Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance dedicates living shoreline to founding member
October 7, 2019
The Choctawhatchee Basin Alliance hosted a ribbon-cutting at Florida Park in Valparaiso on Friday, October 4, to dedicate their newest living shoreline project to the memory of CBA founding board member Michael Flynt.
Michael Flynt was a champion of the CBA and of Northwest Florida State College. He served as a member of the NWFSC Foundation Board, the Institute of Senior Professionals, the CBA board and the College’s Board of Trustees.
During his lifetime, Michael Flynt served as a member of the CBA board as well as several boards within Northwest Florida State College.
“In Mike I saw a servant-leader, a forward-thinker, a strategist and a protector of all that is good,” said Dr. Devin Stephenson, NWFSC president. “To name this piece of God’s earth, Mike Flynt Living Shoreline, is symbolic of making this world a better place in which to live.”
CBA Director Alison McDowell explained that a living shoreline is a coastal management plan that uses living plants, recycled oyster shells and other natural resources to protect the coastline from erosion.
“Mike Flynt’s legacy to our organization lives on through our culture to care for our local waterways, that’s why a living shoreline is such a fitting tribute to his influence,” McDowell said. “The Mike Flynt Living Shoreline will be a living, breathing classroom where children can learn, explore and be inspired to be our future water stewards.”
About 50 people attended the ribbon-cutting, including Flynt’s wife Charlotte, children Laura Nemes and Mike Flynt Jr., and several other close friends and family members.
“Seeing this living shoreline named after my father means a lot to me because it provides an opportunity for young people to learn from nature,” said Flynt’s son, Mike Flynt Jr. “Thank you CBA for what you are doing here. Let’s keep this legacy going.”