Stel Bailey: Florida's own Erin Brockovich-style citizen scientist documents manatee deaths and water quality

Stel Bailey is a citizen scientist and cancer cluster survivor who spent the last year documenting the unprecedented starvation deaths of a record number of manatees around the state of Florida. She describes the heartbreaking experience of watching manatee carcasses get disposed of as simple trash, and the fight to stop the massive pollution of Florida’s waterways. She says - and scientists concur - that manateees are starving to death because there has been a widespread die-off of seagrass beds around the state. That’s the manatee’s main food source. And scientists say the sea grass is dying off because of nutrient pollution in Florida’s bays and estuaries. 

Transcript

00:00:02:10 - 00:00:16:20
Unknown
Welcome to the nature of Florida, the Sunshine State's only podcast dedicated to its wild and natural places and the fight to preserve them. I'm your host, Oscar Corral, a two time Emmy Award winning filmmaker and journalist. I've dedicated much of my career to making films about environmental issues.

00:00:16:21 - 00:00:32:17
Unknown
Tune in each week to hear from a broad range of voices from scientists to surfers, activists to mermaids who are working on the front lines to save what's left of Florida's natural beauty and its wildlife. Hi everyone, and welcome to another episode of The Nature of Florida podcast.

00:00:33:02 - 00:00:51:12
Unknown
With me here today, Stel Bailey. Stel is a citizen scientist and cancer cluster survivor who has spent much of the last year documenting the unprecedented starvation deaths of manatees across the state of Florida. Still fuels. Her cancer was attributed to polluted water that her and her family were exposed to near the Cape Canaveral area.

00:00:52:07 - 00:01:07:16
Unknown
Several people in her family were diagnosed with rare cancer. Even her dog was diagnosed with cancer. Today, she's an advocate for clean water in Florida and an outspoken environmental advocate. Welcome still. Thank you for having me, Oscar. I really appreciate you inviting me to this podcast.

00:01:08:20 - 00:01:29:20
Unknown
Tell me about your work with the manatees. I understand that you have been out there on your own, on boats. And what what are you doing out there? Well, it all began at the end of 2020. There was a 7 million gallons sewage spill in one of the cities here in Brevard County, Titusville, to be exact.

00:01:30:09 - 00:01:52:08
Unknown
And we began documenting that because we feel it's really important to document environmental issues, to bring awareness and to let people know how it impacts our water quality. And as we were documenting that in about January, a month later, we started noticing deceased manatees washing ashore along the entire Indian River lagoon.

00:01:52:08 - 00:02:17:09
Unknown
And so we just began asking our community and our team members to start calling it in to FWC because there were so many that were washing up, we felt that something unusual was occurring. And so that's what began our journey of of watching this unusual mortality event with the manatees.

00:02:17:10 - 00:02:42:15
Unknown
We we started getting on boats and, and doing some wildlife monitoring and watching and just documenting everything that was occurring. And the more that we saw, the more we started unfolding the unusual events of them dying. This was something that began with a sewage spill in in your county.

00:02:42:15 - 00:02:57:20
Unknown
And do you feel that there's a link between the sewage spill and the manatee deaths? Yes. And I'll tell you why. It's not just the sewage spills, but the sewage spills are a part of the pollution. And the pollution has killed all of our seagrass in the water.

00:02:57:20 - 00:03:21:04
Unknown
And the reason why the manatees are facing such a horrible, long starvation is because we no longer have seagrass in the seagrass is gone because of the pollution. So it's all connected. And so we tried to tell people the manatee issue is a symptom of the pollution and what's been occurring with our waterways for decades now.

00:03:22:18 - 00:03:37:22
Unknown
And when you were out there actually monitoring manatees and finding them dead, what was that like for you? I mean, a manatees, a large animal. To find one of these large animals dead is it's you know, it's like seeing a body out there.

00:03:38:04 - 00:03:53:16
Unknown
Tell me tell me about that experience for you. You know, when we first started doing it, we were actually helping the agency with locating and calling in the manatees. And which agency? The FWC, Florida Wildlife, Fish and Wildlife.

00:03:55:00 - 00:04:06:11
Unknown
But in the beginning, it was happening so fast that I don't think we had time to think, to be honest with you. It wasn't until about a year into it that the gravity of everything that we've witnessed has hit.

