Stephanie Byrne

Making sure our water and our environment don’t fall through the cracks, Southwest Florida leaders joined other local officials in the state in our nation’s capital to advocate for our natural environment. Elected leaders were in Washington D.C. Thursday, representing Florida to convince federal leaders their help is essential to our water quality and the […]

The Blue-Green Algae Task Force released its recommendations Wednesday on how to prevent gross gunk from coming back to our water. However, its plans are not finalized yet. To steer away from blue-green algae issues, we need a road map. Dr. Thomas Frazer, the chief science officer for the State of Florida, said the task […]

Billions of birds, gone from our skies. A new study finds in the U.S. and Canada, we’ve lost one in four birds over the past 50 years. Backyard birders Tim Thompson and Brian Beckner have been friends for six years. “So we met on social media actually. I saw that Brian was making bird boxes […]

Climate activists organized in parts of Southwest Florida, launching a strike to save the environment. Activists organized to march from Punta Gorda north across Baron Collier Bridge into Port Charlotte Friday to address climate change. “I really care about our earth and our climate, and I’ve seen so much change just from being 23 years […]

You may have heard of the endless summer, but what about the endless season? U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio and U.S. Sen. Rick Scott want to allow Canadians to be able to stay longer in the United States. The Florida Republicans announced Thursday they had introduced legislation dubbed the “Canadian Snowbirds Act,” which seeks to allow […]

For years, we thought reclaimed water was good for the environment. It turns out there’s a potential it can actually cause more harm by contributing to problems like red drift algae. Now, the City of Sanibel is using new research to clean up used water. James Evans, Sanibel’s director of natural resources, says if not […]

A University of Florida engineer is using technology like drones, satellites and planes to help our farmers. Imagine you’re a farmer and you’re walking through rows and rows of crops to get information on your fruits and vegetables; but what if you could take to the skies instead? When it comes to growing crops, sometimes […]

Florida’s U.S. Army Corps of engineers held its public workshop at Cape Vineyard Community Church in Cape Coral Monday, where members of the public shared their concerns for Lake Okeechobee’s impact on Southwest Florida. Lori Haus-Bulcock said she doesn’t see blue-green algae in her Cape Coral backyard; however, she still has concerns for water quality […]

The Lee County Board of County Commissioners recently renewed an agreement with the U.S. Geological Survey to monitor our water flow and quality — a vital partnership for Southwest Florida’s resources. “I had the opportunity to get out, and I said, ‘Oh, I want to go to one of my favorite places,’ and this is […]

Collier County constantly tests mosquitoes for the dangerous diseases the creatures can spread. Just two hours east, there have been three cases of dengue fever in the Miami area and the county tests mosquitoes, so it does not spread. Elliot Barton and Stella play at the dog park usually two or three times a week. […]