Miccosukee Arts & Science Symposium Coming October 4

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Love The Everglades Movement Celebrates 10th Anniversary by Collaborating with the Miccosukee Tribe for a Science & Art Symposium

Miami, FL – September 12, 2024 – The South-Florida based arts and conservation group Love The Everglades Movement (LTEM) is celebrating a milestone and once again presenting a series of talks, workshops and other creative tools called the Miccosukee Arts and Science Symposium (MASS) during a 24-hour event starting Friday, October 4, 2024 at Miccosukee Casino & Resort (500 SW 177th Ave, Miami, FL 33194). 

This collaborative event strives to bring diverse elements of the community together to inspire action. MASS welcomes indigenous voices, scientists, artists, and the community to lead discussions on, and interactive displays about, environmental issues facing the River of Grass. There will also be a film festival and dance party.

Now entering its second decade of activism in the area LTEM is a multi-disciplinary, volunteer, nonprofit organization that facilitates Everglades art projects, cleanups, concerts, fundraisers, workshops, prayer walks, and excursions. It was co-founded by artist Jean Sarmiento and Miccosukee poet Houston R. Cypress.

MASS will feature a morning and afternoon session of science panelists that will be discussing their work on Everglades status and trends as well as threats to the ecosystem posed by sea level rise and a changing south Florida climate. MASS is proud to feature the work of professors and graduate students from Florida International University, constituting collective science efforts produced through the Florida Coastal Everglades Long-Term Ecological Research (FCE–LTER) program. 

A poster session will be featured during an afternoon happy hour event in the Grand Ballroom, and will offer an opportunity for discussion with the researchers.

“As a product of FIU’s graduate school and FCE-LTER over 25 years ago, I am very pleased to help facilitate this important partnership between the Miccosukee Tribe and FIU,” says Kevin Cunniff, Chief Sustainability Officer for the Miccosukee Tribe. “MASS offers a great opportunity to showcase the world-class Everglades environmental/ecological science being conducted at FIU. The Miccosukee Tribe values its role and responsibility as a leader in Everglades science, management, restoration, and policy, and looks forward to achieving positive outcomes for the Everglades with FIU.”

MASS will balance the science symposium with arts and community workshops and activations.

“During our tenure as eco-art provocateurs, we’ve learned so much from our friends in he Miccosukee community. They’ve shown us how to let the land lead,” says Cypress. “Over the past decade, we’ve met so many fabulous folks in South Florida who are innovating new ways of storytelling, community building and inspiring action. Let’s get together at MASS, have a great time, and activate the wisdom of everyone in the community.”

To that end, LTEM advisors will be offerings arts and community workshops on the following topics: forest bathing, posthumanism, art making, citizen science, civic engagement, and direct-action planning. The activities will take shape in the form of an Everglades field trip, a Talk Show, instructional activities, the film festival, and a dance party, all informed in equal parts by science, the arts, and Indigenous traditional ecological knowledge.

The MASS Film Festival will feature 3 programs, highlighting Miccosukee conservation efforts, a diverse selection of short films, and a documentary screening and panel discussion on the role of soil in our circular economy.

William “Popeye” Osceola, Secretary of the Miccosukee Business Council, feels very strongly about this community effort, explaining that “communication and collaboration are the beating heart of conservation, and we invite you to join the conversation.”

Spanish language interpretation will be available throughout the event.

The Miccosukee Casino & Resort is the ultimate destination for gaming, entertainment, elegant dining options, business meetings, and leisure in the heart of the Everglades. Guests can take in scenic views of the surrounding ecosystem with 302 luxurious guest rooms and suites featuring modern amenities and outstanding service. The casino features 1,800 slot machines, 20 live-action poker tables, bingo, and entertainment 24/7.

For the latest information, please visit LTEM on Instagram @love_the_everglades, or at lovetheeverglades.org.

