One-and-a-half million acres in Florida (US) managed by the National Park Service
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Capt. Eric Herstedt is a seasoned and versatile fishing guide based in Everglades National Park and the Florida Keys, specializing in light tackle and fly fishing. Whether it's spin, bait, plug, artificial, or fly—Eric does it all, and he does it with the best of them. With decades of experience and an unmatched passion for the water, Eric has built a reputation as a top-tier guide known for his skill, adaptability, and commitment to providing unforgettable days on the water.Born in Miami and raised on Long Key in the heart of the Florida Keys, Eric developed a deep connection to the outdoors and the rich fishing grounds surrounding him. By the age of 3, he was already casting a spin rod, and at just 14 years old, he achieved his first Flats Grand Slam—landing a bonefish, permit, and tarpon in a single day. Though spin and plug fishing were his early go-tos, Eric discovered fly fishing at age 9 and quickly embraced its challenges and rewards.Eric's talent and dedication have made him a fixture in the tournament scene. He and Nicky fished the Golden Fly Tarpon Tournament together for nine consecutive years, narrowly missing a victory a couple of times. In 2022, Eric and angler Mike Criscola finished as runners-up in the legendary Gold Cup Tarpon Tournament—further proof of Eric's consistency and sharp instincts under pressure.Beyond the tournaments, Eric has contributed to conservation efforts with Bonefish & Tarpon Trust (BTT), working alongside Capt. Doug Kilpatrick and Dr. Ross Boucek to help establish best practices for handling bonefish safely at the boat.Eric is known not only for his skills on the water but also for his honesty and authenticity—he's a straight shooter who tells it like it is. Whether you're chasing tarpon on fly or just getting your feet wet, Eric is the kind of guide who makes the day memorable.We hope you enjoy getting to know Capt. Eric Herstedt as much as we have.
Send us a textThis week Rachael aka Lady Florida (https://www.instagram.com/_lady_florida?igsh=Nml5czJrZDVpNzZk) discusses enjoying and responsible behavior in Everglades National Park. Please subscribe! Shares and reviews are much appreciated!Get your FREE sticker from the Florida Springs Council and sign up to be a springs advocate at https://www.floridaspringscouncil.org/madcapsQuestions and comments can be emailed at thefloridamadcaps@gmail.comRyan can be found on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/the_fl_excursionist/Chris and Chelsey can be found at https://www.instagram.com/sunshinestateseekers/?hl=en
Journey into the wetlands with Randy, Caly, and Park Ranger Daniel Blankenship from Everglades National Park as they explore one of America's most vast and untamed landscapes. From airboat tours to alligator sightings, hidden boardwalks to chickee campsites, learn what makes the Everglades a must-visit destination for nature lovers and adventurers alike.Subscribe to RV Destinations Magazine at https://RVDestinationsMagazine.com. Use code PODCAST20 to get 20% off your subscription today!Learn more about Everglades National Park at https://www.nps.gov/ever/CHAPTERS00:00 About Ranger Daniel Blankenship05:56 Fun Facts23:06 Visitor Centers28:36 Ranger-led Programs32:30 Airboat Tours37:15 Kayaking41:48 Fishing43:45 Marine/Aquatic Wildlife45:09 Hiking48:47 Best Time to Visit52:18 Busiest Area53:59 Driving in the Everglades55:27 Camping59:27 Crocodile Story01:05:22 Wilderness Waterway
TOP STORIES - Trump and Musk sit cage side at Miami UFC event; 1 hospitalized after being bitten by shark at Everglades National Park; Blue Origin To Launch All Female Crew Monday; Masters recap; Florida universities to deputize campus police for immigration enforcement; Florida business owner accused of selling human bones on Facebook Marketplace; Blue Origin To Launch All Female Crew Monday; Hope Florida program under fire as Gov. DeSantis pushes for it to become state law; Deputy hit, dragged by motorcyclist during traffic stop, PCSO looking for driver; Woman arrested for DUI going 100 mph over speed limit on Selmon Expressway; Man tries to set Port Richey house on fire after parents refuse to give him $40 for marijuana.