00:04:06:11 - 00:04:19:24
Unknown
And still now I'm processing it all because it's just so devastating to look back and to see that manatees were being pulled out of our waterways and still are on a daily basis. And we're not talking about just one.

00:04:19:24 - 00:04:38:20
Unknown
We're talking about multiple manatees a day. And for me, it's just gut wrenching because. It shows the the issues and what we're facing here on Florida's east coast and I'm sure across the state of Florida. But here is where my home is.

00:04:38:20 - 00:04:59:00
Unknown
And so to think about this happening, you know, not even 5 minutes from my backyard, my backyard is up against the Indian River Lagoon. I can, you know, drive right there in. And so that's how I was able to document this so well, because I live right here and yeah, to see it, it's still you still don't

00:04:59:01 - 00:05:15:17
Unknown
you never get used to it. You never get used to seeing it. When they pull them, they tie them up to the docks, they crank them into those trailers and then they take them off to a landfill. And originally we had learned and found that they were taking them to an island in the middle of the lagoon

00:05:15:17 - 00:05:35:09
Unknown
and piling them up there. And that made national news, which also helped us push for the unusual mortality event. And we were we were lucky because I have to mention it took numerous advocacy groups and advocates coming together and becoming one voice to really push for that.

00:05:35:09 - 00:05:52:12
Unknown
You and me. What do you mean by you, Amy? Unusual mortality event? Yes, the unusual mortality event. Are you speaking on behalf of, like a voting organization that you're a member of? Yeah, I would. I'm speaking on behalf of our organization, which is called Fight for Zero.

00:05:52:12 - 00:06:11:05
Unknown
And also I'm speaking on behalf of all the other advocates that have their groups and organizations. Again, we always try to collaborate and create those allies to really help amplify our voices. Tell me about tell me about those allies up there in in the northeast coast of Florida.

00:06:11:05 - 00:06:27:03
Unknown
The area you're talking about, just so our listeners kind of have a better idea, is the area surrounding Cape Canaveral, which is the seat of Nassau, where Nassau, the National Aeronautics Space Administration, I think that's what it stands for, is located.

00:06:27:03 - 00:06:45:06
Unknown
And so that's the area from where rockets have been launched for the last 60 years from that spot. And it's it's about, I'd say, about 250, 200 miles, 250 miles north of Miami and about 100 miles south of Jacksonville, roughly maybe 80 miles south of Jacksonville, something like that.

00:06:45:06 - 00:07:05:16
Unknown
But it's on the east coast of Florida, and there's a lot of manatees there that, you know, that seek warm water in the winter. And there and their populations have been stable somewhat. But in the last year or two, you know, with the seagrass die off, there's just been this mass starvation of manatees in Florida.

00:07:05:23 - 00:07:20:11
Unknown
And they're so iconic to talk to me about the iconic stature of manatees in the state. Well, everybody loves it. We are tourists when they come here. They come here to go see manatees. They come here to see our wildlife.

00:07:21:11 - 00:07:34:00
Unknown
You know, manatees are extremely magical to a lot of people when they see them. There's a there's a canal here in Bovard County where they get warm during the winter and hundreds of people come here from across the state.

00:07:34:00 - 00:07:50:02
Unknown
People that are visiting Orlando will go to this canal and just to see the manatees huddled up together. And I went to that canal during this entire thing because I wanted people to know that I enjoyed them, that we need to protect them.

00:07:50:05 - 00:08:05:09
Unknown
We need to protect this wildlife because, you know, they they don't deserve what's going on. This is a human issue that it was created by humans. Right. So if we can educate. I really believe that we can turn this around.

00:08:05:10 - 00:08:20:23
Unknown
But I don't think people realize how in danger our manatees are in Florida. And I even said recently at a commissioner meeting that I'm seeing the beginning of signs of extinction with them, especially here on the East Coast.

00:08:22:02 - 00:08:43:10
Unknown
Manatees were endangered, considered endangered until the last presidential administration, when they were removed from the endangered species list and considered threatened, which is still not a great designation, but they were not on the verge of extinction. And there's something like I think I've read there's an estimated 7500 left in the wild.

