Professional Experience:
 
I joined the WINK News team in June 2022 and worked as an Environmental Reporter for the first year and a half. Now I work as a general assignment reporter.
At the University of Florida, I reported, produced, and anchored for WUFT News.
Awards & Recognition:
 
National Student Edward R. Murrow award and first place in BEA's news magazine category for coverage of Hurricane Ida's aftermath in Houma, LA.
Education
 
Bachelor of Science in Telecommunication-News, University of Florida. GO GATORS!
Likes best about Southwest Florida
 
The beach, the people, and the lack of a winter.
Memorable Assignments
As a native Floridian, I have witnessed the impact of hurricanes and tropical storms throughout my life. During my senior year at the University of Florida, I took an investigative reporting class and traveled to Houma, Louisiana, after Hurricane Ida. There, I saw the devastation from the storm and the resilience of a community rising from the rubble. That story solidified what I wanted to do - become a broadcast journalist.
Just months after joining the WINK News team, Hurricane Ian struck, and once again, I saw the familiar sight of a community uniting in the wake of disaster. Those stories of hope, moments of kindness, and the people within hold a special place in my memory.
Hobbies and Interests: 
I love doing anything outdoors! On weekends, you can find me on a walk at one of my favorite nature preserves, including Six-Mile-Cypress and Audobon's Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, and then at one of our beautiful beaches.
Hometown: 
I was born and raised in Orlando. My mom, dad, and two brothers still live there. They are the reason WINK News viewership out of Central Florida spiked starting in June 2022.
Fun fact: 
My number one goal is to be on Jeopardy one day. Growing up, my dad and I watched every night we could, and I continue that tradition today.

Green algae present in waters around Sanibel

As Southwest Florida continues to heal after Hurricane Ian, so do its waterways, but one area is experiencing something that may have you doing a double take. There are bright, almost neon green, algae in the waters off Sanibel. It’s hard to miss. “Especially on the causeway, you will notice it when you’re driving across […]

CREW protected lands provide snapshot of old Florida, haven for wildlife

Lingering red tide, health alerts, and debris in Southwest Florida waterways may have you thinking twice before swimming, but there are other ways to enjoy the outdoors here, like visiting the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed trails. Walking around the Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed, CREW for short, has been compared to walking into old Florida. “The […]

Citizen scientists helping track red tide on Sanibel

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission red tide map still shows medium to high concentrations around Sanibel and Pine Island Sound. Scientists are using red tide data and weather forecasts to better inform people when a bloom might impact their health. They are also getting help from citizen scientists who are casting a line […]

Herbert Hoover Dike rehabilitation project completed ahead of schedule, under budget

It’s taken nearly two decades, but the Herbert Hoover Dike rehabilitation project is complete. The rehabilitation project started four presidents ago, in 2005. To the people living around the lake, its completion means protecting their lives and livelihood. The snip of scissors marked the completion of repairs to the Herbert Hoover Dike. “This construction project began […]

water-lettuce

Saving animals from extinction in Florida

From the ivory-billed woodpecker to the Carolina parakeet, countless animals are now extinct. FGCU’s Billy Gunnels knows that’s part of earth’s history. “Some of these mass extinctions have been terrible when we’ve lost more than 90% of the organisms on the planet,” said Gunnels, professor and chair of the Biological Sciences program at FGCU. “Things […]

Why researchers are studying SWFL mangroves after Hurricane Ian

Mangroves are protected wetland ecosystems. People cannot build on or within them as they do so much for us, the water, and animals. WINK News environmental reporter Liz Biro spoke with two groups studying the mangroves after Hurricane Ian. Getting to the mangroves is the easy part. Getting through the mangroves, with their dense intertwining […]

Climate leaders come together to discuss the future of Southwest Florida

What’s the future going to look like here in Florida? At the Southwest Florida Climate and Community Initiative Summit, environmental leaders, businesses, and politicians all discussed climate change. “Florida as a peninsula. A little bit of sea level rise can have a big impact here,” said Noah Valenstein, a presidential fellow at FGCU. Sea level […]

Sanibel Causeway

Protecting the environment while rebuilding the Sanibel Causeway

Sanibel has always let it be known they are committed to keeping the barrier island a sanctuary where plants and animals thrive alongside people. When constructing the new causeway, engineers stayed true to this commitment. Even with the cranes, driving over the Sanibel Causeway is an experience in itself with the glistening water, the mangroves […]

Manatees on the move to warmer waters in SWFL

Visitors to Manatee Park got a special treat on Monday, watching the gentle giants move into the warmer waters in Southwest Florida. When the Gulf of Mexico drops below 68 degrees, Manatees instinctively seek warmth by going to waters near power plants like the one outside of Manatee Park. Some visitors to Southwest Florida and […]

The City of Cape Coral begins work to clean up canals after Ian

Many are still working to clean up after Ian, but imagine you had to clean up 400 miles of canals. That’s what is happening in Cape Coral. The City of Cape Coral is cleaning up its canals. “I was like yay, finally,” said Lisa Murphy. Michael Murphy was also excited. “I was like, oh goody, […]