If you ask environmental protection lawyer Elise Bennett who her clients are, she might joke that some days it’s the frosted flatwood salamander, the gopher tortoise, or Florida panther – but officially, it’s the Center for Biological Diversity. Elise is the Center's Florida and Caribbean Director, leading efforts to protect endangered species and wild places through legal action and advocacy. When developers threaten wetlands or forests, Elise steps in to defend the creatures who can’t speak for themselves.

In this episode, she dives into the Endangered Species Act and explains how it safeguards even the smallest living creatures. Elise talks about choosing law as a means to protect the environment she loves, why some cases can stretch on for more than a decade, and what it takes to stay hopeful in the face of ongoing destruction. From the spring pygmy sunfish to the Florida Keys mole skink, her work shows how the law – and persistence – can buy endangered species a fighting chance. Elise is a graduate of Stetson University College of Law.

This episode is hosted by Katya Valasek.

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