Joe Browder wasn’t born a Floridian, but no one fought harder for its wild heart. Born in 1938 and raised in Minnesota, Browder began his career as a television reporter before making a life-changing shift to conservation advocacy. By the 1960s, he had moved to Miami and immersed himself in the state’s environmental issues, specifically the looming destruction of south Florida’s wetlands. Outspoken, relentless, and deeply strategic, Browder became a central figure in Florida’s environmental movement. He worked closely with Marjory Stoneman Douglas, helped organize national support for saving the Everglades, and took the fight from grassroots meetings to the halls of Congress.
His legacy? One of Florida’s greatest conservation wins: the protection of Big Cypress Swamp. In the 1970s, Browder led the charge against plans to drain and develop Big Cypress for a massive Miami jetport. Had it been built, it would have destroyed more than 39,000 acres of irreplaceable wetlands—home to Florida panthers, black bears, and countless wading birds. Thanks to Browder’s organizing, political pressure mounted until the Nixon administration canceled the project. That land would later become Big Cypress National Preserve, the first of its kind in the U.S. National Park system. Browder also played a role in the creation of Biscayne National Park and was an early voice pushing for stronger protections for endangered species.
At our Foundation, we share Browder’s vision of a wild, thriving Florida. His legacy lives on through our work to conserve wildlife and restore iconic ecosystems like the Everglades and Big Cypress. Through our support of Florida panther research and habitat protection, and our investments in habitat restoration, we are building on the foundation Browder helped lay more than 50 years ago.
This Earth Day, you can help carry on Joe Browder’s legacy by leaving your own mark on Florida’s future. Join those who are including the Foundation in their estate plans and help ensure wild Florida stays wild. It’s easy to get started with our free will-writing tool.
