Matheson History Museum presents “Interwoven Waters: Exploring Florida’s Interconnected Waterways” with Vasilios Kosmakos on May 13

Press release from the Matheson History Museum

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Vasilios Kosmakos, coordinator of the History of Florida Water Management Project at the University of Florida’s Samuel Proctor Oral History Program, will discuss the interconnectivity of Florida’s waterways. His presentation is based upon a collection of over 60 testimonies from fishermen, policymakers, species specialists, and everyday people from across the state. He will explain how a variety of overlaying factors contribute to the destruction of these waters and the cost that they have on individuals’ economic, environmental, and political livelihoods.

Free Registration – https://www.eventbrite.com/e/interwoven-waters-exploring-floridas- interconnected-waterways-tickets-616503276897

Zoom Registration – https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_EKGO2P0cS3CTAGpxgwk1mw

Vasilios Kosmakos

Vasilios Kosmakos obtained his B. A from the University of Florida in August of 2022 where he double majored in Sustainability Studies and International Studies and minored in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation and Anthropology. His family originates from Laconia, Greece, where his grandfathers worked as fishermen and olive farmers. He grew up on the beaches of Treasure Island Florida and is an avid naturalist. He enjoys fishing and fossil hunting and has a love for natural history, philosophy, and the humanities.

As an undergraduate, Vasilios was the recipient of the 2022 Haskell Award and the 2021 Panhellenic Scholarship. Vasilios has a wide range of research interests and has assisted in research studies on insects, water quality, biodiversity, and past population dynamics and has coauthored a research paper studying the spread of bacterial wilt among potato crops in Ethiopia. He was also a leading founder in the Save McCarty Woods campaign as well as president of the UF chapter of The Wildlife Society.

Vasilios currently works at the Samuel Proctor Oral History Program, where he coordinates the History of Florida Water Management Project and is the founder of The Florida Naturalist Oral History Project. At the program, he has participated in a wide variety of projects, including interviewing elders of the Lumbee Tribe and descendants of survivors of the underground railroad.

This fall Vasilios will begin service as a Peace Corps volunteer, where he will serve in Paraguay as an environmental liaison officer. After his Peace Corps service, he intends to pursue a Ph.D. in sustainable development.

This event is sponsored in part by Visit Gainesville/Alachua County, FL and by the Department of State, Division of Cultural Affairs, the Florida Council of the Arts and Culture, and the State of Florida.