Environmentalist. She was nicknamed the "Mother of the Everglades" for the extensive work she did during her lifetime to preserve the Everglades. She graduated from Wellesley College and was married briefly. She moved to Miami in 1915 and worked for her father at the Miami Herald where she became a society reporter and editorial columnist. Through her writing, she became a champion of various causes including equal rights and conservation. In 1947, she wrote "The Everglades: River of Grass" which focused the first attention on the importance of preserving the Everglades. She published numerous books, and in 1987, although legally blind, she wrote her autobiography which she called Voice of the River. Douglas helped establish the Everglades and Biscayne National Parks and the Friends of the Everglades which successfully blocked the building of a jetport in the wetlands. This led to the establishment of the Everglades Forever Act of 1994. Douglas spent 108 years championing her environmental causes and was posthumously installed into the Women's Hall of Fame. Douglas received the Presidential Medal of Honor from President Clinton in 1993 and is considered one of the top 50 most important persons to have lived in Florida. Her ashes were spread in the Everglades.
Environmentalist. She was nicknamed the "Mother of the Everglades" for the extensive work she did during her lifetime to preserve the Everglades. She graduated from Wellesley College and was married briefly. She moved to Miami in 1915 and worked for her father at the Miami Herald where she became a society reporter and editorial columnist. Through her writing, she became a champion of various causes including equal rights and conservation. In 1947, she wrote "The Everglades: River of Grass" which focused the first attention on the importance of preserving the Everglades. She published numerous books, and in 1987, although legally blind, she wrote her autobiography which she called Voice of the River. Douglas helped establish the Everglades and Biscayne National Parks and the Friends of the Everglades which successfully blocked the building of a jetport in the wetlands. This led to the establishment of the Everglades Forever Act of 1994. Douglas spent 108 years championing her environmental causes and was posthumously installed into the Women's Hall of Fame. Douglas received the Presidential Medal of Honor from President Clinton in 1993 and is considered one of the top 50 most important persons to have lived in Florida. Her ashes were spread in the Everglades.
Bio by: Mary Harrell-Sesniak
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