At the memorial service for former Friends President Jay Brenner this past January I was given the honor of delivering one of the eulogies. As I spoke, staff members Serena Rinker, Jean Ryan, and Chuck Ryan stood by the casket facing the assembled friends and mourners. As the Cypress Swamp Boardwalk nears the end of its reconstruction and the Jay Brenner Memorial Committee begins to finalize plans for a fitting tribute, I thought it would be helpful to publish my remarks made that day.

Jay loved Loxahatchee - it was his pride and passion. Loxahatchee is a National Wildlife Refuge dedicated to preserving and protecting the flora and fauna of the Northern Everglades. Whether on the Marsh Trail, at the rim canal, or along the Cypress Swamp Boardwalk, Jay made it a special place for those who encountered it alongside him.

We, The Friends, are the volunteers who lead the tours and run the Visitor Center's educational programs. After years of being a volunteer guide, specializing in tours of the Cypress Swamp, and as a member of the Speaker's Bureau regaling civic groups and organizations with tales of the marvels of Loxahatchee, Jay joined the Friends board of directors, and soon became President. At his request I succeeded him a year ago.

Last year the Professional Refuge Staff honored Jay by naming him Volunteer of the Year. At at our Friends Annual Meeting last January, we promoted the event to include a special Cypress Swamp Tour with Jay - giving us by far the largest turnout ever.

A Jay Brenner tour always included history, geology, botany, and zoology. At his tour's conclusion you were amazed at how much you had learned and how much you enjoyed learning it. Jay was a master naturalist and teacher who loved Loxahatchee, and all who met him there felt it and loved him back. At the end of his tour he would conclude by passing out literature urging all to join the Friends and learn more about the wonders of the Northern Everglades.

And so, as I'm sure Jay would want me to say to you today, come on out and visit. We are unique and beautiful - especially in the early morning with flocks of wading birds landing along the water's edge to feed, or at sunset, as the golden rays illuminate the sawgrass prairie. And when you do, remember our FRIEND Jay Brenner.

Thank you.