00:08:43:20 - 00:09:03:02
Unknown
And this last season, a thousand have died approximately. What does that tell you about the direction we're headed? It tells me that I'm scared for my children's future and that I don't think that they're going to see manatees if we don't do something and step up and and take a different direction with what we're doing with not

00:09:03:02 - 00:09:20:24
Unknown
just our wildlife, but our water quality, our environment. And I'm just so disappointed with everything that I've seen unfold throughout this work. I mean, and they're not really saving them the way that they say that they are. You know, feeding them some lettuce isn't going to do it.

00:09:21:14 - 00:09:35:02
Unknown
We even had a commissioner recently suggest that we hunt them to help save our water quality. How is that how did he rationalize that, that they're pooping in our water or something? Is that what he. Well, that's part of it.

00:09:35:11 - 00:09:52:00
Unknown
He rationalized that by saying, we're never going to be able to get sea grass growth again with them eating all of the sea grass. They're eating it faster than we can grow it. And, you know, it's really disheartening for me to see that kind of information go out to the community because there are people that really, really

00:09:52:00 - 00:10:11:06
Unknown
will take that and believe it and think that we should be sure manatees and putting them on a plate next to mashed potatoes. And it's really ridiculous. It's it's a horrible direction, especially as a leader. You are held at a standard and you should be responsible with your words and what you put out to the general public

00:10:11:06 - 00:10:26:12
Unknown
. And when it comes to our environment or wildlife especially, we got to educate our public. You know, that's a good point. And misinformation is nothing new. People are using it more and more to try to lie to people and get them to believe some untruth and some lie about why something is happening.

00:10:26:12 - 00:10:39:01
Unknown
So let's set the record straight. Let's talk about what's happening to the water quality and the seagrass in the state of Florida, because I have done some research on this for my documentaries and I and I know that you have for your own environmental work.

00:10:39:11 - 00:11:03:19
Unknown
So I'm just going to just quickly put it out there. What's happening to the water quality is that nutrients from different sources, whether it's from agricultural runoff or septic tanks or urban land use or whatever it is, that water eventually makes its way into the ocean, either either through the aquifer or through runoff canals that are cut

00:11:03:20 - 00:11:22:21
Unknown
through all sections of the whole state have canals that lead to the ocean, and those canals are often filled with runoff from different sources. That water is carrying very, very high levels of nutrients that eventually make their way into the ocean, into the bays and trigger algae blooms.

00:11:23:05 - 00:11:32:14
Unknown
Am I on am I on the right track here? Still, is that more or less what's happening? Yeah, I call it feeding the algae blooms. Right. Because everybody's like, Oh, well, that's normal. Well, we have a normal amount.

00:11:32:14 - 00:11:50:04
Unknown
But then we have where we feed the harmful algae blooms, the nitrogen and phosphorus that comes from various different sources. And that's why we say stop the source of pollution. And if we could all just come together as Floridians and also hold the corporations accountable that are contributing to this issue.

00:11:50:04 - 00:12:05:08
Unknown
But yes, we feed those algae blooms and they they grow out of control and then they block sunlight. They kill off plant life, they dissolve the oxygen drops, and then we've got dead fish. And that's why our fisheries are impacted.

00:12:05:08 - 00:12:18:19
Unknown
I mean, it's just it's like a domino effect, right? It just continues to affect and it goes up the chain. And now we're at. Manages. So people really need to think about that because we're we're at the top of that food chain.

00:12:18:20 - 00:12:38:09
Unknown
You know, once once those nutrients reach these estuaries in these bays, it's like it's like throwing fertilizer on an algae bloom. There's all there's naturally occurring algae in all these places. But once all these nutrient rich waters reach that area, it's like tossing a bunch of fertilizer into the water and the algae just explodes.

00:12:38:18 - 00:12:53:05
Unknown
And it grows so much that the lake can't get through the water down to the bottom where the seagrass grows so it suffocates the life of the bay. And so what ends up happening is that the water at the bottom of the bays and the estuaries and all these places in Florida, because because it's happening in South

00:12:53:05 - 00:13:08:12
Unknown
Florida as well, becomes kind of a mucky, muddy bottom. There's no more seagrass down there. And the seagrass is where not just, you know, manatees feed, but where crabs hide and where fish breed and where they, you know, they spawn and give birth to new fish.

00:13:08:19 - 00:13:19:10
Unknown
It's it's so important for the ecosystem. And these seagrass die offs are happening all up and down the East Coast. What do you think needs to be done still at the leadership level to help this issue and to correct it?