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MEDIA CONTACT
Mut Communications
Michael Mut
786.426.2277
info@mutcomm.com

SAVE THE DATE: Miccosukee Arts & Science Symposium Coming October 4

 Love The Everglades Movement Celebrates 10th Anniversary by Collaborating with the Miccosukee Tribe for a Science & Art Symposium

Miami, FL – August 21, 2024 – The South-Florida based arts and conservation group Love The Everglades Movement (LTEM) is celebrating a milestone and once again presenting a series of talks, lectures, workshops, and other creative shenanigans in collaboration with the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida. Indigenous voices, scientists, artists, policymakers, and other community members will converge at the Miccosukee Casino & Resort on October 4, 2024, and the event will not only focus on environmental issues facing the River of Grass, but also include a film festival and dance party, integrating a holistic, multidisciplinary approach.

The Miccosukee Arts & Science Symposium (MASS) is a collaborative event between the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida, and the Love The Everglades Movement, bringing the community together for a 24-hour event that articulates eco concerns using three ways of understanding the world: Science, Art, and Community.

The Miccosukee Tribe will be organizing the Science tracks, and LTEM has created a committee of advisors to organize the Art and Community tracks. This year, the 24-hours for the Glades portion of MASS includes presentations and panel discussions, two Direct Action training workshops, poster sessions with researchers, community organizations with booths, field trips and forest bathing, a film festival, dance party, and late night sessions for shift workers.

Spanish language interpretation services to be provided by MARB Language Services.

Love The Everglades Movement is a multi-disciplinary, volunteer, nonprofit organization comprised of artists, activists, teachers, clergy, businesses, and media members. In addition to hosting events, LTEM organize Everglades art projects, cleanups, concerts, fundraisers, workshops, prayer walks, and excursions.

The Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida (Tribe) is a federally recognized, sovereign Indian Tribe that provides a full suite of governmental and support services to the Tribal Community. Among the government services is the Miccosukee Environmental Protection Agency that conducts scientific research, monitoring, and assessment across nearly 1.3 million acres of Tribal Lands. The Tribe is a primary stakeholder and leader in Everglades management and restoration, bringing knowledge and expertise in collaboration with federal, state, and local partners, to ensure protection of resources critical to Tribal vitality and culture.

More details are forthcoming.  

Who: the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida, and Love The Everglades Movement

What: Miccosukee Arts & Science Symposium (MASS)

When: Friday, October 4 – 5, 2024; 24 Hours for the Glades

Where: Miccosukee Resort & Gaming, 500 SW 177th Ave, Miami, FL 33194

More: lovetheeverglades.org

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MEDIA CONTACT
Mut Communications
Michael Mut
786.426.2277
info@mutcomm.com

Agape Featuring Nadia Harris Release “Time is Now / From Illusion to Realization and Letting Go” Video

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Director Erick Paredes’ short film serves as a psychedelic reminder not to wait for the perfect time

Miami, FL – April 1, 2021 – Released on December 6, 2020, the dystopian, environmental psychedelia “Time is Now” is a culmination of a vision that began nearly a decade ago. Animator and director Erick Paredes, who heads the label Sustainable Music, also produced and composed the music heard in the film, recorded along with the band Agape, which is spearheaded by Paredes and singer / songwriter Nadia Harris. Although the run time is just over 17 minutes, the short film is three separate music videos woven together and serves as a poignant commentary about current events such as the theme of manipulation by the mass media. However, hemmed together, the three are a complete manifestation.

“The first thing I would like the audience to get from it is an introduction to the band and the project,” says Paredes. “Our message is that of one love and harmony, which are the highest feelings and vibrations we have experienced though music and in life. It has always been about being ourselves and embracing our truth and essence. It is about empowering ourselves and others through the creative process, sound, and the arts. Our message.” The idea of making music videos has been an integral part of the band’s creative process from the start, and this project is a continuation of that ethos.

Time is Now is equal parts Spy vs. Spy and Brave New World, is heavy on the HegelianDialectic, and touches on themes of social engineering, propaganda, mind control, and the old socio-political tactic of divide and conquer. What begins as a black and white study on surveillance and digital privacy, ends in a stunningly beautiful, shamanistic release set on the River of Grass. Along for the trip, the viewer travels through Toronto, a favela in Brazil, and winds up in the Florida Everglades. By it Paredes suggests the game is rigged and urges viewers to break free. The downtime afforded by the pandemic allowed for the project to be completed.

