Guest Speaker Matt DePaolis of Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) will join Calusa Waterkeeper Joe Cavanaugh and Rangers to Lead Discussion
Fort Myers, FL – June 24, 2025 – The Caloosahatchee is facing similar pressures to many other watersheds in south Florida. Rampant development, pollution, wetlands loss and degraded ecosystems are common throughout our state, but the Caloosahatchee also has the unique status of being part of a much larger, built environment that is intrinsically tied to water management, flood control, and Everglades restoration. Calusa Waterkeeper has invited Matt DePaolis of Sanibel-Captiva Conservation Foundation (SCCF) to be its guest speaker at its quarterly State of Our Water event to explore some of the physical and legal threats impeding our waters, as well as potential tools and solutions available. The event will be held on Saturday, July 12, 2025, at 9:30 a.m. at the Iona House at Calusa Nature Center & Planetarium.
DePaolis, SCCF Environmental Policy Director, trained as a field biologist working across Florida, the Bahamas and Guyana before pursuing his master’s in marine biology and a Juris Doctorate with a focus on ocean and coastal law from the University of Oregon. There he worked on diverse issues such as climate litigation and fisheries policy issues, regulations to protect water quality in streams for Bull Trout and worked as a fellow at the Ocean and Coastal Law Center, recommending solutions to marine plastic pollution. DePaolis first partnered with SCCF while working as the Coastal Policy Analyst Fellow at the University of Florida’s Center for Coastal Solutions (CCS) and leapt at the chance to join the organization as their Environmental Policy director.
Calusa Waterkeeper, Inc. will publicly introduce the new Calusa Waterkeeper, Joe Cavanaugh, working to protect and restore the Caloosahatchee River from Lake Okeechobee to the Coastal Waters of Lee County. Cavanaugh brings decades of experience in marine science, water quality monitoring, and community engagement to the role. With a long-standing commitment to the Caloosahatchee River and surrounding ecosystems, he has worked extensively at the local and federal levels to promote clean water policies and protect critical habitats. Cavanaugh holds a Bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst and a Master’s in Marine Science from Boston University’s Marine Program in Woods Hole.
Additionally, the CWK Ranger Zone Leaders will deliver the State of the Water Address, providing an update on the health of local waterways and the ongoing efforts to protect Florida’s coastal environments.
To reserve your seat or for more information, please visit the event page. If you make a tax-deductible donation of $50 or more, you will become an annual member of Calusa Waterkeeper and join us at this and all quarterly State of our Water events at no charge. To join, visit calusawaterkeeper.org/membership, email [email protected] or call 239-899-1440.
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