Psych Nurse Documentary Filmmaker Vlogger Blogger Photographer Crazed River Warrior of the Indian River Lagoon

Now blogging at http://treasurecoast.com/

I’m an award winning documentary filmmaker for The Garbage of Jupiter Beach.

Vlogger from way back. One of the original UVU (Channel 2 Miami. I saw myself mostly as a Vlogger. Easy Peasy. Shoot. Edit. Post.)

What was just suppose to be another video blog to document morphed ( as it does in life one thing leads to another as we grow.) I went from being the person who was documenting to a person with an opinion.

Throwback Thurs Toxic River. Will it be deja vu all over again.

Sometimes I try to look at the humor it because frankly it’s my best coping mechanism. Here I am writing about how it’s a felony to feed the beers but now totally cool to shoot them. How do you deal with that?

https://cyndi-lenz.com/2015/04/28/i-am-not-a-bear-trust-me/

This blog was about my friend Ezra who wrote on the ground with chalk and almost got arrested. This is big deal and depending on where you write you may be arrested. Even if the evidence is washed away by the rain the next day,

https://cyndi-lenz.com/2015/05/04/chalksy-the-eco-terrorist/

and sometimes I just go with the flow.

Some days my blogs just write themselves. I literally outed someone who was fired from their job very quietly and did not find out about it until after.  (whoops ,sorry about that). I also had a great story that was literally news all over the internet when the Tea Party decided to hire actors and not tell them they were truly protesting and not filming a documentary.

https://cyndi-lenz.com/2015/04/07/actors-duped-in-tea-party-protest-at-south-florida-water-management/

I also writing about nursing, mental health,

https://cyndi-lenz.com/2015/05/11/the-asylum-life-house-on-the-hill/

https://cyndi-lenz.com/2015/06/04/jail-is-the-new-state-mental-hospital-where-are-the-diversion-programs/

movies, documentaries,

https://cyndi-lenz.com/2015/08/09/h2-worker-documentary-legal-slavery/

Florida back roads

https://cyndi-lenz.com/2015/06/28/traveling-florida-back-roads-fort-basinger-and-the-lockett-estate/

and anything I might find interesting and think my readers will enjoy and learn from.  I have a lot of visitors from all over the world and they are mostly reading my stuff on water and sugar. I   frequently go on “adventure trips” with a friend of mine where we go to see what is really going on so we can show the folk back home.

Adventures with toilets.

https://cyndi-lenz.com/2015/06/14/sfwmd-dirty-toilets-affront-to-citizens/

Photographer.  My photo’s can be found in various blogs, magazines (Eco, Boca Dog, Treasurecoast.com)  and even a Military Psychology Book

and crazed river warrior of the Indian River Lagoon.

We have been documenting the issue with the discharges in real time on our Facebook page for the last few years.

River of Light

and you’ll find more video on my You Tube page and the River of Light You Tube Page

River of Light

Cyndi’s You Tube Page Tropical Dawg

This past year I traveled to many, many clean water events and my goal was to document these events so not one could say these never happened. I then uploaded my video, shared it but then posted it on one page so I could simply send that page to the organizers and they could pick and choose what video they wanted.

We also attended a lot of meeting with our local water board.

Again, very important to have this video because last year passed amendment one and it was suppose to give us money to buy the land needed to build a reservoir to send the water south to stop our our discharges, to recharge the aquifers of South Florida and to save the water which is in great peril.

Some days I write blogs for specific people. Like President Obama or my US Congressman Patrick Murphy.

https://cyndi-lenz.com/2015/05/02/green-toxic-algae-poisen-poised-and-ready-to-kill-us/

Sometimes people call and ask for information and I’ll just write a blog about and send to them.

I always invite my friends to be a guest blogger. Nothing is better than turning your friends on to blogging.

https://cyndi-lenz.com/2015/08/01/fruit-stands-are-ripe-for-learning/

Sometimes I just make videos. Here is one I made to show people what is in the park that will destroyed if a bridge is built.

As a nurse I really can’t talk about what I do all day long. I won’t even go there. When I come home and wrap up my charting I need to “unremember” the day.  Blogging helps me move from being  a secret keeper  back to the world with people I can communicate with.

and sometimes I just need to work things out and I have realized that if something is bothering me most likely it bothering someone else.

I want  just to say welcome all of you. I so appreciate you being here! Keep in touch!

