The Wightman Family Environmental Fund:
Turning Family Giving Into a Lasting Legacy
Some gifts are enjoyed for a moment. Others protect something priceless for generations.
The Wightman Family Environmental Fund is createdwith a simple but powerful idea: instead of exchanging traditional gifts for birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, and special occasions, our family rolemodel is to come together to support something we all deeply care about—our environment.
Founded by Eddie Wightman with his wife Carolyn, with an initial $1,000 contribution, this fund is a family-driven effort to protect the natural resources that have shaped our lives and memories. From land to sea, we have all witnessed the gradual decline of ecosystems we once took for granted.The Fund exists to support future generations with an opportunity to experience these same natural wonders.
Why? Here’s Eddie’s background
Eddie grew up on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean – on the property currently known in Islamorada as La Siesta. He could wade out to pickup conch and swim nearby to literally load a small skiff with lobster until it nearly sank. Fishing, particularly fly fishing, became his passion and eventually his profession. Family says there’s hardly a blade of grass in Florida Bay he didn’t know – from Cape Sable to Key West to Key Biscayne --and navigation was all sight – no compass, no GPS. He just learned and remembered the spots. He added those sightings with years of wisdom of tides, weather patterns, and seasons. And he combined that with instincts and eyesight of patterns of the fish. Family would say he could sense what a fish was thinking and see his eyes blinking 100 yards away. Result -- he made his living as one of the premier salt water fly fishing Guides in the Florida Keys, with so many trophies and awards he didn’t even log them. And with a list of clients that ranges from US Presidential families to titans of industry. Some would book him for a week at a time, and for consistent dates years ahead. They pre-paid, might arrive in their private jets, and if they didn’t show they made sure all future dates stayed on his calendar.
Note: no Facebook. No Instagram. No big interviews or cable shows. He was known as “The Loner,” because he went to places no one else found – and he produced results they all envied. That, of course, was before GPS tracking and cell phones. After renewing his Captain’s License for 55 years he finally let it lapse…
So this fund is to honor that history, and to contribute to those premier and well positioned organizations that still fight to protect what remains of those pristine waters of The Florida Bay and the Everglades National Park. We know that these natural resources are under constant pressure. Special interests, often backed by political influence and large financial contributions, continue to threaten what remains of these vital environments.
Rather than standing by, the Wightman family is choosing to make our small contribution to act.
The Fund supports established, proven environmental organizations dedicated to conservation and restoration, including groups such as:
- Friends of the Everglades
- The Everglades Foundation
- Vote Water
- Captains for Clean Water
These organizations are on the front lines, defending eco systems that matter—not just to Florida, but to the health of our planet as a whole.
A Family-Led Legacy - How You Can Contribute
Donations to the Wightman Family Environmental Trust are welcomed and appreciated. They are intended to replace traditional gift-giving and are used exclusively to support environmental conservation efforts. Eddie and the family are developing the family team to guide this project, and we invite your support and ideas. Any small amount is welcome.
To contribute: Zelle @ CaptEddie5639@bpbeach.com
- Family members and supporters may contribute directly to the Fund
- Donations can be made in honor of birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, or other special occasions
- Funds are pooled and distributed to vetted environmental organizations aligned with the Fund’s mission
Looking Ahead
The Wightman Family Environmental Fund is more than a fund—it is a shared commitment. A commitment to protect what we love, to give with purpose, and to create a legacy that leaves something meaningful behind.
Thoughts, ideas, and participation from family members and supporters are always welcome. Together, we can help preserve our natural resources—for ourselves and for generations to come.
You can find Eddie at: CaptEddie5639@bpbeach.com
