Florida Wildlife Corridor Inc

THE FLORIDA WILDLIFE CORRIDOR ORGANIZATION CHAMPIONS THE PUBLIC AND PARTNER SUPPORT NEEDED TO PERMANENTLY CONNECT, PROTECT AND RESTORE THE FLORIDA WILDLIFE CORRIDOR - A STATEWIDE NETWORK OF LANDS AND WATERS THAT SUPPORTS WILDLIFE AND PEOPLE. OUR ORGANIZATION HAS TREKKED 1,000 MILES ACROSS FLORIDA - TWICE - TO DEMONSTRATE THE NEED AND OPPORTUNITY TO CONNECT WILD PLACES IN FLORIDA. WE COMBINE CONSERVATION SCIENCE WITH COMPELLING IMAGERY AND RICH STORYTELLING TO HEIGHTEN THE VISIBILITY OF THE FLORIDA WILDLIFE CORRIDOR AND INSPIRE ITS PROTECTION. THROUGH EDUCATION AND CITIZEN ENGAGEMENT, THE FLORIDA WILDLIFE CORRIDOR ADVOCATES FOR THE PROTECTION OF THE MISSING LINKS NEEDED TO CONNECT CONSERVATION LANDS IN THE CORRIDOR. OUR FLORIDA WILDLIFE CORRIDOR EXPEDITIONS RESULT IN DOCUMENTARIES, BOOKS, VIDEOS AND VIVID PHOTOGRAPHIC PRESENTATIONS THAT INTRODUCE THESE NATURAL AREAS TO FLORIDA RESIDENTS AND VISITORS OF ALL AGES. THE ORGANIZATION ALSO DEVELOPS OR COMMISSIONS OTHER PHOTOGRAPHY, VIDEO, MAP

THE FLORIDA WILDLIFE CORRIDOR PROGRAM HELPS TO RAISE AWARENESS FOR THE MISSION BY ORGANIZING EVENTS, EXPEDITIONS, AND MEDIA TO ADVOCATE FOR LAND PROTECTION AND WILDLIFE CROSSINGS. WE PARTNER WITH ORGANIZATIONS AND INDIVIDUALS NEARLY AS DIVERSE AS THE WILDLIFE WE AIM TO PROTECT. USING A SCIENCE-BASED APPROACH, ON-THE-GROUND KNOWLEDGE OF THE CORRIDOR, AND THE SUPPORT OF THOUSANDS OF FOLLOWERS THROUGHOUT THE STATE AND NATION, WE WORK TO IDENTIFY AND ELEVATE THE MOST PRESSING THREATS AND OPPORTUNITIES FACING THE CORRIDOR. A MAJOR ACCOMPLISHMENT OF 2021 WAS INSPIRING THE FLORIDA WILDLIFE CORRIDOR ACT, WHICH OFFICIALLY DESIGNATED THE 18-MILLION-ACRE GEOGRAPHIC AREA.

PATH OF THE PANTHER PROGRAM IS A CONSERVATION PHOTOGRAPHY PROJECT WORKING TO TELL THE STORY OF THE FLORIDA PANTHER TO INSPIRE RECOGNITION AND PROTECTION OF THE FLORIDA WILDLIFE CORRIDOR. WORKING IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE FLORIDA FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION, US FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE, THE NATURE CONSERVANCY, AND SEVERAL PRIVATE LAND OWNERS IN THE CORRIDOR, THE PATH OF THE PANTHER DEPLOYED AND MAINTAINS A NETWORK OF REMOTE CAMERA SYSTEMS ACROSS PUBLIC AND PRIVATE LANDS. THE IMAGES AND DATA GATHERED FROM THIS CAMERA NETWORK CONTRIBUTES TO LARGER EFFORT TO PROTECT AND RECOVER THE PANTHER, AND CAPTURED THE FIRST INDISPUTABLE DOCUMENTATION OF A FEMALE PANTHER NORTH OF THE CALOOSAHATCHEE RIVER SINCE 1973. IN 2020 THE PATH OF THE PANTHER PROJECT FOLLOWED THE EXPANSION OF THE PANTHERS BREEDING RANGE NORTHWARD THROUGH THE FLORIDA WILDLIFE CORRIDOR THROUGH AN EXPANSION OF THE CAMERA NETWORK ACROSS PRIVATE RANCHES. ADDITIONAL CAMERAS SYSTEMS WERE EXTENDED INTO THE BIG CYPRESS NATIONAL PRESERVE AND ADJACENT PRIVATE LANDS WITHIN THEIR HISTORIC RANGE. THIS PROJECT IS STRENGTHENING STAKEHOLDER, PUBLIC AND POLITICAL SUPPORT FOR CONSERVATION PROGRAMS.

YOUTH EXPEDITION - FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE HISTORY OF OUR EXPEDITIONS, WE JOURNEYED WITH THREE TEEN GIRLS FROM THE LOCAL REGION, THE NATURE COAST, TO EXPLORE OUR VITAL CONNECTION TO WATER. THE SPRING2SHORE EXPEDITION SHOWCASES OUR FIRST FEMALE LEAD FILMMAKER AND NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC PHOTOGRAPHER, JENNY ADLER. THIS TREK COVERED 50 MILES ON A 4-DAY JOURNEY STARTING FROM RAINBOW SPRINGS STATE PARK AND ENDING WITH AN OCEAN DEBRIS CLEANUP BY BOAT IN HOMOSASSA BAY. THE TEAM CROSSED AN IMPORTANT YET UNPROTECTED BOTTLENECK IN THE CORRIDOR. THIS NARROW STRETCH OF CORRIDOR LINKS ALMOST TWO MILLION ACRES BETWEEN THE BIG BEND AND NATURE COAST. THE SUBSEQUENT FILM, HOME WATERS, WILL BE AVAILABLE IN 2022.