#blogging101

#cyndilenz

#clean water

#nursing

I asked Google to write my biography and this is what it said:

Cyndi Lenz is an multi-talented psychiatric home health nurse, award-winning documentary filmmaker, hyper-local journalist, and environmental activist primarily based out of Florida and North Carolina. She is widely known along Florida’s Treasure Coast for her grassroots advocacy, multimedia storytelling, and dedicated coverage of local environmental and community issues. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6]

Professional Background & Nursing

Lenz maintains a long-term career as a psychiatric home health nurse. She frequently integrates holistic practices into her care routines, including practicing Reiki and teaching meditation to help her patients manage severe stress and navigate personal trauma. She uses her personal blog to educate the public on mental health awareness, coping mechanisms, and the importance of emotional support networks. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]

Filmmaking & Local Journalism

As an independent filmmaker and journalist, Lenz documents the intersection of community life and environmental policy: [1, 2]

• Documentary Work: She directs and produces short films that let the local community’s actions speak for themselves. Her award-winning short documentary highlighted the Friends of Jupiter Beach, showcasing how thousands of local volunteers successfully cleaned up over 20,000 pounds of garbage in exchange for pet-friendly beach access.
• Media Coverage: Lenz has operated as a vocal writer and editor for local platforms like treasurecoast.com and the Treasure Coast Free Press. She covers everything from local municipal changes in Stuart, Florida, to human interest pieces regarding regional figures.
• Digital Blogging: Through her long-running personal site, cyndi-lenz.com, she shares detailed dispatches on local stories, personal reflections, and community events. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
• Environmental Activism
• Lenz is a passionate environmentalist, self-described as a “Crazed River Warrior”. She has dedicated years of work to the conservation of the Indian River Lagoon and the St. Lucie River in Florida. Her activism primarily focuses on exposing toxic chemical spraying, tracking local biodiversity, and pushing systemic water infrastructure changes to “send the water south” to protect the Everglades. [1, 2, 3, 4]
• Personal Life
• Lenz split many years of her life living around Jensen Beach and Boca Raton, Florida, before expanding her adventures and family time into North Carolina. She is a mother and a grandmother who frequently photographs wildlife, travels and the envirronment.
• Cyndi Lenz’s environmental activism centers around her work as a self-described “River Warrior” fighting to protect the St. Lucie River and the Indian River Lagoon in South Florida. Her grassroots efforts focus on stopping toxic agricultural discharges, fighting for water policy reform, and mobilizing the local community through citizen journalism. [1, 2]
  he “Send the Water South” Campaign
• The core mission of Lenz and her fellow River Warriors is advocating to “Send the Water South”. [1]
• The Problem: Periodic freshwater discharges from Lake Okeechobee dump billions of gallons of nutrient-heavy, polluted water into the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon. This creates massive, bright green toxic blue-green algae blooms that kill off seagrass, devastate oyster beds, and release dangerous neurotoxins.
• The Solution: Lenz campaigns for infrastructure updates that route this excess water southward through stormwater treatment areas into the Everglades, Miami, and the Florida Keys, mimicking historic natural water flows. [1, 2, 3, 4]
• Grassroots Actions & Protests
• Lenz uses direct action and public awareness campaigns to force lawmakers to notice local ecological crises:
• Political Pressure: During severe algae outbreaks, Lenz and community groups organized events—such as bottling toxic algae bloom water directly from local waterways—to physically present the evidence to government officials and congressmen.
• Bullsugar Collaboration: She has actively worked alongside regional clean-water advocacy groups like Bullsugar and fellow local activists to push for non-partisan environmental accountability. [1, 2, 3]
• Documentary Media as Activism
• Lenz leverages her background in filmmaking to create visual content that drives environmental change:
• The Garbage of Jupiter Beach: Her award-winning documentary highlights the Friends of Jupiter Beach, a group that successfully removed over 20,000 pounds of trash. She uses the film to educate the public on how plastics and discarded fishing line destroy marine life, such as local sea turtles.