00:13:20:01 - 00:13:32:06
Unknown
Well, first and foremost, I think leaders need to practice what they preach. They're telling all of the residents, oh, well, don't use fertilizers when they're using fertilizers themselves, when they're telling us that we need to be updating our septic tanks.

00:13:32:06 - 00:13:45:13
Unknown
And these are all things that we need to be doing, but they need to practice what they preach and do the same thing and lead by example. And so, I mean, it's a complex issue. I think we need to stop pointing the finger at one source because there's multiple sources of pollution.

00:13:45:19 - 00:14:00:23
Unknown
But I think that if they let everybody come to the table advocates, activists, scientists, we need more science brought into this issue. Oftentimes, I see leaders that have no idea about the science and they're not listening to the scientists.

00:14:00:23 - 00:14:13:02
Unknown
And so if we could just get everybody to the table to come with solutions, but most importantly, I always say stop the sources of pollution. If we continue to pollute the water faster than we can clean it up, we're never going to get anywhere.

00:14:13:02 - 00:14:25:12
Unknown
That new seagrass that you plant, it's going to die. You know, same thing with other projects that happen throughout our waterways, whether it's putting clams in there, those will also die if we do not stop the sources of pollution.

00:14:25:12 - 00:14:45:20
Unknown
So we've really got to address whether it's sewage, whether it's chemicals. We have a chemical addiction here in the state of Florida, and I think we really need to get aggressive in addressing that issue. It seems like there's been a failure of leadership at the state level where people who are in charge in Florida are almost completely

00:14:45:21 - 00:15:00:07
Unknown
just. Doing whatever the large corporations want. They're beholden to what the large corporations want done. If the large corporations don't like limits on fertilizer use, for example. They're going to pass some sort of law that prohibits local communities from passing fertilizer ordinances.

00:15:00:08 - 00:15:18:08
Unknown
In other words, it's not just that they're they're not doing anything themselves. The leadership at the state level, they're actually preventing local governments from doing anything at the local level. They're tying their hands with preemptive legislation that would overrule basically local governments to do things about the pollution.

00:15:18:10 - 00:15:37:13
Unknown
It's it's it's sad. But but I feel like if people knew about this, you know, if people knew more about this, they might make a change and they might start thinking about their leaders in a different light. And and that's why I feel the purpose of this podcast could serve a role like that.

00:15:37:16 - 00:15:53:09
Unknown
Just to let people know that these things are happening. I mean, tell me about the documentation of the manatees. You you snapped a lot of pictures and you're getting ready to put them out there. Tell me about about what what you photographed out there and the proof that you have of all this.

00:15:53:18 - 00:16:11:02
Unknown
I, you know, I felt is so important. What we did is we put together a because everything we do is community driven. And so we tell people, this is how you can help. Document. Document. Document. Take photos, take videos and post it and post it and send it to your leaders.

00:16:11:02 - 00:16:31:20
Unknown
Send it to your representatives. We sent 200 muck jars to Tallahassee to prove a point about, you know, how they were dumping sewage. And then at the same time, we had this manatee issue happening. But our pictures, as hard as it was, we've got so many different images of them being cranked into the trailers.

00:16:32:01 - 00:16:48:13
Unknown
We've also taken lots of videos, video footage of this, and we did a lot of livestreaming. And we continue to do livestreaming and we will have these conversations and it's really brought mass awareness. Sometimes people don't believe this is happening unless they see it.

00:16:48:20 - 00:17:08:00
Unknown
And so we took different avenues in documenting that, whether it was photography, the radiography or livestreaming to kind of put it in everybody's faces. Because we're like, if we have to stand here and witness this in our backyards, I think everyone else needs to see what what we're seeing with our own two eyes, because oftentimes you'll see

00:17:08:06 - 00:17:29:02
Unknown
how leaders will gaslight communities and say what you're seeing isn't real, what what you're experiencing isn't real. You're being too emotional. And it's it's not this. It's not that at all. It's this is what's really happening. And you're not going to tell me what I'm seeing is that I'm not seeing it.

00:17:29:03 - 00:17:45:22
Unknown
So I think having that documentation also backs that up. What you're seeing a still you you've often been compared to Erin Brockovich, kind of like Florida's Erin Brockovich, a water advocate who's out there clamoring for better and safer water quality for everybody.

