SANIBEL, FL (April 6, 2021) – To celebrate its current “H2O Art Exhibition”, on display at the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum through April 30, 2021, the Museum is continuing its free lecture series on water.

The next lecture will be given virtually via Zoom at 5pm on April 22, 2021, by Cynthia Barnett, Award-Winning Environmental Journalist. “Water defines us as Floridians no matter where we live: Idyllic beaches surround us on three sides,” Cynthia explains. “Rivers and streams flow for ten thousand miles through the peninsula. We’re blessed with nearly eight thousand lakes and a thousand more freshwater springs – the largest concentration of artesian springs in the world. Florida’s economy and idyllic lifestyle are built on a foundation of pure and plentiful water. Yet the latest generation of Floridians has not inherited waters as clean and abundant as when they were born.”

In her program titled “Blue Revolution: A Water Ethic for America & Florida”, Cynthia shows audiences how one of the most water-rich states in the nation could come to face water quality and scarcity woes—and how it doesn’t have to be this way. With a shared ethic for water, Floridians come together to use less and pollute less, and work with nature as we prepare for sea-rise and the other tremors of a changing climate. Cynthia describes how Florida can live well with water today, in ways that don’t jeopardize fresh, clean water for our children, ecosystems, and businesses tomorrow.

Registration for the lecture series can be found at ShellMuseum.org/h2o-lecture-series.

The Museum’s goal for the H2O lecture series and art exhibition collaboration is to build momentum on addressing the great importance of water quality to our ecosystem. The exhibition can be viewed during regular Museum hours (with paid admission). Most artwork on display will be offered for sale to the public at a labeled price set by the artist, and a commission will be donated to the Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum.

About the Museum: The Bailey-Matthews National Shell Museum is a Natural History Museum, and the only museum in the United States devoted solely to shells and mollusks. Their mission is to connect people to the natural world through their love of shells and the marvelous animals that create them. Their collections, programs, and expertise inspire learning, support scientific research, tell the story of mollusks, and the ocean that they inhabit. There are more mollusks in the oceans than all marine mammals and fish species combined, and mollusks are becoming extinct faster than they can be named due to climate change, ocean acidification, and pollution. For more information on the Museum, please visit www.shellmuseum.org or call (239) 395-2233.

MEDIA CONTACT:
José Leal
jleal@shellmuseum.org
(239) 395-2233