The first song and clip featured in the film is “She Really Likes It” begins at the 2:40 mark and represents the “illusion” part of the voyage. This video and segment of the film was directed by Ryan Furlong in Toronto. The song is shot in black and white (reminiscent of film noir) and also in color. The video starts by Nadia ingesting an “A” administered by a Jester/Joker like figure who we see through the whole film. The video has this Alice in Wonderland feel and explores the theme of whether “she really likes it”, which at first seems like a sexual suggestion, but a deeper meaning is revealed at a closer listen and within the context of the film.

The clip ends with a scene leading to the next video that encompasses current events, such as the isolation everyone is feeling due to the pandemic and echoing the social unrest of last summer’s Black Lives Matter and other protests. The music highlights the vocal talents of Harris, while the up-tempo / retro / mod-ish song also showcases the multi-national band that is Agape.

The dub / reggae of the second song in the trilogy of “If Love” at 7:15 marks switch to color and manifests the “realization” part of the journey. The visuals feature the children of Projeto Final Feliz and Dreams Can Be Foundation, and is dedicated to the memory of Marcelo Yuka, the late legendary Brazilian drummer who collaborated with Paredes who along with Christine Clauser helped to facilitate the shoot in Brazil. This segment also echoes the theme of surveillance, and at the end triggers a cinematic “system error” and ushers in the “letting go” passage at 13:33, and was directed by Ryan Furlong.

The viewer, now free from psychological programming and the confines of the past, is welcomed to the final “Row” segment by a vivid color explosion. This musical and visual culmination, set to an electronic dub exploration, celebrates the diversity and vastness of life, and the sanctity of indigenous culture, exploring the Everglades landscape via Tigertail Airboat Tours.

The visuals and the music again work to great effect to discernably transports the observer through a moving canvas. This segment and the collaboration with Executive Producer Houston Cypress was born of the process of Paredes trying to secure passage on an airboat and access to Miccosukee tribal lands. The results were not just the video for “Row”, but the partnership that eventually produced the trilogy, and a 2013 award at the imagineNATIVE Film + Media Arts Festival. 

Paredes continues: “At the end of all of these ideas and subject matter, the trilogy culminates with ‘Row’, where the premise is to look within, towards the center. To question and let go of the game that is and has been clearly rigged, and to look towards nature and our ancestral guides for harmony, balance, and health for the individual and the whole.” He offers that the piece is a blessing to all. 

Time is Now is a warm up to bring to attention to the release of a series of new singles and videos the band is cooking up, an invitation for viewers to join them in an evolving story that is happening now, and reflects the times. “We would like to build and vitalize our following in anticipation of our next song and video, which is called “Love Me Like I Am”, and explores identifying the cycles of trans generation abuse and trauma we all carry.”

Paredes is planning to celebrate the release here in South Florida once conditions allow for a safe gathering of large groups. He is also planning to mint and sell a very limited quantity of NFT art from the imagery found in the film to continue funding this evolving body of work, and help with the preservation of the Everglades. More details are forthcoming.

For more information and to view the film now, visit sustainablemusic.com. 

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MEDIA CONTACT
Mut Communications
Michael Mut
786.426.2277
info@mutcomm.com

Everglades Activists Plan Two-Day Loop Road Prayer Walk December 7 and 8

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Historic route once heavily populated by indigenous and non-indigenous families; walk seeks to educate and uphold agreements made during creation of the Big Cypress Preserve

Ochopee, FL – November 22, 2019 – Betty Osceola and Rev. Houston R. Cypress are two well-known Everglades educators / conservationists. They are now leading the charge to protect the Big Cypress National Preserve and the rights of the indigenous and non-indigenous families who live among it, organizing a prayer walk along the historic Loop Road (50940 Loop Road, Ochopee, FL 34141), which sits just off the Tamiami Trail, closer to the west side of the trans-Everglades part US Highway 41. The walk commences on Saturday, December 7, 2019, at 8 a.m. and will last through the evening of Sunday, December 8, 2019.

“Even though the federal government, thru the Army Corps of Engineers, has abandoned this WERP project, the potential for a federal land grab is still a part of any future restoration actions even if the WERP projects are picked up by the State of Florida,” says Cypress, co-founder of the Love The Everglades Movement. “It’s also an environmental travesty that the federal government would walk away from an important Everglades Restoration project without clarifying serious land concerns.”

