We were sad to hear of the recent death of Mike Barr a central Florida environmentalist.
He began an organization called “Keep Seminole(County Fla) Beautiful”
Many locales have a person like Mike that realizes that the environment does not have the voice of power that the humans wield in a locale and that someone must look out for the non human animal and plant kingdoms.
Of course the most famous protector of the environment in Florida lore is Marjorie Stoneman Douglas who helped to spur a respect for the large area in southern Florida called the Everglades.
Here are selections from an Orlando Sentinel obituary on Mike Barr,
“The founder of Keep Seminole Beautiful, a nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting the environment of his county, was usually on the Wekiva River those days with a net and garbage bag, teaching volunteers about the debris in the water.
“He was all about the environment. It was so important to him,” said his daughter, Carolyn Barr, 20.
“From the Florida Keys to Central Florida to the Panhandle, Mike was a passionate advocate for protecting those things and places that make Florida unique,” said Steve Barnes, a former supervisor of the Seminole County Soil and Water Conservation District. “Mike had a very special ability to work across party lines to educate, inspire and motivate people to protect our water, our wildlife, our natural areas.”
Barr also served in the early 2000s on the conservation district board, an elected body that serves as a steward of the county’s natural resources. He resigned from the board in 2007 and formed Keep Seminole Beautiful, which coordinates anti-litter projects, educational programs and recycling efforts.
“He wanted people to take care of the Earth,” said Becky Longfellow, administrator of Keep Seminole Beautiful, which is composed of business leaders, environmental activists, representatives of civic organizations and elected officials.
Michelle Thatcher, national director of the U.S. Green Chamber of Commerce, said Barr believed he had to stand up for birds, bears and trees and other flora and fauna because they could not advocate for themselves.
Leave a Reply