Betty Osceola(Miccosukee)Talk about Oil Drilling Threat in the Everglades

Join the Sierra Club Calusa Group, Citizens' Climate Lobby Florida, and SWFL RESET CENTER for an evening with Betty Osceola, member of the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida, environmental activist, and educator for an important conversation on oil drilling threats to Big Cypress National Preserve.

A chief theme for our conversation will be on why the Everglades should be part of the climate solution and not exploited for climate-damaging fossil fuels. Betty’s talk will provide further context and an Indigenous perspective on the current oil drilling proposals and damage already caused by oil explorations in Big Cypress National Preserve.

Join us to learn more about this threat to Big Cypress National Preserve and how concerned citizens can be engaged on this issue to organize against oil drilling and explorations in Big Cypress National Preserve.

Ligh refreshments and snacks will be provided. This event will be held at the Unitarian Universalists outdoor amphitheater and campus at 3411 Shire Lane, Fort Myers, FL. This event will be fully outside with social distancing. Space is limited to 100 participants, so register today to ensure your spot!

Previously, Betty Osceola helped organize prayer walks, hikes, and “signs across the alley” demonstrations with concerned citizens and Miccosukee and Seminole tribal members to protest the proposed oil drilling in the preserve after Burnett Oil applied to put in two new roads and oil rig pads in the Big Cypress Preserve to drill for oil.

Background on Big Cypress National Preserve:

In 1974 legislation enabled the 720,000-acre Big Cypress to become the first National Preserve, after people from all walks of life such as sportsmen, hikers, bird watchers, and indigenous people came together to protect this area for future generations. Today, the Big Cypress Preserve is also a critical part of ongoing Everglades Restoration projects to restore water flow and quality to the Greater Everglades.

The Big Cypress Preserve is home to many endangered species and critical habitats that can only be found in the Preserve. The Miccosukee and Seminole people have occupied this area long before the creation of the Preserve and have many archeological and historical cultural and traditional sites of significance throughout the entire area.

Public lands, such as national park units in the Greater Everglades, can sequester carbon and make ecosystems and communities more resilient to the impacts of climate change. Wild places like Big Cypress National Preserve should not be opened up to more climate-damaging fossil fuel development and should instead be conserved to become part of the climate solution toolkit – as opposed to destroyed for fossil fuel development. Continuing to exploit our public lands for dirty energy development will only keep us from meeting climate goals and further damage wildlands, wildlife, cultural resources, and communities.

About our speaker: Betty Osceola is a tribal elder and environmental educator for the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida. Osceola works as an environmental advocate on behalf of her tribe and the Everglades and owns and operates Buffalo Tiger Airboat Tours in the Glades. You can find Betty Osceola on Facebook as well as her Walk For Mother Earth project for more information about ways that you can advocate and organize to protect the Everglades

Evening Agenda:

5:00 pm: Table and event set up with partnering organizations

5:30 pm: Public arrival and start of networking hour

5:45 pm: Community Garden tour & talk

6:00 pm: Lighting of outdoor fire

6:30 pm: Conversation with Betty Osceola

7:30 pm: Closing remarks

Learn more about the threat of oil drilling in Big Cypress at: https://www.savebigcypress.org/

Host or Publisher Sierra Club Calusa Group