First drafted in Everglades National Park, after a week of mesmerizing nature experiences.Paddling a designated mangrove trail, I cringe as our inflatable kayak rubs the bottom of the pond. “We're stirring up the mud,” I worry aloud. “How many organisms call this mud home?” Sean shakes his head.We turn around shortly after. By this point we've already seen five alligators (one swimming parallel to us, disquieting agility on full display) and a dozen birds and too many fish to count. I'm in awe that this has been our Monday morning activity.I'm also wondering if it should have been.So often close creature encounters fill us with wonder—they allow us to more fully appreciate our fellow animals. But they are also, so often, one sided. What does the cardinal get from me peering closely except a modicum of discomfort? The Florida tree snails are dormant for the winter so my photography (in theory) doesn't stir their slumber, but still—I am here, in their world, leaning in. And I am clumsy and species-centric and unable to coexist without inadvertent harm.“Oh no, you scared him,” Sean said of the small toad I tried so carefully to step around on yesterday's trail. “Shoot, she ran away,” I echoed about the anole I paused too long to observe.How much of these reactions is normal? Creatures move toward and away from each other all the time. Perhaps I am not adding to their stress (the alligators certainly seem unbothered by my presence in their swamp); perhaps it's self-aggrandizing to think so. But perhaps I am. Perhaps I am layering harm upon small harm, weaving fear deeper into their nervous systems, making their already fraught existence harder, all out of a desire to love them.Love can hurt. Especially when it comes from a person.Little Me developed so much respect for the natural world by engaging with the natural world. That's the justification for practices—some worse than others, certainly—at organizations from SeaWorld to the tiny elephant sanctuary I called home after graduating college. Where do we draw the line? On our guided night hike in the Everglades, I was thrilled to see a nightjar illuminated by the ranger's flashlight—but guilt pinged within me, too, at the creature's small form huddled in the beam. Would we, me and Sean and five middle-aged couples, have felt less inspired if we hadn't gotten to see up close? Would the bird have felt less scared?Whose experience is more important, and do they have to interfere with each other, and how can we ever understand costs and benefits?These questions are top of mind thanks in part to Nerdy About Nature's recent post on whether outdoor recreation is a form of resource extraction. He thinks it is, and I largely agree. I also agree with the article's top comment: “outdoor recreation is a gateway to caring about the planet,” writes Nick Costelloe. “The more people engage with natural spaces, the more they'll care about them—and the more willing they'll be to advocate for climate solutions.”I'm just not sure what, exactly, ethical engagement with nature spaces ought to look like.This past fall we drove up a steep, bumpy road to the most beautiful dispersed campsite we've ever seen overlooking the Great Tetons. We carefully followed every National Forest Service guideline. No campfires. Don't stay more than five nights. Drive on previously used roads. Pack in what you pack out; leave no trace.I grinned almost every minute we were there. I threw wide my arms and teared up at the sunrise and leashed Scout the second we saw another animal or person. But afterward, despite being a perfect stickler for the rules, I still had to ask: Is it truly possible to leave no trace?One morning a fox trotted along the edge of our site. They paused, head raised, before darting away down the mountain. Neither we nor our dog pursued this breathtaking creature—but the canid knew, unmistakably, that we were there. Every living thing nearby knew we were there. How much of my own joy (and make no mistake: I experienced bright, bursting, overwhelming joy) is worth native flora and fauna's discomfort? How much do NFS restrictions, even when meticulously observed, actually mitigate human impact?How much could I love that mountain—that view, those creatures—if I hadn't breathed their same air?I don't know. It's easy to preach platitudes about respecting the environment. (Pick up trash, be bear aware, don't bend the rules, do what the organizations in charge tell you to.) It's harder to trust that these actions are good enough. And everything is exacerbated by the crisis facing American public lands under our current administration, worsening, it seems, by the day: staffing cuts, hiring freezes, harrowing sound bites to “drill, baby, drill”.Never has holding great wonder—the kind that inspires us to care, that doesn't allow us not to give a damn—about natural spaces been more important. Never has asking how we skew the ratio toward much more awe than harm. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.pawsandreflect.blog/subscribe
