Clay Henderson To Discuss A History of Florida Conservation
Part the Florida Lecture Series
Oct 2, 2023
The Lawton M. Chiles Jr., Center for Florida History welcomes environmental lawyer, educator, historian, and writer Clay Henderson to the Florida Lecture Series on October 5.
Known for drafting or sponsoring many of the environmental provisions of the Florida Constitution, Henderson will discuss his new book Forces of Nature: A History of Florida Land Conservation (2022), which tells the tale of Florida's place at the beginning of the American conservation movement and celebrates the individuals and organizations that made the Sunshine State a leader in conservation and preservation.
The program will begin at 7 p.m. in Branscomb Auditorium on the Florida Southern College campus. The event is free and open to the public. A book signing will follow the lecture.
Over his long career as a lawyer, educator, and author, Henderson sponsored or co-authored most of the natural resource protection provisions in the Florida Constitution, including Amendment 1, the largest voter-approved conservation funding initiative in our nation's history. He led the development of nationally recognized land conservation programs, including Volusia Forever (1986 and 2000), Florida Communities Trust (1990), Preservation 2000 (1991) and Florida Forever (1999). He has negotiated over 300,000 acres of land now part of national and state parks, forests, and wildlife refuges—as well as critical elements of the Everglades Restoration. He has taught at the University of Central Florida, Rollins College, and Stetson University, where he was the director of the Institute of Water and Environmental Resilience.
"As a sixth-generation Floridian and a warrior for Florida's environment, Clay Henderson brings passion, commitment, and real achievement to his work," said Florida Southern College History Professor and the Director of the Lawton M. Chiles Jr., Center for Florida History James Denham. "We are delighted to welcome him as this year's Stahl lecturer."
On November 16, The Center for Florida History will welcome architect Jeff Baker to discuss Frank Lloyd Wright and the Florida Southern College Campus — Past, Present, and Future.