Conservation Foundation Presents The Swamp Peddlers

March 22, 2023 – Sarasota

Conservation Foundation of the Gulf Coast is excited to welcome award-winning author and historian, Jason Vuic, as their 2023 Nature Lecturer. Author of The Swamp Peddlers – a tale of misguided land development in Florida during the grow-at-any-cost 1950s and ’60s – Vuic won the Phillip and Dana Zimmerman Gold Medal Prize for Florida Nonfiction at the 2021 Florida Book Awards, as well as the 2021 Charlton Tebeau Award for outstanding general interest book from the Florida Historical Society.

In this lecture by the same name, Vuic will dive into the history of the “installment land sales industry,” which seemingly appeared out of nowhere to sell billions of dollars of Florida residential property, sight unseen, to retiring northerners. This captivating program takes place at 11:30 am on Wednesday, April 19, at Michael’s On East.

“Many of Florida’s current land and water issues are a result of ‘swamp peddling’ practices of the past,” notes Christine P. Johnson, president of Conservation Foundation. “Forests were felled, wetlands were drained, and canals were dug, the landscape was transformed and not for the better. As we work to conserve and restore land here in Southwest Florida, it’s important to understand how the past led to our current situation. We are delighted to welcome Jason Vuic as our 2023 Nature Lecturer to illuminate this history and share his insights on this very relevant topic.”

Originally from Punta Gorda, FL, Vuic is a graduate of Wake Forest University, and holds an M.A. in history from the University of Richmond and a Ph.D. in history from Indiana University Bloomington. His first book, The Yugo: the Rise and Fall of the Worst Car in History, received rave reviews in over 100 print and web-based publications, and in 2016, his book The Yucks! Two Years in Tampa with the Losingest Team in NFL History, garnered wide acclaim from several dozen media outlets and publications.

Tickets and sponsorship opportunities available at conservationfoundation.com/naturelecture.