In addition to prayer, the goals are to educate and call attention to the plight of indigenous families and non-indigenous landholders who may be at risk to lose their lands in the Big Cypress Preserve as a result of the Western Everglades Restoration Project (WERP). Walkers will be able to camp overnight, and an evening chat led by the participants is set to happen Saturday evening.

Those camping are encouraged to arrive and check in on Friday, December 6. The entrance for campers and walkers will be clearly marked ahead of the event. The group is seeking volunteers to help set up and check participants in. For those planning to camp overnight and walk one day only on Sunday, check in begins Saturday December 7 at noon. This is an alcohol / drug free, family-friendly event.

Cypress adds: “There’s still discussions going on between all the stakeholders — the feds, the state, the tribes, and landowners — about restoring Big Cypress / WERP, but the fear of a federal land grab still hasn’t been alleviated and that’s why we’re bringing attention to this matter.”

The pair believes that the healing of the environment doesn’t require the removal of indigenous people from their lands nor requires violations of agreements made to them in the beginning of the creation of the Big Cypress Preserve. Their Facebook event page states: “As we pray over the landscape we will also pray for the protection of indigenous communities and their rights to exist in their ancestral homelands and also advocate for honoring the congressional agreements made to our non-indigenous neighbors who will also be impacted.”

As the two did during a prayer walk of Lake Okeechobee earlier this year, each morning the prayers will be webcast on Facebook Live in an attempt to envelop and embrace Mother Earth in a global healing prayer. Supporters who cannot join the walk are encouraged to tune in.

For more information, visit www.LoveTheEverglades.org. 

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MEDIA CONTACT

Rev. Houston R. Cypress
lovetheeverglades@gmail.com
786-897-4582


Everglades Activists Plan Loop Road Prayer Walk December 7 and 8

MEDIA ALERT

October 29, 2019 – Ochopee, FL – Two well-known activists / conservationists are leading the charge to protect the Big Cypress National Preserve and the rights of the indigenous and non-indigenous families who live among it. Betty Osceola and Rev. Houston R. Cypress are organizing a prayer walk scheduled for Saturday, December 7, 2019, beginning at 8 a.m. and going through the evening of Sunday, December 8, 2019. The walk along Loop Road will start just off the Tamiami Trail in the Big Cypress National Preserve and last until 7 p.m. the following day.

In addition to prayer, the goals are to educate and call attention to the plight of indigenous families and non-indigenous landholders who may be at risk to lose their lands in the Big Cypress Preserve as a result of the Western Everglades Restoration Project (WERP). Walkers will be able to camp overnight, and an evening chat led by the participants is set to happen Saturday evening.

For more information, visit www.LoveTheEverglades.org. 

WHO: Betty Osceola and Rev. Houston R. Cypress

WHAT: Loop Road Prayer Walk

WHEN: Saturday, December 7, 2019, 9 a.m. to Sunday, December 8, 2019, 7 p.m.

WHERE: Monroe Station, Big Cypress National Preserve

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MEDIA CONTACT:

Reverend Houston R. Cypress
lovetheeverglades@gmail.com
786-897-4582


Everglades Awareness Concert Coming 11/3

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

11th Annual Everglades Awareness Concert Happens November 3 at the Fillmore Miami Beach

Activism and entertainment once again drive event hosted by Love the Everglades Movement and Ploppy Palace Productions

Miami, FL – October 16, 2018 – The annual Everglades Awareness Concertcontinues to be one of the area’s longest running concert series and one that champions the area’s most important natural resource. Now in its 11th year, the event moves over to the Jackie Gleason Room in Miami Beach’s Fillmore Theater (1700 Washington Avenue, Miami Beach, FL 33139) and takes place Saturday, November 3, 2018, beginning at 4 p.m.  The all-ages event is free for children under 12, and $15 for adults during the pre-sale period on Ticketmaster.com, and $20 at the door. There’s a $5 discount available for seniors, veterans, students, and Miami Beach residents.

“This year, Love The Everglades Movement has taken the Everglades Awareness Concert to the next level by connecting with the Fillmore on Miami Beach,” says concert organizer and community activist Flash. “By hosting this dynamic showcase in one of South Florida’s premiere venues, we are amplifying our empowering message into the heart of the region that is being directly affected by sea level rise and climate change.

