Environmental journalist to talk about politics and the Everglades

October 29, 2009

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The Fall 2009 Samuel Proctor Florida History Lecture Series at the University of Florida continues Tuesday with a lecture by Michael Grunwald, a prize-winning national reporter for Time magazine.

Grunwald will present “The Swamp: The Everglades, Florida, and the Politics of Paradise,” at 7 p.m. in the Pugh Hall Ocora. It is free and open to the public. Tickets are not required. A book signing will be held following the talk, with books available for purchase at the event.

The book chronicles the often conflicting story of the Everglades from reclamation to rescue and the environmental policy decisions behind it.

“Grunwald’s ‘The Swamp’ is a breezy, sweeping, stomach-churning airboat ride through the muck of Everglades politics,” said Jack Davis, associate professor of history at UF. “It is a keenly authoritative book.”

The lecture is the third in this semester’s series on “Florida’s Environmental Politics.” The series is sponsored by the Graham Center and the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program and is made possible by generous donations from the Proctor family and alumni members of the Tau Epsilon Phi fraternity.

The Graham Center provides students with opportunities to train for future leadership positions, meet policymakers and take courses in critical thinking, language learning and studies of world cultures. Its mission is to foster public leadership and solve issues related to the Americas and homeland security. It also serves as a magnet to attract distinguished scholars and speakers to Florida.