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Archival Collections Will Support the Water School


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ARCHIVES COLLECTIONS WILL SUPPORT THE WATER SCHOOL
Southwest Florida has a unique environmental ecosystem consisting of preserves, sanctuaries, swamps, estuaries, and coastlines. Water is the life blood of the region, allowing a spectacular array of fl ora and fauna to fl ourish here. University Archives and Special Collections recognizes the importance of collecting and providing primary resources for research on our region’s ecosystem. Our environmental ecology collections include a wide array of materials from leading contributors to the historical record, with over 700 linear feet of documents, reports, journals, photographs, maps, and ephemera lining the shelves of the vault. World-renowned environmental ecologist, Kevin Erwin, Marine Scientist and Executive Director of the Water School, Greg Tolley, former County Commissioner, Ray Judah, and the Southwest Florida Regional Planning Council have graciously donated materials to create an unparalleled and comprehensive environmental history of Southwest Florida. With the Water School opening in Spring 2022, our department has made it a priority to make these documents and materials accessible to instructors, students, and researchers by Fall 2021. Archival Assistant and FGCU Environmental Studies alumnus Jonathan Farquhar has worked on organizing the Kevin Erwin Ecology Environmental Collection over the past two years. Jonathan has said that, “working on the Erwin project has been just as challenging as it has been rewarding. I have come to understand not only the importance that this collection serves to FGCU but also to the survival of Southwest Florida.” In April 2021, Jonathan fi nished the physical arrangement of the collection and is now assessing documents for digitization. The digital content will be added to the nearly 1600 currently available documents within the repository’s Southwest Florida Environmental Collection.
The modern library, with its digital resources, electronic databases, and access to information anywhere and at any time has changed our world and the way we see ourselves in it. It connects us globally. But history—including environmental history—develops locally. This collection is a unique resource for understanding the sense of place that is Southwest Florida and how it has changed through time. My hope is that our students and our community will use these resources to shape a future Southwest Florida of which we can all be proud.”
– Dr. Greg Tolley, Professor of Marine Science and Executive Director of the Water School