With a focus on social engagement, personal actions and voting for sustainable policies, the group is merging entertainment and education with a diverse selection of performers and speakers. “Our intent as always is to raise awareness and support for Everglades protection and public education,” continues Flash. “As part of this multi-media extravaganza, some of South Florida’s top bands, spoken word artists and community activists will join together to raise awareness for this vital natural resource.”

There will be live musical performances by: Iko–Iko, The Spam Allstars, Army Gideon, Tamboka, Above the Skyline, Venus Rising, Kuyayky, Mr. Grim da Reapa, Grant Livingston and more to be announced. This will be the first time that the event will be held in the famous Art Deco venue that was once home to the Jackie Gleason Show, and now hosts national and international touring acts and productions.

Guest speakers will include: Houston Cypress from Love The EvergladesMovement, Betty Osceola (Walk for Mother Earth), Tim Canova, Candidate for U.S. Congress, along with other representatives from community organizations and concerned citizens to be announced.

There will be dance performances by Melody Gedeon, Elviza and more. Spoken word artists will include Alonso, Rebecca Butterfly Vaughns, and others, plus attendees can enjoy live art from Anibal Fernandez, Linx, Anastasia Sultzer, and more. A digital art show highlighting more than 40 artists will run on a continuous loop. Information booths from Love The Everglades Movement, and other organizations will be present.

Vendors and small businesses including The Wallflower Gallery, ProgressiveRags, and others will be promoting and selling their merch. The concert is also being sponsored by Sunkeeper Solutions, and is made possible with the support of the Miami–Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs and the Cultural AffairsCouncil, the Miami–Dade County Mayor and Board of County Commissioners.

Production support by provided by Fillmore Miami Beach, 7th CircuitProductions, Resurrection Drums, Mut Communications and One Love MiamiPhotography.

For more information, please visit https://www.facebook.com/events/521661158286635 or call 305.579.0069.

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MEDIA CONTACT
Mut Communications
Michael Mut
786.426.2277
info@mutcomm.com 

LTEM Symposium October 7, 8 & 15

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Love the Everglades Movement Fosters Citizen Empowerment at 4th Annual Symposium October 7, 8 and 15

South-Florida full spectrum conservation and activism group organizes yearly gathering and cleanup

Miami, FL – September 19, 2017 –The Love the Everglades Movement  invites residents of all ages to learn how ways to participate in conservation and activism during their annual symposium, to be held next month at the Miccosukee Resort & Convention Center, at Florida International University and the Everglades. As in years past, the series of talks, lectures, and workshops features local industry leaders, elected officials and candidates running for office, indigenous voices, and other officials in a collaborative, artful and spiritual manner.

“By combining education with the arts, spirituality and the inclusion of diverse communities, Love The Everglades Movement utilizes a full spectrum approach to activism and outreach,” says Reverend Houston Cypress, one of LTEM’s founders. “Our main goal this year is to empower people and provide outlets to protect the Everglades and our natural resources. The Symposium will feature a series of people who are making a difference in our communities by being pro-active and committed to a cause. We want to inspire people to learn from their examples and get involved.”

The event kicks off Saturday, October 7 at 9 a.m. (location: 500 SW 177th Ave, Miami, FL 33194) and is free to attend with registration. Confirmed speakers include: Tim Canova (Progress For All); Sam Van Leer (Urban Paradise Guild); Mike Matthews (Miami Dade College Earth Ethics Institute); Craig Van Der Heiden (Miccosukee Fish & Wildlife); Lyanne Mendez (Miccosukee Real Estate Services); and Julian Douglas (Miccosukee Water Resources).

Also slated to appear: Gean Moreno (Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami); Trenise Bryant (Miami Workers Center); Daniel and Lorna Bravo (The Florida Monarch Waystation School Project); Steven Machat (candidate for Congress); Garrett Rowe (Miami-Dade Regulatory & Economic Resources Planning Division); and Cody Phillips (Saving the Face of Florida). Additional speakers will be announced.

There will also be a digital art show curated by local activist and promoter Flash (who is producing the 10th Annual Everglades Awareness Concert at Gramps on November 4).  The Symposium will feature videos, networking and live entertainment by Michelle Grant–Murray with the MDC Jubilation Dance Ensemble and Florida folk artist, Grant Livingston.

