Do you know of any individuals who have made significant contributions to policies, programs and services for older adults in south Florida?

If you do, Easter Seals South Florida invites you to submit their names to be considered for the Second Annual Edith Lederberg Senior Advocate Award.

The award is named for Edith Lederberg, chief operating officer of the Aging and Disability Resources Center of Broward County, who was its inaugural recipient in 2011. Each year the award is presented to a local resident who serves as an example by giving time, energy, passion and expertise toward making a difference in the quality of life of South Florida seniors.

If you know of anyone you think is worthy of this award, you must submit their name by Oct. 14. The 2012 Edith Lederberg Award will be presented on Nov. 14, at a commemoration of Alzheimer’s Awareness Month. The event will feature a butterfly release.

To submit nominations and for more information about the award and the Easter Seals Alzheimer’s Awareness Month commemoration, call Martha Castilleja at 954-450-6855 or visit southflorida.easterseals.com.

Naturalist to speak

The community is invited to hear ranger, naturalist and author Larry Perez at noon Monday at the Bea Peskoe Lunchtime Lecture, at First National Bank of South Florida, 1550 N. Krome Ave. in Homestead. The author of Snake in the Grass: An Everglades Invasion, Perez will speak on the plague of Burmese pythons which is spreading throughout the Florida Everglades.

According to a press release, thousands of pythons have made the Everglades their home over the past 10 years. The Burmese pythons, one of the world’s largest snakes, are now known to be reproducing freely in the shallow waters of the famed River of Grass. Although scientists work to learn as much as possible about the unprecedented invader, they can’t seem to control the snakes’ proliferation.

Perez is a resident of Miami who has spent over 15 years working in South Florida’s natural areas. He has worked as a naturalist for Miami-Dade Parks and Recreation, and as a ranger for Biscayne and Everglades National Parks. He is a graduate of Florida International University and in addition to Snake in the Grass he is the author of Words on the Wilderness: A History of Place and Names in South Florida’s National Parks.

At the lecture, Peres will share how the python story has unfolded before his eyes, and will provide new insight into how it challenges our understanding of wilderness and man’s place in it. The lecture is free and open to the community.

Sleepy Bear Swap

On Saturday, children and their families are invited to Travelodge’s “The Great Sleepy Bear Swap” at Zoo Miami. The swap works this way: Children will bring a gently-used stuffed animal to Zoo Miami to donate to charity. And in exchange, they will get a brand new Sleepy Bear teddy bear, donated by Travelodge.

The first 100 children who bring a donation will each get one free kid’s admission to the zoo as well as a new Sleepy Bear teddy bear. All children will be able to participate in activities such as face painting and drawing contests along with giveaways such as bear tattoos, National Geographic activity books and Sleepy Bear masks. A zoo keeper will also be on hand to educate children about bears and the role they play in the wild.