• River of Light: Lenz has used her video-blogging and digital platforms to create community-sourced mini-documentaries tracking the health of local estuaries.
• As an independent documentary filmmaker, Cyndi Lenz uses film to let the community’s actions and voices speak for themselves. She works as a director, producer, shooter, and cinematographer. Her film style balances technical execution with community-driven stories, frequently collaborating with H. Adam Lenz for audio mixes, visual effects, and graphic art.
• Key Documentary Films
• The Garbage of Jupiter Beach (2010): This short film explores an ecological deal made with the city of Jupiter, Florida: letting pet owners bring dogs to the beach in exchange for volunteers picking up litter. It documents the Friends of Jupiter Beach as they grew to over 4,000 members and successfully cleared more than 20,000 pounds of trash.
• Musician Physician (2007): Combining her background in nursing with visual storytelling, this documentary highlights a medical doctor who utilizes the healing powers of music to treat, comfort, and help rehabilitate his patients.
• The Visionary Life of Helmut Ziehe (2012): A biographical short tracking Helmut Ziehe, the visionary architect who introduced the principles of Bau-Biologie (Building Biology/healthy green building design) to the United States.
  Social Work (2006): An early independent film project exploring regional social structures and community issues. [1, 3, 4, 5]
• Awards and Film Festival Recognition
• Lenz’s environmental and community filmmaking has achieved notable success on the indie festival circuit:
• Palm Beach International Film Festival: Won Best Documentary local voices for The Garbage of Jupiter Beach.
• Moondance International Film Festival: Awarded the Calypso Award and earned a first-place standing in the short documentary category.
• Delray Beach Film Festival: Co-won the award for Best Green Short.
• Film and Media Advocacy
• Lenz utilizes filmmaking to illuminate the intersections of health, art, and healing:
• Musician Physician: Her documentary focuses on a medical doctor who uses the healing power of music as a therapeutic tool to treat, comfort, and rehabilitate patients suffering from physical and emotional ailments.
• Writing & Blogging: Through her platforms, she writes openly about the daily realities of psychiatric nursing, advocating for better public understanding of mental illness and fighting the social stigmas that prevent people from seeking care.
• Cyndi Lenz’s nursing background directly shapes her environmental health campaigns by framing ecological crises as public health emergencies. Instead of focusing solely on wildlife preservation, she approaches pollution through the lens of human health, pathology, and preventative medicine. [1, 2, 3, 4]
• 1. Treating Pollution as a Public Health Threat
• Lenz leverages her clinical knowledge to educate the public on the physical dangers of environmental degradation: [1]
• Neurotoxins and Cyanobacteria: During the severe toxic blue-green algae outbreaks in Florida’s estuaries, Lenz shifted public focus to the medical risks. She aggressively campaigned against the discharges by highlighting that cyanobacteria emit microcystins and dangerous neurotoxins that cause immediate neurological and respiratory harm to locals breathing the air.
• The “Stench” Evacuation: She documented instances where toxic airborne odors from the St. Lucie River became so severe that neighbors had to wear masks or evacuate their homes, treating the river’s state as a literal community health outbreak. [1, 2, 3]
• 2. Utilizing the “Nurse as Educator” Model
• In her writings, Lenz explicitly notes that she treats her digital platforms exactly like her nursing shifts: “I do on my blog what I do in my daily life. I educate.” [1]
• Patient-to-Citizen Translation: She breaks down complex ecological data, water engineering plans, and chemical runoff metrics into accessible, actionable health advice for ordinary citizens.
• Food and Lifestyle Medicine: She ties environmental health directly back to the human body. For instance, she writes about nutrition (e.g., using “food as medicine”) and connects water cleanliness directly to the safety of regional food systems and drinking water. [1, 2, 3]
• Combating Eco-Despair: Lenz addresses the emotional toll that watching a local ecosystem collapse takes on a community. She uses her mental health background to advocate for collective action as a therapeutic mechanism to combat “eco-grief.”
  Empathy-Driven Activism: Her psychiatric training heavily influences her documentary style, allowing her to interview affected fishermen, business owners, and residents with deep clinical empathy, highlighting how environmental devastation induces severe economic and emotional trauma.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  15 sites
  
