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Black Tie International:
Summer Everglades
Interns Special Graduation Luncheon |
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Vanessa Aparicio, Jody Hartshorn, John Marshall,
David Diaz, Robert Hill.
Photo by: Corby Kaye Studio Palm Beach
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Arthur R. Marshall Foundation Salutes Four Summer
Everglades Interns at Special Graduation Luncheon
Nancy Marshall, President of the Board of the
Arthur R. Marshall Foundation, which champions the
restoration and preservation of the greater Everglades
ecosystem, saluted the nonprofit organization’s four
Summer Everglades Interns at a special Graduation
Luncheon.
More than 80 supporters of the Marshall Foundation
attended the luncheon, which was held on August 4 at the
West Palm Beach headquarters of the Community Foundation
of Palm Beach and Martin Counties. Among those attending
were West Palm Beach Mayor Jeri Muoio, Palm Beach
County School Board member Jenny Prior Brown and
Leslie Lilly, President/CEO of the Community
Foundation.
“To the extent possible, the 2011 summer interns
calculated the total economic impact of the
2011 drought/water supply shortage, concluding that
economic costs of water shortages would be significantly
reduced by restoring the Everglades at less cost than
the economic impacts of droughts over the next 40
years,” said John Marshall, who is Board Chair
for the Marshall Foundation & the Florida Environmental
Institute, Inc.
“The costs of recurring drought/water shortages over the
next 40 years were calculated to be between $8 - $11
billion; this begins to approach the cost of the
Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP)
implementation. This cost range provides a conservative
estimate, because there were many negative externalities
that could not be calculated, such as soil loss. Based
on CERP total benefits and costs, including the benefit
of drought/water supply shortage cost avoidance, the
CERP return on investment or benefit to cost ratio was
estimated to be on the order of $10 for every $1 spent.
So the message from our Summer Interns is this: Let's
get on with restoring the Everglades and its historic
River of Grass."
The
Marshall Foundation’s 2011 Everglades Interns were
Vanessa Aparicio, who recently graduated from
Stetson University with a bachelors of science in
biology and environmental science; David Diaz, a
recent graduate of the University of Florida with a
Bachelors degree in Environmental Science and a minor in
International Studies in Agriculture and Life Sciences;
Judy Hartshorn, who graduated from the University
of Miami in May 2011 with a major in marine affairs and
minors in biology and communication studies; and
Robert Hill, who is in his final semester at
Florida Gulf Coast University, where he is majoring in
environmental studies with a minor in biology.
“The
purpose of this life-changing, career-enhancing summer
program is to train the next generation of environmental
leaders,” added Mrs. Marshall. “Our objective is to
create knowledgeable professionals who can address
issues like the Everglades from a multitude of
viewpoints. I’m pleased to say that many of our
graduates have gone on to achieve impressive things in
the ecological sciences.”
About the Arthur R. Marshall Foundation:
Based in Palm Beach
County, the Marshall Foundation champions the
restoration and preservation of the greater Everglades
ecosystem through science-based education and outreach
programs. Annually, more than 15,000 elementary and
high school students in Palm Beach County actively participate in
the Marshall Foundation's various education
programs.
Founded in 1998, the nonprofit organization has in
recent years awarded more than $400,000 in scholarships
and internships, planted nearly 100,000 native Florida
trees in wetland areas, and involved more than 5,000
volunteers in hands-on restoration projects
www.artmarshall.com
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