October 18, 2007 - Hear the "Voice of the Everglades" at the FP Library Nov. 7

Audubon Warden Capt.''Chop'' Legé will present ''Voice of the Everglades'' with Betty Jean Steinshouer portraying Marjory Stoneman Douglas at the Fort Pierce Library on Wednesday, Nov. 7 at 6 p.m.

Marjory Stoneman Douglas was an eminent American conservationist and writer. She was most associated with battles to save the Florida Everglades from draining and over-development. With the 1947 publication of her book, ''Everglades: Rivers of Grass,'' the author realized that her focus must be on restoration, not conservation as ''Conservation is now a dead word. You can't conserve what you haven't got.''

Douglas founded and served as the President of the Friends of the Everglades that at that time had 3,000 members. Its goals and objectives were dedicated to protecting and restoring the Kissimmee-Okeechobee-Everglades Basin, which is the water supply of South Florida.

In 1993, then President Bill Clinton awarded Marjory Stoneman Douglas the Presidential Medal of Honor. She died at the age of 108 in 1998. Up until the end, her mind was sharp and she closely followed the fate of her beloved Everglades where her ashes were scattered. She was posthumously inducted into the Women's Hall of Fame.

Betty Jean Steinshouer, presenter for the evening, has toured 43 states since 1988 with her Chautauqua portrayals of great women authors. She has spent years of research on each author including Marjory Stoneman Douglas. Steinshouer always seeks verity in the personality of the author she portrays as well as in the words and thoughts presented.

The presentation is free and registration is not required. For more information, call Vicki at (772) 462-2787.

The Fort Pierce Library is located at 101 Melody Lane.