Mark Ferrulo is the director of Florida PIRG.

It’s that time of the year when it seems everyone is outdoors, enjoying the plentiful beaches, lakes and other natural wonders that are so unique to our state.

We here at Florida PIRG spend our summers outdoors too. Every summer, hundreds of staff and volunteers bring that same outdoor enthusiasm doortodoor in communities from Miami to Tallahassee, working to protect Florida’s environment one household at a time.

Whether renewing current members or signing up new ones, collecting petitions or distributing scorecards and other literature, Florida PIRG citizen outreach staff seek to educate and activate citizens on the urgent environmental issues affecting our state.

Last year, our staff helped spread the word about the dangers of the “Big Water Grab,” among other issues. And with your support, Florida PIRG was able to help derail those special interest plans to transfer water from the north to support more sprawling development in central and south Florida. We organized press conferences, delivered thousands of citizen’s postcards to state senators and worked closely with the Florida Water Coalition to achieve that victory.

This year, of course, brings more environmental concerns, from planned large-scale developments encroaching on the Everglades and Cypress Creek (see page 1) to the oil and gas industries’ continuing quest to drill off our shores (see News Briefs).

Special interest lobbyists are knocking on doors every day at the state House and Senate, trying to get the ear of Florida’s most important decisionmakers. The real power in our state, however, lies behind the doors of an informed citizenry.

That’s why Florida PIRG staff and volunteers will be knocking on your door this summer—to hear your concerns and update you on important issues that affect us all. With your help, we can protect Florida’s environment for future generations—one door at a time.