00:17:46:07 - 00:18:02:19
Unknown
And I would imagine that your experience, your own experience with cancer that you beat and also that that hit your family helped shape that point of view for you. Tell me about your experience, what happened with the cancer cluster in your family and in your community?

00:18:03:08 - 00:18:19:21
Unknown
Yeah, I, I never set out if you talk to me years ago about the position I'm in now, I would have been like, You're crazy. That's never going to happen. Back in 2013. My uncle, who is not blood related, but he lived with us.

00:18:20:07 - 00:18:30:06
Unknown
He was diagnosed with cancer and passed fairly fast. Then our family dog got cancer and passed. My little brother at the age of 21 got cancer. Three months later I got the same exact cancer as my little brother.

00:18:30:06 - 00:18:43:20
Unknown
And then my father was diagnosed with cancer. And our case was so unique that we would have specialists and experts and you name it, constantly coming into my room while I was getting chemotherapy, asking me, Where did you grow up?

00:18:43:21 - 00:18:58:16
Unknown
They were so intrigued with where I grew up, and I also had genetic testing done because they were so convinced that our cancer just wasn't normal, that they wanted to do genetic testing to see if we had any genes.

00:18:58:17 - 00:19:13:05
Unknown
And we didn't we didn't have anything that came back. And then they also documented it in my medical records that it was likely environmental cause cancer. And so that led me on, I guess what you would say, an Erin Brockovich journey, something that I don't think anybody anticipates to be in this position.

00:19:13:05 - 00:19:27:02
Unknown
I always say that because sometimes it just it's surreal what I've been through and what I've done about it. Like, it's just for me, it was a passion. It was I can't explain it. I cannot explain this path that I was given.

00:19:27:02 - 00:19:42:03
Unknown
But I went full Erin Brockovich. I went and knocked on doors. I collected medical diagnoses from my my classmates people I grew up with, my neighbors. I just started I didn't know what I was doing. I just started doing in-depth research.

00:19:42:03 - 00:20:02:04
Unknown
And I just knew that I had to investigate this. And in the process of doing that, I learned that there are in 2018, a Department of Defense report came out and I learned that we had. The third highest levels of perfluorinated compounds.

00:20:02:04 - 00:20:22:23
Unknown
You can also call that PFA. The PFA. Sure. Yeah. In the nation. In our area. Because of NASA, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and Patrick Space Force Base, they use the firefighting foam on their active installations that were washed that was washed into our waterways, which essentially got into the groundwater and into our drinking water.

00:20:23:10 - 00:20:41:10
Unknown
And this stuff is nasty. It has extensive scientific studies on it that has linked it to health issues, including cancer. And so I was able to go to Washington, D.C. a few times, Tallahassee, and I've testified with our family's story on numerous occasions with the EPA.

00:20:41:10 - 00:20:55:00
Unknown
And I continue to push for better regulations when it comes to chemicals in general. And that's why the manatee issue and all these other issues with water, because it's all connected. And if it's impacting our wildlife and it's impacting our environment, it's impacting us.

00:20:55:21 - 00:21:09:15
Unknown
That's so scary to be in a situation where suddenly, you know, the people all around you are all being diagnosed with cancer and and trying to look for answers. You're still with us, which is wonderful. Glad you made it.

00:21:10:03 - 00:21:28:04
Unknown
And and I think that you've turned to advocacy because you had this life experience that shaped you when you were young. And and for other people out there who are wondering what's happening in Florida, what's happening to their water, what can you tell them about what they know and what they should know?

00:21:29:19 - 00:21:44:14
Unknown
What they know? Well, a lot of times what they know is what they see. A lot of people don't realize that sometimes it's the invisible chemicals that you can't see, whether it's herbicides, fertilizers or even device that's washing into your waterways.

00:21:44:22 - 00:22:00:01
Unknown
And what you need to know is that our aquifer is extremely sensitive. We our groundwater is easily contaminated. And every time you have a water boil notice, it means that you could be getting that groundwater that's contaminated into your drinking water.

00:22:00:08 - 00:22:20:15
Unknown
And so I always advocate for science. I think that we really did a great, phenomenal job here as a team, as a community, embracing the science and getting the answers through that. I don't think we would be as far as we are if we didn't basically use the same exact resources that our government uses as far as

00:22:20:15 - 00:22:43:04
Unknown
that goes. So test your water and be aware and safeguard your children because they're the most vulnerable when it comes to these kinds of chemicals and pollution issues. They're still growing. They drink much more than we do. And so if you care about your family, start learning about our water quality issues.

