Linda Stanley has long been a guiding force in Florida’s conservation community. A former dedicated member of the Florida Wildlife Federation’s Board of Directors for many years, she consistently lent her voice, her time, and her energy to some of our state’s most critical environmental battles.
From her home in West Palm Beach, Linda worked not only through formal roles within FWF but also in grassroots advocacy, partnership-building, and speaking up for ecosystems that too often are overlooked or under threat.
Linda Staley, former FWF Board Member
A Voice for the Ocklawaha
Linda and Jack posing together.
One of the causes that was closest to her heart was the restoration of the Ocklawaha River. Linda and her husband Jack both shared a love of this river and the conviction that the Rodman/Kirkpatrick Dam should be removed. They were frequently on the front lines of discussions, letters, public campaigns, and coalition efforts with other conservation groups to reconnect river systems and restore historic migratory paths for fish and wildlife.
Defending the Everglades
Linda’s Everglades advocacy is also notable. In 2000, she co-founded the Friends of Corbett to support the JW Corbett Wildlife Management Area (60,000 acre public lands tract) and Everglades Youth Conservation Camp. Linda saw the value in connecting youth with the great outdoors and committed her time to this effort. Linda was also instrumental in stopping a mega-development proposed by Palm Beach County and Scripps Research Institute on the site of Mecca Farms. A nearly 2,000-acre tract of land historically part of the Hungryland Slough, and predominately wetlands.
JW Corbett Wildlife Management Area. Photo by SFWMD
A Lasting Conservation Legacy
Linda’s many years of board service, including serving as board Chair two times, have made her a backbone for institutional memory—someone who knows which fights have been hard, which victories were fragile, and which challenges persist year after year.
Linda left the world in August 2025, however her legacy will continue to inspire new generations of conservationists to maintain hope, build consensus, and keep pushing forward.
Portrait of Linda Stanley
It’s for these reasons—her long-term leadership, her hands-on advocacy for the Ocklawaha and Everglades ecosystems, and her character—that we are honored to name Linda Stanley this month’s Conservation Champion.
