SOUTHWEST FLORIDA -- The Everglades Foundation will be continuing its 'Now or Neverglades' bus tour Tuesday, with several stops in Southwest Florida.
The tour kicked off last week, and its purpose is to help persuade the next president, Congress, and Florida lawmakers to support the construction of a water storage reservoir in the Everglades.
The group is concerned over water releases from Lake Okeechobee threatening the Southwest Florida ecosystem.
The tour will start off at 9 a.m. in Naples, where students and teachers at Lake Park Elementary School will be recognized as the first school to adopt the Everglades Literacy Program, a K-12 curriculum focusing on the importance of protecting Everglades habitat.
Then the bus is scheduled to visit the Naples Zoo at 11 a.m. for a meet and greet until 1 p.m. At noon, Eric Eikenberg, CEO of the Everglades Foundation, will speak.
At 2:30 p.m., a meeting is scheduled with Bonita Springs Mayor Pete Simmons and city officials Bonita Springs City Hall.
Then at 4:00 p.m., a meeting is scheduled with Estero Mayor Nick Batos and village officials at Estero Village Hall.
Stops in Sanibel and Fort Myers are scheduled for Wednesday.
The tour has already logged more than 1,100 miles with stops in Miami, Orlando, St. Pete Beach, Tampa, Clearwater, Stuart, Port St. Lucie, Palm Beach, West Palm Beach and Coral Gables.
Individuals and organizations can sign a declaration at http://gladesdeclaration.org/.