00:22:43:04 - 00:22:57:19
Unknown
And I feel like if you start making changes for your family, you're going to start making changes for the environment. And it's a win win situation all around. What can people do to help safeguard themselves? Well, number one, filter your water.

00:22:57:20 - 00:23:10:21
Unknown
I'm not an advocate of bottled water because I think that's a whole nother subject that we could get into as far as waste. But I say take matters into your own hands. For instance, I filter my own drinking water and shower water.

00:23:10:21 - 00:23:23:12
Unknown
And so that's something simple that you can do to take the power back. You know, it's and that's why it's so important to me to educate communities, because I want to give them the power of knowing you don't have a choice if you don't know the truth.

00:23:25:05 - 00:23:37:07
Unknown
It's so important for people to become informed on the issues that they're facing, not just environmentally, but on all issues. Newspapers used to serve a really important role in their communities and inform people about issues they were facing.

00:23:37:07 - 00:23:53:18
Unknown
But the media, the journalism media, the news media, especially newspapers, have been in decline for about 20 years or 25 years. And so that source of information has become much weaker and and just just less than it was before.

00:23:53:18 - 00:24:08:06
Unknown
They're just there's just not as much reporting or investigative reporting as there used to be. So people often have to look for answers themselves. Is there a way that people can test their water, that they might be able to discover what's in it and if anything, is harming them?

00:24:09:00 - 00:24:24:17
Unknown
Yes. So what's so great about living in 2022 is we didn't have resources like this years ago, but there are now some really phenomenal companies coming out with the ability to do at home testing, but also on a laboratory level.

00:24:24:17 - 00:24:42:07
Unknown
Right. Because you can go get the water strips from anywhere really at your local home improvement store and dip your your stick in there and get your basics, your hard water, your iron and things like that. But if you want to see if there's PBS, for instance, because that is a world wide issue right now, you could

00:24:42:07 - 00:24:53:11
Unknown
go to, for instance, TAPS for is one of the many companies now out there where you can order a kit. They send it in the mail and you take the water sample. They have the instructions. It's so easy.

00:24:53:11 - 00:25:02:17
Unknown
You put it back in the box, you put the label on, they give you the label and you just send it off in the mail. You take it down to a UPS store and then they analyze it and they send you your results.

00:25:03:07 - 00:25:16:19
Unknown
Well, that would help put put some people at ease, I would imagine, testing the water and knowing what's in it, because it's not just you know, it's not just H2O. There's a lot of trace chemicals that you're drinking that people don't even know about often.

00:25:17:06 - 00:25:32:11
Unknown
And and so what are you doing now? What's your what's your next move? Are you still documenting the manatee deaths? Yeah, I'm still documenting the manatee this week. We're still seeing them pull them out. Now they're dispersed from the heating areas because they heat up certain areas during the winter.

00:25:32:12 - 00:25:52:23
Unknown
And so they're finding them more north because they're they're traveling, but they're still malnourished and sick that it's just it's horrible what's going on with them. And so we're still working on that. We're trying to meet with our local representatives to get them to advocate for long term solutions because there are no long term solutions.

00:25:52:23 - 00:26:06:19
Unknown
We've contacted the Florida Fish and Wildlife Agency and they've they did the the feeding program for a few months. And now there's there's nothing. So we're just trying to understand, you know, what? What is the long term solution?

00:26:06:19 - 00:26:21:16
Unknown
Which are we going to find a way to save some of these manatees or what? You know, so we're trying to meet with them. And so we'll see what happens there. Maybe presents some different options and ideas to to really just combat this issue.

00:26:21:17 - 00:26:35:02
Unknown
It's such a large issue, though. It's it's very difficult. Yeah. And the state agencies are often unresponsive or not able or willing to tackle the origins of the problem. And so that creates other problems. You're a citizen scientist.

00:26:35:03 - 00:26:52:18
Unknown
How did you learn how to do all these things and what do you do as a citizen scientist? Yeah, so I actually started signing up for all kinds of workshops. So there's certified laboratories. At the time it was called Test America, and so I did quite a few of their workshops where they teach you the proper methods

00:26:52:18 - 00:27:16:00
Unknown
to going out and sampling for things like perfluorinated compounds. And now we use it turned into your vents. So that's what they're known as now. So I learned a lot that way. I learned a lot by doing hands on and I'm super grateful to the experts who stepped up to help us are environmental scientists, are our professors

00:27:16:01 - 00:27:33:07
Unknown
at the university. And so I just really reached out and asked, I ask, can you teach me? I want to learn and I want to know how to do this. And I want to be able to help safeguard my my community by providing them the information and the data that they deserve.

