Dick and Kathleen Konicek-Moran will present “The Everglades: Through the Eyes of Explorers, Exploiters, and One Often Overlooked Preservationist,” the Bea Peskoe Lunchtime Lecture, on Monday, Dec. 3, at the Capri Restaurant, 935 N. Krome Ave. in Florida City (opposite the Florida Pioneer Museum).
This is a presentation not to be missed and the talk is open and free to the public.
The Everglades, a land that is harsh and often dangerous, is one of the last places in our country explored by scientists, yet it holds unexpected beauty, fascinating plants and the often-beautiful animals that depend on them. In this presentation, Kathleen and Dick Konicek-Moran will tell the stories of the people who ventured into the Everglades, what they found and sometimes stole, and eventually how one man helped fight to preserve it.
Dr. Dick Konicek-Moran is a professor emeritus from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. He holds bachelor and master’s degrees in biology, and a doctorate from Columbia University. He has been a volunteer in the Everglades National Park for the past 12 years.
During that time he developed a personal interest in Ernest Coe, often referred to as the “Father of the Everglades” and has depicted him during various programs in the park. He will reminisce about Coe’s leading role in the creation in 1947 of the Everglades National Park. Most historians agree that without Coe’s persistence, there would never have been a national park in South Florida.
Dr. Kathleen Konicek-Moran also is a retired professor with an avid interest in plants. She is an award-winning botanical illustrator who has been featured in a number of solo and group exhibitions. She also has volunteered for the Everglades National Park for the past 12 years, the last nine of which have been devoted to botany. There she has developed trail guides, trail signs and several exhibits featuring botanical illustrations. She currently is working on an exhibit about botanical exploration in the park that will appear in 2013 at the Ernest Coe Visitor Center.
Lunch will be available by reservation only for $10 beginning at 11:30 a.m. Call Barbara at 305-230-9185 before 2 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 30. Handicapped access is excellent.
This lecture series is named for the late Bea Peskoe who was an advocate for social justice, education and culture. The series is presented with the support of the Miami-Dade County Department of Cultural Affairs, Cultural Affairs Council, Miami-Dade Mayor and Board of County Commissioners.
