Dispatches from a Sinking State is The Marjorie‘s contributor series featuring first-person accounts of the environmental changes Floridians are witnessing across the state.
Interested in submitting? Email themarjoriefl@gmail.com for submission guidelines.
Dispatches from a Sinking Science
As the federal government quietly dismantles key scientific institutions, Holden Harris writes from the front lines of a vanishing public service. His essay highlights the human cost of defunding science and the quiet unraveling of the systems that help us understand, protect, and live with the ocean.
Florida Through a Butterfly’s Eyes
Conservation biologist and photographer Geena Hill shares rare photos of elusive butterflies and moths in their natural habitats, shedding light on the growing ‘insect apocalypse.’
All the New Roads Home
Even as a child, CD Davidson-Hiers knew Molino was not forever. Like many rural towns in Florida, this small town in the Panhandle has, in recent years, been coveted for its suburban potential. As new development encroaches, Davidson-Hiers writes about the way of life that will be lost for the people and animals that share this rural habitat.
Notes from the Algae Apocalypse
After 11 years of living in the state, Amanda Hagood finds herself thinking more about the consequences her own presence, and the millions of others living here, have on Florida’s ecosystems. Her fascination has morphed into gratitude and a desire to do right by Florida’s future.
The Core of My Gullah/Geechee Identity is Survival
One generation of land loss and displaced cultural traditions is all it takes to put a Gullah/Geechee community’s culture in jeopardy. Glenda Simmons-Jenkins describes the cultural displacement her community experienced after State Road A1A cut through her neighborhood in 1976.
Fear and Hope in the Fields
Extreme heat. Hurricanes. Unfair working conditions. Lupe Gonzalo describes how worker exploitation and the impacts of climate change are interconnected and how, to support Florida farmworkers, these issues need to be addressed simultaneously and led by those who are experiencing the greatest threats.
The Rebirth of N’Kwanda Jah
N’Kwanda Jah felt called to work toward environmental sustainability before she understood the technical meaning behind the phrase. She knew the goal was to protect the environment — a mission she calls not just her responsibility, but her humble pleasure.
Undercurrent
As riverkeeper of the Apalachicola watershed, Georgia Ackerman’s job is to protect one of Florida’s largest rivers and most expansive floodplains. For Georgia and many others, the Apalachicola offers peace, tranquility and a kindred energy that unites those who have felt pulled by their love for a river.
Living Grand Daddy’s Miami Prophecy
When she was growing up in Liberty City, Valencia Gunder heard her grandfather warn that one day their community would be in danger. Decades later, Valencia is living the prophecy her grandfather predicted as climate gentrification changes the urban landscape where she grew up.
A Family Portrait of the Ocklawaha
From her grandmother Marjorie Harris Carr, who fought to protect the river, to her father, who remembers catfish that were as big as his leg. Jennifer describes her vision for the river as she takes on the mantle of her grandmother’s legacy as one of its protectors.
The River Has Teeth
As a child, Stephenie Livingston encountered an alligator snapping turtle in the dark waters of the Suwannee River. When she became a science journalist later in life, she realized the alligator turtle was a symbol of the resilience of the river itself.
Diary from a Florida Bathroom
Jade Salamone, co-coordinator for Gainesville FrogWatch USA at Santa Fe College, advocates for killing invasive frogs and toads in Florida to save the Florida ecosystems she cherishes.
Sieged by Suburbia
As Brittney Miller grew up in Sanford, Florida, she watched as some of the natural spaces she loved were slowly devoured by encroaching development.
Farewell, Sanibel
As rising sea levels threaten Florida, Jesse Wilson worries about the fate of her hometown of Sanibel. Stashing away her personal blame and guilt, she heads to Sanibel to embrace the simple act of saying goodbye, as she would for anyone she loved.
‘What Did You Do Today?’
Dylann Turffs, a naturalist at the Biscayne Nature Center, traces the legacy of Marjory Stoneman Douglas to forge a connection between people and the natural world.
Dispatches from a Sinking State
Earlier this year, we launched Dispatches from a Sinking State, a series of first-hand accounts of the environmental changes Florida women are witnessing in their regions. But for these essays to be an accurate reflection of the struggles that coincide with climate change, they must represent a broad variety of voices. That’s where you come in.