00:27:33:07 - 00:27:47:24
Unknown
And so that's what we started doing. So right now I'm in a three year study with the University of Florida for P Fast. And so we go around the entire county taking surface water samples, which is basically just the river, the top of the river.

00:27:48:04 - 00:28:03:14
Unknown
We take some of that sample and then they analyze it and they're going to try to do a peer reviewed study. They're going to release that after the three years. And so we do that. And then we also buy our own kits and we come up with different projects.

00:28:03:14 - 00:28:18:04
Unknown
So for instance, we did a one that was called the Drinking Water Fountain Project, and we went across the county to every like park that you would see kids drinking water fountains at around playgrounds because we wanted to see what was lurking in their drinking water.

00:28:18:04 - 00:28:36:20
Unknown
And so we did that and we we found perfluorinated compounds that way. And so information is. Powerful, and that's all we've ever asked for. And I felt when my family's case came out and we started investigating this, there was a whole lot of, you know, you're just being paranoid.

00:28:36:20 - 00:28:54:20
Unknown
It's safe, it's you know, you're being overdramatic. And so we really had to take everything in our own hands. And we had the burden of proving that it wasn't safe because they they didn't they didn't have to prove it was safe because a lot of these chemicals aren't regulated, which is really important to know.

00:28:54:21 - 00:29:13:24
Unknown
Keep wasn't regulated at the time. It has a 70 parts per trillion limit, legal limit. But but but it's not enforceable. See, they play on all of these words. So I think it's important people do know that. And another thing for them to know is a lot of the limits set at the state level.

00:29:13:24 - 00:29:26:22
Unknown
At the state level isn't health protective. It's set based on what you were saying earlier, the lobbyists, the chemical lobbyists that go up there and say, well, we would like this allowable limit, and then they argue it with their science.

00:29:27:04 - 00:29:46:06
Unknown
And so then we have to step in as citizens and say, well, these toxicologists say different and you're literally battling their science with with you know. Well, we I don't think any limit of chemicals should be allowed in our water, but that's why so so corporations out there are the ones that are determining how many chemicals we

00:29:46:06 - 00:30:06:22
Unknown
can tolerate in our water based on absolutely nothing but their own public relations science that is extremely questionable because it's very self-serving. So. So if a company is pumping chemicals into our atmosphere, they can go to our state government and tell them, hey, we need we need you to allow us to pump plenty of these chemicals to

00:30:06:22 - 00:30:20:22
Unknown
the atmosphere. It's not going to hurt anybody until we reach, you know, these levels. And, of course, those levels will probably never be reached or or is difficult to determine how high those levels are and how they would affect people without some experimentation.

00:30:21:07 - 00:30:38:20
Unknown
So people people out there, I don't think, understand how vulnerable they are to chemicals because very few chemicals are actually regulated in our in our drinking water and in our air. And and the ones that are not regulated, the ones that that people don't know about are often the most harmful ones because they're new and because you

00:30:38:20 - 00:30:59:12
Unknown
can't smell them or taste them, they're just kind of out there. And before, you know, you might be exposed to them for a prolonged period and not even know it. I find it to be a little disturbing that there's that there's this kind of a laissez faire attitude about exposure to chemicals and and how they can affect

00:30:59:13 - 00:31:10:22
Unknown
different people. But for you, it's not all it's not all serious science. You also, you know, like to have fun out there. You go camping. What are some of the natural places you like to visit and that you've visited lately?

00:31:11:18 - 00:31:23:12
Unknown
Oh, my goodness. Yes, I love adventure. I've always been an outdoors girl. I grew up in the country with my dad and my brothers. And so we went for we and we used to go boating and kayaking and paddleboarding.

00:31:23:12 - 00:31:38:17
Unknown
And so anything with hiking, I've, you know, I have two children. And so when they were born, I had them in sashes in front of me and I was hiking the Grand Canyon, for instance. And they know adventure, they know how to do primitive camping.

