Ellen Peterson: environmental warrior ... by gimleteye

Being involved in the southern end of the Everglades restoration effort, I knew Ellen Peterson from Florida's small group of environmental warriors. Ellen was one of the last of her generation of environmental activists -- volunteers-- who lived and breathed America during the Great Depression. She joins other warriors of that generation: Dagney Johnson, Grace Maniello, George Kuntz in the Florida Keys. Johnny Jones, Marjorie Stoneman Douglas. It is interesting to wonder whether any young environmental warriors will be forged through the current economic crisis, and whether sixty years from now, some other observer may note that bonds are forged to the most important values when they are most at risk, as the environment is now.

*Ellen Peterson*
December 5, 1923 - October 14, 2011

Ellen graduated from the University of Georgia in 1945 with a degree in
Chemistry and she received her Masters in counseling in 1963 from Appalachia
State. She came to Southwest Florida shortly afterwards, and served as the
Director of the Counseling Center at Edison College for many years. She also
became a fierce advocate for our wildlife and wild places.

Ellen was a warrior when it came to the environment; she cared deeply and
devoted her life to saving the planet and protecting Mother Earth. She
served on many boards and advisory committees such as: the Agency for Bay
Management, the Environmental Confederation of Southwest Florida, Save Our
Creeks, the Responsible Growth Management Coalition, The Everglades
Committee, the Environmental Peace and Education Center and the Sierra
Club's Calusa Group. Ellen founded the Calusa group over 30 years ago and
remained the chairperson until her death.



The Agency for Bay Management was formed as a result of a lawsuit about
where FGCU would be built; Ellen was the only member who refused to sign off
on the settlement agreement.

Ellen spoke at countless county commission hearings, and her presence was
powerful, always intelligently informed, and unrelenting. She was
responsible for saving one of the most beautiful places in all of Southwest
Florida, Fisheating Creek. At a Water Management District annual meeting,
after a video about the creek and Ellen's speech, there was not a dry eye in
the audience.

Ellen fought to save the Florida panther, heritage trees, and many other
listed and endangered species. She succeeded in obtaining outstanding
Florida waterways designations for many of our local rivers and streams,
providing them higher levels of protection. With the help of several
environmental groups, Ellen fought and won the battle to stop a coal-fired
power plant from going into Glades County.

She protested and picketed against nuclear plants and was arrested for civil
disobedience. She created a presentation to save the Imperial River and was
successful in preventing the Water Management District from eliminating the
oxbows, an action which could have destroyed much of the river, such as
killing off fish hatcheries during flood events.

Ellen fearlessly attended meetings to speak out against those who threatened
the Big Cypress National Preserve, even when her opponents showed up on
swamp buggies and carrying guns.

Ellen herself was threatened on many occasions, and at least one attempt was
made on her life. Even so she pressed forward and continued her good works.
She continually fought to protect several of our local beaches and islands.
With the backing of several local environmental groups, Ellen filed suit
against the developers who wanted to overbuild and destroy our
density-reduction ground water resource area. She was responsible for
involving a scientist whom Lee County would later hire to do water quality
testing. This scientist discovered that our red tides were directly linked
to the releases from the Caloosahatchee River and Lake Okeechobee.

Ellen led the efforts to investigate the minimum flows and levels for our
ground water, and the research showed a sustained level of harm. She also
sat on a Committee for the Route 951 Extension, because some of the proposed
alignments invaded listed and endangered species habitat.

Ellen received the 2008 John Kabler award from the Everglades Coalition and
the Florida Wildlife Federation named Ellen outstanding environmentalist of
2008, and she has received numerous other grateful recognitions. Ellen lived
to see her biggest goal realized: the creation of the Happehatchee center in
Estero. Ellen turned her beautiful property and home into an eco-spiritual
center for all in the community to enjoy. The center offers many different
types of classes and workshops. Happehatchee is a sacred place, a place
where anyone in the community can come to find personal growth by attending
some of the seminars featured there, or to just get in touch with nature
while enjoying the beautiful natural setting. Anyone who enters through the
gates immediately feels the peace and energy of this very special place.

Ellen Peterson was a fierce, protective voice for all living creatures on
Earth: human, animal, and plant. She championed many social causes, such as
equal rights for women and fair wages for farm workers. She advocated for
those who could not speak for themselves. Her absence is profound. She will
be grieved for and missed. While the environmental community has suffered a
great loss with her passing, we are inspired by her courage, her bright
sense of humor, her compassion and her absolute dedication to service. Ellen
is our hero!

Ellen wanted two going-away celebrations to be held: one in Estero and one
at Fisheating Creek. Public invitations to these celebrations will be
announced as soon as all of the arrangements have been made.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Happehatchee Center, P.O. Box
345 Estero, Florida 33929-0345 or Save Our Creeks, P.O. Box 135, Palmdale,
Florida 33944.