The following organizations are slated to have display booths: Love the Everglades Movement, Miccosukee Water Resources, Miccosukee Fish & Wildlife, Miccosukee Real Estate, Urban Paradise Guild, Well of Ancient Mysteries, Sierra Club Miami, Artists In Residence In Everglades (AIRIE.org), and Minnie Lou Billie. Booths are free and available to community organizations, but will be prioritized by actionable items of environmental concerns. A complimentary lunch will be served by the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida.

Day two will happen at F.I.U.’s Modesto Maidique campus, located at 11200 SW 8th St, Miami, FL 33199, on Sunday, October 8. Some of the topics include “Indigenous Sovereignty and Land Use”, “Impacts of Phosphate Mining in Central Florida”, “The Urban Development Boundary in South Florida”, “The health of Biscayne Bay”, and others to be announced.

The event culminates with a volunteer environmental cleanup near the Valujet Crash Memorial Site. Specifically, the location is the L-29 Levee and L-67 Levee, west of the resort and along the Tamiami Trail.

Admission to the events on the 7th and 8th is free, but because space is limited, registration is required. For more information, visit www.lovetheeverglades.org.

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MEDIA CONTACT
Mut Communications
Michael Mut
info@mutcomm.com
786.426.2277

Love the Everglades Movement 4th Annual Symposium

MEDIA ALERT

Love the Everglades Movement to host the 4th Annual Everglades Symposium and Cleanup in October

 

Miami, FL – August 15, 2017 – The South-Florida based conservation and activism group Love the Everglades Movement is hosting their 4th Annual Everglades Symposium including a series of talks, lectures, and workshops by local industry leaders, elected officials and candidates running for office, indigenous voices, and other officials October 7, 8 and 15. The events will focus on citizen empowerment and include divergent perspectives on science, policy, activism, and arts and spirituality. The symposium will include information booths from a diverse selection of community organizations, and the booths are free for community organizations. They will be prioritized by actionable items of environmental concerns.

Topics covered will include “Indigenous Sovereignty and Land Use”, “Impacts of Phosphate Mining in Central Florida”, “The Urban Development Boundary in South Florida”, “The health of Biscayne Bay”, and much more.There will also be live music. Attendance is free but registration is required because space is limited. Lunch will be provided by the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida to registered attendants.

Who: the Love the Everglades Movement

What: 4th Annual Everglades Symposium and Cleanup

When: Saturday, October 7, Sunday October 8, and Sunday, October 15, 2017

Where: 

Day 1 – Symposium at Miccosukee Resort & Convention Center, 500 SW 177th Ave, Miami, FL 33194

Day 2 – Workshops at Florida International University Modesto Maidique campus, 11200 SW 8th St, Miami, FL 33199

Day 3 – Everglades clean-up on the Tamiami Trail

More information: www.lovetheeverglades.org/symposium-2017.html 

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MEDIA CONTACT
Mut Communications
Michael Mut
info@mutcomm.com
786.426.2277

 

Love the Everglades Benefit Concert 9/18 at Gramps

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

9th Annual Love the Everglades Benefit Concert Scheduled for September 18 at Gramps in Wynwood

Co-hosted by Love the Everglades Movement and Ploppy Palace Productions, the event will feature music, spoken word, dance, live art and community speakers

Miami, FL – August 30, 2016 – In a continuing effort to raise funds and awareness of environmental issues, Love the Everglades Movement and Ploppy Palace Productions will host their annual benefit concert on Sunday, September 18, 2016. The event, which will be highlighted by musical performances by the Spam Allstars, Iko–Iko, the Magic City Hippies, the Baboons, the Nag Champayons, Army Gideon and others, will be held at Gramps (176 NW 24th Street, Miami, FL 33127), beginning at 2 p.m. All ages are welcome; admission is $10, children under 12 are free.

“I’m looking forward to this year’s benefit concert, which is shaping up to be our best yet, and is truly focused on giving back to the Everglades,” says Reverend Houston R. Cypress, co-founder of the Love the Everglades Movement, and one of the featured speakers. “We hope to continue the important work initiated at the Summer Symposium, especially with this being an election year.”

