Suncoast Waterkeeper's annual Brunch for the Bay is returning on Sunday, November 1, 2026 and this year, we're celebrating at a new location: the St. Regis Longboat Key Resort!
This year our theme is The Future We Choose: Conservation in a Rapidly Changing Coast. Join us for great food, good conversation, and a room full of people who care about keeping our waters clean. Every ticket purchased supports our mission to monitor, inform, and act to protect the waterways we all rely on.
2026 Keynote Speaker
CARLTON WARD JR.
Conservation Photographer · Emmy Award-Winning Filmmaker · National Geographic Explorer
We’re excited to welcome Carlton Ward Jr. as the 2026 Brunch for the Bay keynote speaker. Carlton will present:
From Forests to Seagrasses: Protecting Land to Heal Our Coasts
Carlton Ward Jr is a conservation photographer, Emmy Award–winning filmmaker, and National Geographic Explorer. He founded the Florida Wildlife Corridor project in 2010 and created Wildpath, an organization dedicated to using storytelling to inspire the protection of wildlife corridors. Carlton and Wildpath spearheaded the successful campaign for the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act in 2021 and, in partnership with National Geographic, launched the Connected Planet project in 2025 to accelerate the protection of wildlife corridors globally. Carlton’s work is featured in the National Geographic film Path of the Panther, and he is currently leading a conservation project focused on the underappreciated beauty of the Gulf of Mexico. His Florida heritage dates back eight generations, including a family ranch that protects a piece of the Florida Wildlife Corridor and a childhood spent exploring the Gulf — experiences he and his wife, Suzie, share with their three children, Eldridge Ann, Nell, and Carlton III.
Event Details
- Date: Sunday, November 1, 2026
- Time: 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
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Location: St. Regis Longboat Key Resort
1601 Gulf of Mexico Dr, Longboat Key, FL 34228
Special thanks to the St. Regis Longboat Key Resort for their generous partnership in hosting this year's event.
THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS
LEGACY PARTNER
Patricia L. Chapman, on behalf of The Glenridge Green Team
BAY PROTECTORS
City of Holmes Beach
Clean Water Committee
SEAGRASS STEWARD
Beachside Management
Whistanfox LLC
Interested in Becoming a Sponsor? Learn More HERE