John Metcalf has always been drawn to water, whether the Mississippi River in St. Louis, the Atchafalaya Swamp in Louisiana, or the St. Johns River in Florida. As an angler in the St Johns River for 40 years, he’s observed numerous changes in the habitat, including the loss of eelgrass. But it would always bounce back.
Following Hurricane Matthew in 2016, he noticed that the vegetation did not recover. And the effects of those losses are being felt throughout the ecosystem. Fish have lost their habitats, manatees have lost their food source, and the water has lost an important component of its filtration system.
John recently donated to our campaign to replant eelgrass beds in the Indian River Lagoon in response to this year’s manatee deaths. “I didn’t see anyone else doing this type of habitat restoration, and I knew how important it is,” shared John. Join John and others today by donating to restore essential Florida habitat not only in the Indian River Lagoon but across the state.