00:31:39:12 - 00:31:51:10
Unknown
And it's just always been a big part of my life. I have to reset by going out in the middle of the woods. Sometimes I wish I could live out in the woods. Honestly, I thought about, you know, if I ever get done with this work, maybe I will.

00:31:52:19 - 00:32:09:06
Unknown
But the most recent place that I've been to is, I think, the springs. I don't remember which springs. I go often to the springs though, and I thoroughly enjoy them and it's just a great time to relax and dove and things like that.

00:32:09:06 - 00:32:23:12
Unknown
So I it's just a big part of my life and I love it. And so I do try to have fun and I try to share insight into that and camping and and cooking over the fire. I think I make some pretty good dinners on the fire, so.

00:32:23:24 - 00:32:37:04
Unknown
All right. What's your specialty? Oh, my goodness. So I do a pineapple with green peppers and red peppers and onions, and we just do a straight veggie. We throw a bunch of veggies together and it's like a stir fry.

00:32:37:04 - 00:32:51:01
Unknown
But with rice and all over the fire. So good, though, anything over the fire tastes better, right? It's. Yes. Well, I also read that you were out in the Oklahoma River recently and the Oklahoma River, well, still. And I should tell our listeners still.

00:32:51:01 - 00:33:04:04
Unknown
And I met at a premiere of my documentary, The Fellowship of the Springs, a couple not too long ago up up in Volusia County. And that documentary includes a little bit about the Oklahoma River and what's happening there.

00:33:04:10 - 00:33:22:04
Unknown
And I saw that you went camping there recently, and that's another environmental calamity. The Oklahoma River dammed up for the cross Florida Barge Canal, which never happened. And instead of taking the dam down after they realized they were never going to build a cross Florida barge canal, they just left it up and flooded the whole Oklahoma River

00:33:22:04 - 00:33:37:18
Unknown
. And 10,000 acres of forest and 20 springs were drowned. I mean, Florida, you know, so so the Oklahoma has just it's near and dear to my heart. I've been out there during the drawdown and seen these springs, but it's just just too one to wrap this up.

00:33:37:18 - 00:33:57:06
Unknown
Tell me about about your idea for the future. What do you foresee in Florida's future, environmentally and for yourself in your and your children? Well, I'm trying to be hopeful, and that's why I try to encourage people to have those those trips and to go enjoy what we have in our nature.

00:33:57:06 - 00:34:16:09
Unknown
Because I feel like the closer people get to nature and they do these things, the more they're going to want to protect it. Protect paradise. Right. So I'm hoping that we get better regulations and we get take our water quality issues seriously and that we will do better about protecting it.

00:34:16:09 - 00:34:33:07
Unknown
But my biggest hope is in my kids generation and the younger generation, because I'm seeing such passion and change and they're getting it. They're understanding the issues, they're understanding the importance of taking care of our ecosystem and how it's all connected.

00:34:33:16 - 00:34:49:22
Unknown
And that's why I think being on Tik Tok, for instance, is so great because you see all of these young kids, I didn't know about any of this at their age. Even in my early twenties, I was too busy trying to go to college and do what I was told I thought I was supposed to do.

00:34:49:22 - 00:35:03:19
Unknown
And they're in it. I mean, they know a lot of these issues and I'm just so impressed with the younger generation, and that's where my hope is and and that they will help us make these changes that really need to be done to protect what we love.

00:35:05:04 - 00:35:16:24
Unknown
On that note. Star that was a great interview. Thank you for taking the time to talk with me. I wish you the best and your family the best. And I know that you're out there fighting for everybody else who's been affected by environmental causes of Florida.

00:35:17:14 - 00:35:31:03
Unknown
And, you know, I think you're an inspiration for people, and I hope that our listeners feel the same way. Thank you so much for having me. I appreciate you inviting me. And I hope that everybody learns something through this podcast today.

00:35:31:17 - 00:35:47:04
Unknown
This episode of The Nature of Florida podcast was brought to you in part by the Filburn Foundation, the Fish and Wildlife Foundation of Florida and Explica Media. If you're enjoying this podcast, remember to subscribe on our website. The Nature of Florida with Oscar Corral, Dot Bus, Broadcom.

00:35:47:04 - 00:35:55:14
Unknown
That's the nature of Florida with Oscar Corral, dot bus, Broadcom. Or find us on your favorite platform and follow us on Facebook and Instagram.