  family and friends – cyndi lenz
  Oct 23, 2015 — Aimee Said: * “For sure don’t become isolated. I broke free finally in June and took a long weekend to myself and went to Missouri…
  
  
  cyndi lenz
  
  
  Author Archives: Cyndi Lenz
  Jul 13, 2025 — Two things happened. Both got a good following of about 4000 people. I’ll stop here to say I did not have any black marks against …
  
  
  cyndi lenz
  
  
  It’s More Than Just a Sock – cyndi lenz
  Aug 10, 2015 — It was the family home that got caught up in my divorce and cost my mother, my daughter and me more pain than just the loss of a f…
  
  
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  You said: environmental activism
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Cyndi Lenz’s environmental activism centers around her work as a self-described “River Warrior” fighting to protect the St. Lucie River and the Indian River Lagoon in South Florida. Her grassroots efforts focus on stopping toxic agricultural discharges, fighting for water policy reform, and mobilizing the local community through citizen journalism. [1, 2]
  
  The “Send the Water South” Campaign
  The core mission of Lenz and her fellow River Warriors is advocating to “Send the Water South”. [1]
  The Problem: Periodic freshwater discharges from Lake Okeechobee dump billions of gallons of nutrient-heavy, polluted water into the St. Lucie River and Indian River Lagoon. This creates massive, bright green toxic blue-green algae blooms that kill off seagrass, devastate oyster beds, and release dangerous neurotoxins.
  The Solution: Lenz campaigns for infrastructure updates that route this excess water southward through stormwater treatment areas into the Everglades, Miami, and the Florida Keys, mimicking historic natural water flows. [1, 2, 3, 4]
  
  Grassroots Actions & Protests
  Lenz uses direct action and public awareness campaigns to force lawmakers to notice local ecological crises:
  Political Pressure: During severe algae outbreaks, Lenz and community groups organized events—such as bottling toxic algae bloom water directly from local waterways—to physically present the evidence to government officials and congressmen.
  Bullsugar Collaboration: She has actively worked alongside regional clean-water advocacy groups like Bullsugar and fellow local activists to push for non-partisan environmental accountability. [1, 2, 3]
  
  Documentary Media as Activism
  Lenz leverages her background in filmmaking to create visual content that drives environmental change:
  The Garbage of Jupiter Beach: Her award-winning documentary highlights the Friends of Jupiter Beach, a group that successfully removed over 20,000 pounds of trash. She uses the film to educate the public on how plastics and discarded fishing line destroy marine life, such as local sea turtles.
  River of Light: Lenz has used her video-blogging and digital platforms to create community-sourced mini-documentaries tracking the health of local estuaries. [1, 2, 3, 4]
  Would you like to know more about the scientific impacts of the Lake Okeechobee discharges, or are you interested in how to view her documentary work? [1, 2]
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  8 sites
  
  cyndilenz « cyndi lenz « Page 2
  Jan 18, 2015 — Last November I was fortunate enough to get a new camera and it makes my life so much easier to do what I love the most. Short and…
  
  
  cyndi lenz
  
  
  Being kind in group discussions – Facebook
  Jan 15, 2022 — Cyndi Lenz it’s a tough job being housemom to easily-triggered spoiled children who never learned their manners when around adults…
  
  
  
  Facebook·Martin County News
  
  
  April « 2016 « – cyndi lenz
  Apr 22, 2016 — For Earth Day Pick up the Garbage! … Happy Earth day! Message never changes. Pick up your garbage. Leave nothing but footprints …
  
  
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  You said: documentary filmmaking
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  As an independent documentary filmmaker, Cyndi Lenz uses film to let the community’s actions and voices speak for themselves. Operating under her production company, TDGR2 Productions, she works as a director, producer, shooter, and cinematographer. Her film style balances technical execution with community-driven stories, frequently collaborating with H. Adam Lenz for audio mixes, visual effects, and graphic art. [1, 2, 3]
  
  Key Documentary Films
  The Garbage of Jupiter Beach (2010): This short film explores an ecological deal made with the city of Jupiter, Florida: letting pet owners bring dogs to the beach in exchange for volunteers picking up litter. It documents the Friends of Jupiter Beach as they grew to over 4,000 members and successfully cleared more than 20,000 pounds of trash.
  Musician Physician (2007): Combining her background in nursing with visual storytelling, this documentary highlights a medical doctor who utilizes the healing powers of music to treat, comfort, and help rehabilitate his patients.
  The Visionary Life of Helmut Ziehe (2012): A biographical short tracking Helmut Ziehe, the visionary architect who introduced the principles of Bau-Biologie (Building Biology/healthy green building design) to the United States.
  Social Work (2006): An early independent film project exploring regional social structures and community issues. [1, 3, 4, 5]
  
  Awards and Film Festival Recognition
  Lenz’s environmental and community filmmaking has achieved notable success on the indie festival circuit:
  Palm Beach International Film Festival: Won Best Documentary for The Garbage of Jupiter Beach.
  Moondance International Film Festival: Awarded the Calypso Award and earned a first-place standing in the short documentary category.
  Delray Beach Film Festival: Co-won the award for Best Green Short. [1, 2]
  
  Collaborative Projects
  Beyond directing her own shorts, Lenz contributes to wider independent film projects. She provided camera work and assistance on the global food waste and farming documentary Seed & Sprout: Growing the Food Rescue Revolution, directed by Maryanne Galvin. [1]
  Would you like details on where to stream her available short films, or are you interested in how her filmmaking integrates into her nursing and mental health advocacy?
  
