascinating intricacies of group dynamics and navigating challenging individuals or situations as well as developing effective process agendas. A resounding lesson echoed: the process, not the content, often forms the crux of difficult dynamics. The power of acknowledging differences and suspending judgment emerged as invaluable tools to navigate the jungle of group interactions.

The session catalyzed a shift in how many of us perceive and approach issues. Understanding that individuals or groups may be at different points in addressing an issue, due to various restrictions or limitations, was eye-opening. This shift calls for patience and opportunities for engagement at different levels, fostering inclusivity and collaboration.

Turning our attention to pythons and invasives, NRLI Alum and FWC Wildlife Impact Management Section Leader, Sarah Funck, provided an overview of the python management programs to prime the cohorts for the field immersion that followed at Big Cypress National Preserve. Our action-packed field day began at headquarters where Matthew McCollister with NPS, discussed the origins of the national preserve, the interagency collaborations, and the current research and management efforts underway. The effect pythons have had on small mammal populations has been widely publicized, but it was shocking to learn that pythons are significantly affecting deer populations as well; so much so, that it is rare to find deer south of U.S. Highway 41. It is common to find deer and hog hooves in the stomach contents are large pythons.

Zach Chejanovski, FWC’s Interagency Python Management Coordinator demonstrated proper capture and handling techniques with a beautiful 10-foot female. For many of us, it was our first time seeing a python from the wild. Her beauty and seemingly docile disposition were an unsettling reminder that these snakes are just trying to survive in the environment they have been placed in.

The adventure continued as we traversed the roads of Big Cypress en route to a swamp walk through a cypress strand. FWC’s Everglades Coordinator, James Erskine led cohorts on a hike through the pristine waters to see the unique native habitats that are so vital to south Florida wildlife. The swamp walk involved learning about the hammocks of the everglades and the changes in the ecosystem as you neared the center. It was incredible to see nearly crystal clear water as we made our way deeper into the hammock. It showed just how unique and special the Everglades really are.

Interagency collaboration was on full display for the panel discussion. Panelists included representatives from state, federal, tribal, private sector, and non-profit partners who painted a picture of interagency collaboration through a working group and a python management and control plan. What stood out was the diverse perspectives and timelines among the organizations and individuals involved. This collaborative mindset, despite potential barriers, ensures a cohesive and effective approach to python management.

One of the session's most surprising revelations was the stark realization of how little we truly know about pythons and their population in the Everglades. The shift towards a long-term management strategy, rather than the previously envisioned complete eradication, was indeed a paradigm shift. Equally astonishing was the lack of awareness in communities just north of the Everglades, seemingly oblivious to the impending python situation heading their way.

Furthermore, the importance of training and incentivizing the public as consultants struck a chord. It’s not just about managing pythons; it’s about cultivating a community of stakeholders actively involved in conservation efforts. The burgeoning field of invasive science, though young, is proving to be instrumental in the evolving challenges posed by climate change and human development.

The adventure into python management has been nothing short of enlightening. From untangling group dynamics to navigating the surprises in the python population, the journey has been both informative and transformative. 

Steven Beck

Biologist IV, Division of Freshwater Fisheries Management, Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission

At FWC, Steve serves as the Resource Biologist for the Orange Creek Basin (Orange, Lochloosa, and Newnans Lakes). In this role he organizes regular meetings to discuss the management of this large system (intra-/inter-agency meetings, stakeholder groups, public meetings). He is also involved with long-term fisheries monitoring, research, outreach, and fisheries/habitat management on waters throughout north central Florida. He has served as the Secretary/Treasurer of the Florida Chapter of the American Fisheries Society since 2022, which focuses on gathering students/professionals from around state annually to share their work and advance the field.

Steve grew up on a farm in PA and received a BS in Biology from Juniata College, where he spent a semester abroad in India and worked temporary fisheries positions in MD, ME, and WY over the summers. He moved to NC, working as a consultant focusing primarily on regulatory applications of the Clean Water Act. He earned an MS in Fisheries at Louisiana State University studying oyster ecology. He worked for the LA Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries in the habitat/stock assessment sections, ultimately serving as the state Oyster Program Manager. His family then moved to FL, and he worked on an oyster restoration project as a lab manager at the University of Florida before working for FWC.

Steve enjoys hiking with his dog, fishing, home/boat maintenance, cooking, reading, and exploring with his wife and daughter.

Stephanie Verhulst

Biologist, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers

Stephanie joined the US Army Corps of Engineers-Jacksonville District in 2021. As a biologist in the Planning Division, Stephanie is part of the Restoration, Coordination, Verification (RECOVER) group involved in assessing and evaluating Everglades restoration under the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan. Stephanie’s two main roles in RECOVER include leading the Southern Coastal Systems regional team that addresses restoration efforts in mangroves, nearshore coastal habitats, and estuaries from Biscayne Bay to the Ten Thousand Islands area and her recently added role in Adaptive Management within the USACE RECOVER team. Stephanie is also a project team lead and coordinator of the interagency Florida Silver Jackets team. Her projects have recently focused on increasing awareness, knowledge, and implementation of nature-based solutions in community planning and strategies to increase infrastructure and ecosystem resilience to changing conditions in south Florida.

Stephanie grew up in Wisconsin and made her way to Florida where she started working in Florida’s diverse ecosystems as an environmental consultant. She earned her Master’s Degree in Biology from the University of North Florida studying algal salt marsh communities and continued her muddy salt marsh journey to her Ph.D. from the University of Florida studying changes in salt marsh and coastal forest plant physiology and soil microbial communities due to sea-level rise in salt marsh.

Andrea Albertin Regional Specialized Agent in Water Resources, UF/IFAS Extension

Stephanie Armstrong Environmental Scientist IV, Suwannee River Water Mgmt District 

Steven Beck Biologist IV, Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission 

Ben Butler Partner & Vice President, Butler Oaks Farm, Inc.

Allegra Buyer Natural Resources Program Coordinator, Seminole County Lands Program 

Robby Creech Captain, Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission

Michele Curts Leadership Programs Coordinator, Florida Farm Bureau Federation

Chris Denmark Environmental Administrator, Florida Dept of Ag & Consumer Services 

Rianna Elliott Director of Land Stewardship, North Florida Land Trust, Inc. 

Samuel Erikson Natural Resources Specialist, Highlands County 

Jessica Ferris Government Consultant; Carr, Riggs, and Ingram, LLC

Gregory Garis Program Administrator, Florida Department of Environmental Protection

Erica Hall Volunteer Executive Committee Vice Chair, Sierra Club Chapter

Daniel Lamson Executive Director, Indian River Neighborhood Association 

Lindsey Pavao Senior Environmental Specialist, Alachua County Env Protection Dept

Callie Register Senior Hydrologist, St Johns River Water Management District

Laura Reynolds Assistant Professor, University of Florida

Rachel Rhode Manager, Climate Resilient Coasts & Watersheds, Environmental Defense Fund 

Jeffrey Smith Senior Environmental Specialist, Florida Power & Light Company

Tarana Solaiman Lead Project Manager, South Florida Water Management District

Stephanie Verhulst Biologist, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers