Marjory Stoneman Douglas: Everglades Defender from Minneapolis

By Kendall Buckingham, Rochester Pines Field Crew Member / AmeriCorps Member

As March is women’s history month, I found it fitting to talk about one of the influential women in natural resource history. At the end of the 1800s, the Florida Everglades was a mosaic of marshes known for its exceptional beauty and biodiversity. At this time, the everglades were under threat of development for various purposes including agricultural and residential uses. By the early 1900s the process of draining of the everglades had already begun. While others believed that the everglades would be more useful after being drained and developed, Marjory Stoneman Douglas recognized it for its natural beauty and biodiversity. With the development of agriculture and real estate in the everglades, natural systems would be put in danger. She recognized that development would lead to a massive change in water flow. The change in flow, as well as increased nutrients from fertilizers ,would lead to changes in oxygen levels. Flow is vital to refreshing oxygen, and excess fertilizers lead to a process known as eutrophication, which ultimately results in decreased oxygen levels from increased nutrient content. This would ultimately kill many sensitive species and destroy vital open-water habitats that many species rely on. In 1947, Douglas wrote The Everglades: River of Grass, describing how ecologically important and beautiful the everglades were. She emphasized the need for protection from human disturbances within the everglades. Everglades National Park was established the same year that she wrote her book. Douglas, with her deep passion for the everglades and conservation, played a significant role in establishing the park. She continued her advocacy by serving as the founder and head of the Friends of the Everglades. Which is an organization dedicated to preserving, protecting, and restoring the park.

Marjory Stoneman Douglas was born in 1890 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. After graduating from Wellesley College, she went on to become a journalist for the Miami Herald where she dedicated herself to topics such as feminism, racial justice, and conservation. Douglas was uniquely dedicated to her advocacy for the everglades,  even before scientists could understand how ecologically important the everglades are.

U.S. Department of the Interior. (2024, February 6). History & culture. National Parks Service. https://www.nps.gov/ever/learn/historyculture/index.htm

U.S. Department of the Interior. (2025, February 28). Using their voices: Founding women of national parks (U.S. National Park Service). National Parks Service. https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/using-their-voices-founding-women-of-national-parks.htm