Kathleen Passidomo, a Republican from Naples and the former president of the Florida Senate, was given Audubon Florida’s Theodore Roosevelt Award at the group’s annual state conservation ceremony.
Beth Alvi, Audubon Florida’s senior policy director, said Passidomo was the state’s top decision-maker fitting the award’s requirements of courageous leadership on environmental issues.
"Audubon Florida honored Senate President Kathleen Passidomo for her steadfast leadership in conservation and in good governance,” Alvia said. “Throughout her career Senator Passidomo has proven the two go hand in hand leaving a lasting legacy in the special places she has protected.”
More than 250 conservationists and citizen advocates were in the audience at Audubon Florida’s 2025 Assembly. The state program of the National Audubon Society recognized people the group considers key environmental leaders from Naples to Orlando, and Tampa Bay to Panama City, at the annual event last month.
The Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida was awarded the Champion of the Everglades honor. The tribe helped launch a breeding program for the Cape Sabal seaside sparrow to increase its dwindling population due to habitat loss and sea level rise.
“The tribe’s leadership and commitment have been essential to advancing conservation strategies that honor both ecological restoration and cultural resilience,” Julie Wraithmell, director of Audubon Florida, said. That is “ensuring that this rare bird and the Everglades ecosystem it depends upon have a chance to recover and thrive for generations to come.”
Passidomo, Miccosukee news prior …
- In Florida, the Miccosukee fight to protect the Everglades in the face of climate change
- The Florida Everglades: A sacred place at risk
- Miccosukee Tribe: 'When it comes to our homelands, there is no compromise'
- PBS video: Miccosukee Tribe Works to Protect the Tree Islands of the Everglades
The Florida’s Special Places Award, which is given to someone who worked to improve the state’s unique landscapes, went to state Rep. Lindsay Cross, D-St. Petersburg, for safeguarding wetlands, coasts, and shoreline wild places. A scientist by training, Cross first spent her adult life leading coastal and watershed programs in Tampa Bay, then continued that advocacy in the Florida Legislature.
“Cross consistently brings both conservation expertise and empathy to her work,” Alvi said, by “building bridges between communities, science, and policy to speak for Florida’s environment.”
Audubon Florida’s Guy Bradley Award goes to someone who protects endangered animals, especially when birds are in danger and their habitats are threatened. It was awarded to Daniel Larremore, a Florida state park biologist in the Tampa area.
Audubon recognized Larremore for protection of the shorebirds and seabirds at Honeymoon Island and Caladesi Island state parks, both off Dunedin in Pinellas County, and Three Rooker Bar, off Clearwater.
“These park beaches are some of the most critical in the state for rare species like least terns, black skimmers, American oystercatchers, and more,” Kara Durda, Audubon’s Tampa Bay shorebird manager, said. “His hard work and creativity on behalf of Florida’s natural resources have literally resulted in the successful nesting of tens of thousands of shorebirds and seabirds, and the protection of one of Florida’s most iconic landscapes.”
Dennis Palmer, a Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission senior officer, was named Audubon Florida’s Law Enforcement Officer of the Year. Robert Veal, who has volunteered for more than 15,000 hours at the Audubon Center for Birds of Prey in Maitland, was named Volunteer of the Year. Philanthropist of the Year went to Winter Park’s Linda Sitek
For more information Audubon's conservation work, click here.
Environmental reporting for WGCU is funded in part by VoLo Foundation, a non-profit with a mission to accelerate change and global impact by supporting science-based climate solutions, enhancing education, and improving health.
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