One of Florida’s highest honors was bestowed to a couple known in the Florida Keys for their work to advance Everglades restoration.
During an April 28 ceremony in Palm Beach, Gov. Ron DeSantis presented the Governor’s Medal of Freedom to Mary Barley and her late husband George Barley.
“I was speechless and stunned. It was an amazing event,” Barley told Keys Weekly. “I was very pleased Geoge was included.”
Established in 2020, the medal is awarded to individuals who have made especially meritorious contributions to the state and its citizens.
“Thanks to their efforts, future generations will have the priceless opportunity to enjoy our state’s natural treasure,” DeSantis said.
George was a businessman and environmental visionary who led the Everglades restoration movement. A Florida native and Harvard graduate, Barley co-founded the Everglades Foundation in 1993 to advance science-based solutions for protecting South Florida’s ecosystem.
He advocated for restoring natural water flows and holding polluters accountable, bringing together stakeholders to address growing environmental challenges. His legacy continues to shape restoration efforts.
George died in a plane crash in 1995 en route to a briefing on Everglades restoration with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. His vision and legacy continue to drive the foundation’s work.
“George should be here. He wouldn’t have missed it for the world,” Barley said during the ceremony. “He loved Florida Bay and the Everglades with his whole heart — and so do I.
A conservationist and Islamorada resident, Mary continued her husband George’s work to advance Everglades restoration following his passing. A founding director of the Everglades Foundation, Mary served as board chairwoman from 1995 to 2002 and later as vice president. She remains actively involved.
As the Everglades Foundation notes, she has played a pivotal role in advancing environmental policies, including the passage of the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP) and a constitutional amendment that established accountability for environmental damage caused by nutrient pollution.
An avid fly fisherman, Barley is one of only 100 who has been named “Hero of the Planet” by TIME magazine. Honored by both the U.S. House and the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida for her stewardship, Mary was inducted into the Everglades Coalition Hall of Fame in 2025 — making her and George the only couple ever inducted.
In addition to the Barleys, DeSantis presented the medal of freedom to Paul Tudor Jones II, a nationally recognized investor, philanthropist and conservationist who has been a driving force behind Everglades restoration efforts for more than three decades. He founded Tudor Investment Corporation in 1980 and later co-founded the Robin Hood Foundation to combat poverty. In 1993, he co-founded the Everglades Foundation, where he has served as chairman of the board, leading science-based efforts to restore the historic “River of Grass.”
The late Nathaniel P. Reed was also presented a medal for his efforts to halt projects that threatened the Everglades, including the proposed jetport in Big Cypress and the Cross Florida Barge Canal. The medal was presented to Reed’s daughter Lia.
“Their courage shaped not only the growth of our organization, but also the impact we continue to make every day in the effort to restore America’s Everglades,” said the Everglades Foundation CEO Eric Eikenberg. “We are profoundly grateful for their perseverance and belief in what was needed to restore this vital watershed from the very beginning.”
