1. Reduce your carbon emissions.

Decrease the effects of climate change by cutting your carbon footprint by walking or ride your bike to work, and in your community, demand renewable energy options. At home: turn off lights and unplug electronics when you’re not using them.

2. Check the label on foods and buy local.

Overfishing is the greatest threat to our ocean waters. Choose sustainable seafood when you shop or when you are dining out. Buying local also help reduce your carbon footprint.

3. Recycle plastics, glass and paper products

All these pollute our waters and can destroy our fragile Florida ecosystems. While many of these recycle issues will require leadership from governments and businesses, there are plenty of actions you can take that will make a big difference for our waterways to be cleaned.

4. Increase your education about Florida’s environment

The more you learn about the Florida, the better prepared you’ll be to do something about it. Read books, Marjory Stoneman Douglas wrote the famous book, The Everglades, River of Grass and it's just one of many (Rain by Cynthia Barnett, The Gulf by Jack E Davis, and The Swamp by Michael Grunwald) and it's valuable history about Florida. Watch films and documentaries on Florida’s environment with the Florida Environmental Film Festivals. Then, tell your friends and family why Florida’s water matters, that Florida is a fragile system of water throughout the state and that many things contribute to the pollution of our springs, streams, oceans and drinking water.

5. Speak out and contact your local representatives.

Let them know you care about Florida’s Environment polices by contacting your elected representatives. They need to hear your voice to help them understand what you want. Being an advocate for Florida, can be as simple as speaking out about the importance of this vast ecosystem.