MIAMI – February 4, 2025 – The Everglades Foundation is celebrating a significant honor bestowed upon Mary Barley, a Founding Director of the Foundation. This weekend, the noted philanthropist and activist was inducted into the prestigious Hall of Fame at the annual conference of the Everglades Coalition. The Coalition created the Hall of Fame in 2003 to recognize individuals who have made a substantial, lifetime commitment to Everglades restoration.
“For three decades, Mary Barley’s commitment to the restoration and protection of America’s Everglades has been unwavering,” said The Everglades Foundation’s CEO Eric Eikenberg. “She and her late husband, George Barley, brought unparalleled passion and dedication to saving the global treasure.”
Mary was integral in the passage of a Florida constitutional amendment requiring polluters to bear the cost of cleaning up the effects of their pollution. She also was instrumental in helping achieve the bipartisan Congressional passage of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP). The landmark legislation authorized the world’s largest ecosystem restoration effort and continues to guide restoration projects today.
Mary served as Board Chair of The Everglades Foundation from 1995 through 2002, was Vice Chair from 2003 to 2012, and remains a vital member of the Board today. She has served on the World Wildlife National Council since 2007, and its Marine Leadership Committee since 1996. She has also served on the Boards of the National Parks Conservation Association, the Everglades Trust, the Atlantic Salmon Federation, Clean Water Action, the Sierra Foundation, the Florida Keys History and Discovery Foundation, and the Community Foundation of the Florida Keys.
Mary joins her late husband George Barley as the only couple to be inducted into the Everglades Coalition’s Hall of Fame. She also joins other legendary Everglades champions like Nathaniel Reed and Marjory Stoneman Douglas in receiving this prestigious recognition.
Honored twice by Time magazine – as a “Hero of the Planet” and in a feature on Women’s History Month – Mary has been recognized as an honorary member of the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians, and named a “Game Changer” by Women in Wild Atlantic Salmon and Environmental Conservation. Mary has twice been recognized on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives, once during Women’s History Month as “an outstanding individual and someone who has continuously supported South Florida and the Everglades,” and recently for her celebrated induction into the Everglades Coalition Hall of Fame.
“Mary Barley has been more than a beacon guiding the work of The Everglades Foundation,” said Eikenberg. “She has inspired generations of future conservationists who have been fortunate to learn from her passion and dedication to America’s Everglades. She has set the highest standards while remaining approachable to those seeking her guidance. There is no one more deserving of the honor of being inducted into the Everglades Coalition’s Hall of Fame than Mary Barley.”
About the Everglades Foundation
The Everglades Foundation is committed to the restoration and protection of America’s Everglades through science, advocacy, and education. Founded in 1993 by two outdoor enthusiasts – Paul Tudor Jones II and the late George Barley – The Everglades Foundation works tirelessly to bring people together and provide a powerful bipartisan voice for Everglades restoration. The Foundation’s team includes renowned scientists, experienced educators, policy experts, and professionals in communications. By coupling this breadth of expertise with a passion for restoration, The Everglades Foundation is leading the effort to restore and protect the flow of clean freshwater to the Everglades through the world’s largest ecosystem restoration project.
Learn more at EvergladesFoundation.org.
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