This year’s lineup of guest speakers include: FL State Rep. David Richardson, Laura Reynolds from Conservation Concepts, Rhonda Roff from Sierra Club Callusa Chapter, Dara Schoenwald and David Doebler from VolunteerCleanup.org, George Cavros from Floridians for Solar Choice, Sam Van Leer from Urban Paradise Guild, Michael Gibaldi from Surfrider Foundation Miami Chapter, Samuel Tommie and other concerned citizens.

“This event offers a voice for the community to share our concerns about the Everglades,” says Flash, one of the show organizers from Love the Everglades Movement and Ploppy Palace Productions. “This is a celebration of the Everglades and we are working to secure its vitality. The Everglades gives South Florida life and we must protect it.”

The Everglades Awareness Benefit Concert Series is a grassroots platform for community participation that strives to bring people together through the arts. With a diverse roster of performers and speakers, this event provides entertainment and education about the Everglades. The showcase works to present the issues and inspire people to get involved, while having a good time.

Additionally, there will be spoken word by Alonso, Marcus Blake, Rio and more, dance performances by Venus Rising: Women’s Drum and Dance Ensemble, Elviza’s Rockabelly Hippies featuring Elviza, Symphony & Sofia Luna plus Melody Gedeon and others, as well as live art by Anibal Fernandez, Linx and Rei Ramirez plus there will be a digital environmental art show featuring more than 30 artists who will be showcasing photography, painting, sculpture and mixed media pieces. Submissions will be accepted through Tuesday, September 13 – go to www.ploppypalace.com for more details.

Also scheduled to perform: Medicine Box, the Oski Foundation, Blue Sky Drive, Chantil Dukart, Above the Skyline, Spank, Zen Per Capita, PATH, Kuyayky, Rachelle Coba, Sarah Packiam, Michelle Forman Duo, Steve Minotti, Grant Livingston, Anthony Nelson, Mr. Grim Reapa, Orion, Raven, Michelangelo, Matt Bodi Brenowitz, Haviken Hayes and more TBA.

There will be another up Everglades clean-up on Sunday, September 25 – more info TBA. Tickets to the concert can be purchased in advance online here: evergladesconcert9.eventbrite.com. Those who cannot make it to the concert in September can still help the cause by making a donation to the group’s online fundraiser: www.gofundme.com/lovetheeverglades.

For more information, visit www.LovetheEverglades.org, www.ploppypalace.com, www.Gramps.com, or call 305.579.0069.

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MEDIA CONTACT
Mut Communications
Michael Mut
info@mutcomm.com
786.426.2277

Love the Everglades Movement Summer Symposium ’16

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Love the Everglades Movement Summer Symposium Scheduled for August 6, 7 and 14

Save the dates for two weekends of speakers, presentations, workshops, activism, entertainment and more, plus a special environmental cleanup effort

Who: Love the Everglades Movement, a volunteer organization dedicated to implement evolving strategies across the full spectrum of being which address the environmental, structural, cultural and spiritual problems plaguing the Florida Everglades by raising awareness and organizing positive community engagement at the local, regional, national and global levels.

What: The 3rd annual Love the Everglades Movement Summer Symposium‘s focus will be Everglades ecology, spirituality, activist reports on environmental crises, theology, art, and activism. It will feature guest speakers including Florida State Senator Dwight Bullard, Florida State Representative Mark S. Pafford, Miami-Dade County Commissioner Daniella Levine Cava, author Thomas E. Lodge and others, physical and digital art displays, workshops, live entertainment, and more.

Free table space is available to community organizations; sponsorship packages are available. Event is free and open to the public; all ages welcome. The group is organizing a cleanup effort – details T.B.A. The annual benefit concert will take place at Gramps in Wynwood in September – more information coming soon.

When: Saturday, August 6 and Sunday, August 7 and 14, 2016.

Where: August 6 – Miccosukee Resort & Convention Center, 500 SW 177th Ave, Miami, FL 33194; August 7 – Florida International University’s Modesto Maidique Campus, 11200 SW 8th St, Miami, FL 33199; August 14 – TBA.

Why: Because the time is right for “Giving Back to the Everglades” (this year’s theme).

More information: www.lovetheeverglades.org.

MEDIA & SPONSORSHIP CONTACT
Michael Mut
Mut Communications
info@mutcomm.com
786.426.2277