Anne Kolb

A Family Perspective

This is your day, friends of Anne Kolb.

The following information is from a flyer that is given out to guests at Anne Kolb Nature Center. Here is her story: Twenty years have gone by since Anne and a small but devoted group of environmentalists- Friends of West Lake- embarked on their own Mission Impossible: Save and protect, forever, this urban wilderness.

Now this is your day to celebrated remember Anne Kolb.

I remember her this way.

She entered the political arena in 1974 for one, and only one, purpose: "My function will be to protect the public interest. "

During the first four years , she never, never gave up. There were many times when her motions failed to get a majority vote.she persisted. She was becoming the conscience of the community and her constituency grew stronger and stronger, larger and larger; as evidence in the 1978 election when she out polled every other candidate and brought aboard three new "public interest" commissioners: Howard Craft, Jack Fried and Marcia Beach.

She beat the establishment... and Broward's quality of life changed dramatically. She was the truest friend one could ever here.

In memory of her; and on behalf of our three children, I ask of you to maintain your awareness of our great natural resources and to reaffirm your determination to preserve our environment.

Thank you, Broward County Commissioners and leaders of the Parks and Recreation Division for this wonderful day and for this beautiful West Lake Park and the Anne Kolb Nature Center.

Anne Kolb certainly earned her place in the Broward County Hall of Fame

When Broward County Commissioner Anne Kolb died in 1981, the headline stripped across the top of Ft. Lauderdale News read: "Broward Loses Conscience of County."

Mrs. Kolb, an award winning journalist,was the first woman to be elected to the Broward County Commission 1947.

She led the fight for the 1977 Land Use Plan and before her death helped pass a planting ordinance which tightened government control over future development. She directed a successful campaign to place a building moratorium on 61,000 acres in southwest Broward.

Commissioner Kolb also persuaded the Commission to pass the Urban Wilderness Park System which would preserve endangered lands for benefit of future generations.

In 1977 she was named Conservationist of the Year by the Florida Wildlife Association.

She was able to win a high priority for the West Lake tract with the State Endangered Lands Committee in 1980. That year she was unanimously elected Chairman of the Broward County Commission, the first woman to ever hold that office.

Commissioner Anne Kolb died of cancer July 26, 1981 being survived by her husband Joe and three children, Bernadette, Rick, and Sean.

Wetland Facts

I called a person who was a friend of Anne Kolb's before she died. I asked him all kinds of questions and he shared lots of facts with me. He was happy to tell me things about wetlands.

1. In the wetlands there is more water on the floor than a Rainforest.

2. Most wetlands have Mangrove trees around and in it.

3. Wetlands are found closer to the equator than they are away from it.

4. A lot of wetlands is preserved.

5. Wetlands have specific trees and Rainforests don't.

If you know someone who has done a lot to save a wetland around where you live, CLICK HERE