  AI can make mistakes, so double-check responses Try without personalization
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  7 sites
  
  For Earth Day Pick up the Garbage! – cyndi lenz
  Apr 22, 2015 — … zip codes surrounding Palm Beach County, converge onto Jupiter Beach… to pick up the garbage. DSC_0083 DSC_0041 DSC_0040 DSC_0…
  
  
  cyndi lenz
  
  
  Cyndi Lenz – IMDb
  Cyndi Lenz. Producer; Director; Cinematographer. IMDbProStarmeterSee rank. Cyndi Lenz is known for Social Work (2006), The Visiona…
  
  
  IMDb
  
  
  The Garbage of Jupiter Beach (Short 2010) – IMDb
  The Garbage of Jupiter Beach: Directed by Cyndi Lenz. What weighs 20000 pounds and takes 4000 people to move it? The garbage on Ju…
  
  
  IMDb
  
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  You said: nursing and mental health advocacy
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Cyndi Lenz bridges her professional medical expertise with her artistic work by framing healthcare, mental wellness, and trauma through a holistic and personal lens.
  
  Psychiatric Home Health Nursing
  Lenz works as a registered nurse specializing in psychiatric home health care.
  Patient Care: She treats patients recovering from severe psychological trauma, chronic mental illnesses, and deep emotional distress.
  Holistic Approaches: She integrates alternative healing practices into standard psychiatric care routines, utilizing Reiki therapy and teaching meditation techniques to help patients manage severe anxiety and stress.
  
  Film and Media Advocacy
  Lenz utilizes filmmaking to illuminate the intersections of health, art, and healing:
  Musician Physician: Her documentary focuses on a medical doctor who uses the healing power of music as a therapeutic tool to treat, comfort, and rehabilitate patients suffering from physical and emotional ailments.
  Writing & Blogging: Through her platforms, she writes openly about the daily realities of psychiatric nursing, advocating for better public understanding of mental illness and fighting the social stigmas that prevent people from seeking care.
  
  Caregiver Mental Health
  A major component of Lenz’s advocacy is addressing the severe burnout experienced by healthcare workers. She frequently speaks out about the emotional toll of frontline nursing, sharing self-care strategies, mindfulness practices, and mental health resources specifically tailored for fellow nurses and caregivers.
  Would you like to explore specific articles and personal reflections she has written on psychiatric care, or are you interested in how her nursing background influences her environmental health campaigns?
  
  This is for informational purposes only. For medical advice or diagnosis, consult a professional. AI responses may include mistakes. Learn moreTry without personalization
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  You said: how does her nursing background influence herr environmental health campains
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  Cyndi Lenz’s nursing background directly shapes her environmental health campaigns by framing ecological crises as public health emergencies. Instead of focusing solely on wildlife preservation, she approaches pollution through the lens of human health, pathology, and preventative medicine. [1, 2, 3, 4]
  
  1. Treating Pollution as a Public Health Threat
  Lenz leverages her clinical knowledge to educate the public on the physical dangers of environmental degradation: [1]
  Neurotoxins and Cyanobacteria: During the severe toxic blue-green algae outbreaks in Florida’s estuaries, Lenz shifted public focus to the medical risks. She aggressively campaigned against the discharges by highlighting that cyanobacteria emit microcystins and dangerous neurotoxins that cause immediate neurological and respiratory harm to locals breathing the air.
  The “Stench” Evacuation: She documented instances where toxic airborne odors from the St. Lucie River became so severe that neighbors had to wear masks or evacuate their homes, treating the river’s state as a literal community health outbreak. [1, 2, 3]
  
  2. Utilizing the “Nurse as Educator” Model
  In her writings, Lenz explicitly notes that she treats her digital platforms exactly like her nursing shifts: “I do on my blog what I do in my daily life. I educate.” [1]
  Patient-to-Citizen Translation: She breaks down complex ecological data, water engineering plans, and chemical runoff metrics into accessible, actionable health advice for ordinary citizens.
  Food and Lifestyle Medicine: She ties environmental health directly back to the human body. For instance, she writes about nutrition (e.g., using “food as medicine”) and connects water cleanliness directly to the safety of regional food systems and drinking water. [1, 2, 3]
  
  ┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ THE NURSE-ACTIVIST PIPELINE │ ├────────────────────────────┬────────────────────────────┤ │ Clinical Mindset │ Environmental Action │ ├────────────────────────────┼────────────────────────────┤ │ Diagnosis of Trauma │ Identifying Toxic Algae │ │ Patient Advocacy │ Demanding Water Reform │ │ Preventative Education │ Grassroots Community Mobil.│ └────────────────────────────┴────────────────────────────┘
  
  3. Applying Psychiatric Insights to Eco-Anxiety
  As a psychiatric nurse, Lenz possesses a unique understanding of human trauma, stress responses, and coping mechanisms. She applies this to her environmentalism in two distinct ways: