Unless you're living in Florida, you may have missed out on the fallout from a proposed development plan involving nine of Florida's state parks. Casey and Sara discuss the whole situation, from the problems with the proposals to the odd secrecy around the plan to the fallout--and share some lessons that we can all take from the situation to help make our voices heard to protect the planet.

Resources for this episode

DEP Announces 2024-25 Great Outdoors Initiative to Increase Public Access, Recreation and Lodging at Florida State Parks

Florida State Parks Threatened by Development

https://floridawildlifefederation.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/1-Overview.jpg

Legislation Scrapped in 2011 Offers Clues to How Florida Might Fund ‘Great Outdoors’ Initiative)

State offers more details on plan to revamp parks including in South Florida

DeSantis' plan to develop state parks faces setback as golf course backer pulls out | AP News

Audubon Protects Florida State Parks from Development Proposals

The Chicago Marathon is one of six World Major Marathons, and this year will host around 50,000 runners from around the world, not to mention the spectators, vendors, and volunteers. So, is it possible for an event of this magnitude to be sustainable? On this episode, Casey and Sara chat with Cat Morris, the Sustainability Manager at Chicago Event Management, overseeing the Chicago Marathon. Hear about how the Chicago Marathon became certified as an Evergreen Inspire event through the Council for Responsible Sport, how waste, from water cups to gel packets, is being diverted from landfills, and how runners and spectators can get involved!

Sara will be running the 2024 Chicago Marathon as part of Team Fox, raising funds for the Michael J Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. If you'd like to donate to support the Foundation's work to find a cure for Parkinson's, you can donate through Sara's fundraising page here: https://give.michaeljfox.org/fundraiser/5270913

Resources for this episode:

Chicago Marathon Sustainability

Community Impact through Compost: Chicago Distance Series

Instagram: Tina Muir, Chicago Marathon Sustainability Ambassador

Instagram: Chicago Marathon Know Before You Go: Sustainability

This week, Casey and Sara recap Sara's first trip to the Rocky Mountains, covering everything from road trip musings on land use to wildfires to amazing wildlife encounters!

Resources for this episode:

Natural Features & Ecosystems - Rocky Mountain National Park (U.S. National Park Service)

Moose Research in Rocky Mountain National Park

Tribal Partners - Rocky Mountain