This episode interviews Laura Sherman, VP of operations for Guest Services, a company managing food and lodging in national parks since 1917. Sherman discusses the company's journey towards sustainability, driven by their partnership with the National Park Service and a growing awareness of climate change, focusing on the Flamingo Lodge in the Everglades, which was rebuilt using shipping containers to minimize its impact. The conversation touches on the challenges and rewards of sustainable practices, emphasizing the long-term benefits and the need for both strategic planning and small, manageable steps for other companies to transition. The podcast aims to inspire listeners to adopt sustainable solutions for both environmental and economic benefits, highlighting that this is not a trend but an industry shift. Key Takeaways: Guest Services' Historical Roots in Sustainability:Guest Services was founded in 1917 and evolved from a food service provider for soldiers to managing contracts in national and state parks. Their involvement with the National Park Service 30-40 years ago instilled a commitment to conservation and preservation.The Flamingo Lodge: A Model for Sustainable Accommodation:Located in Everglades National Park, the lodge was rebuilt after being destroyed by hurricanes.It's constructed from elevated shipping containers to minimize environmental impact and provide resilience against future storms. The lodge highlights the importance of stewardship in protecting fragile ecosystems like the Everglades.Offers glamping options alongside traditional camping and RV spots.Provides educational opportunities through partnerships with park rangers and interpretive programs.Benefits of Sustainable Practices:Attracts environmentally conscious guests who favor properties with sustainable initiatives.Improves operational efficiencies and reduces long-term operating costs.Prepares businesses for increasing regulatory compliance related to environmental protection.Future Trends in Sustainable Hospitality:The industry will move forward as people adapt.People moving towards energy efficiencies using geothermal heating systems.Getting rid of styrofoam, plastics, and straws. *Regulatory compliance will be evident.The industry is moving towards bulk amenities. *Colorado has eliminated single use plastics.Quote: “You've got to set your goals. You've got to set that path and that journey that you want to follow. Because if you just start off and go blindly, it's going to backfire. How do you anticipate getting there and work towards that goal?”
Hello Listeners!Recently we went to Everglades National Park and we learned so much there that we decided to make an episode about it! Tell us what you think in the comments below and follow if you are enjoying the podcast so far. -Da Potato SistersSources:NPS.GOV. Birds. NPS.GOV, NPS.GOV. American Alligator: Species Profile. NPS.GOV, NPS.GOV. Burmese Python. NPS.GOV, Poll should be: what was your favorite animal from this episode? 1. burmese python 2. Alligator 3. Crocodile?
Everglades National Park Disappearances & MysteriesBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/missing-persons-mysteries--5624803/support.
The guys return to Everglades National Park, again looking for a predator that Daniel wants to get too close to: the American Crocodile (Crocodylus acutus). Listen in as Daniel shares some research, busts croc-related myths, and Steve probably gets a little too excited about how crocs deal with salt water. Bill doesn't have much to say, but he's there, too. Enjoy!This episode was recorded on January 7, 2025 on the Bear Lake Trail in Everglades National Park. The last bit where the guys find the croc was also recorded in the Park, at the Flamingo Marina.Episode Notes and LinksAs promised during the episode, Steve is looking into how crocs process and excrete excess salt. As soon as he gets to the bottom of it, we'll share it here.In the meantime, here's what Bill found when he asked DeepSeek: Crocodiles, like many other marine and estuarine reptiles, have specialized salt glands to help them excrete excess salt from their bodies. These glands, known as salt glands or lingual glands (located on their tongues), actively transport salt ions (primarily sodium and chloride) from their bloodstream into the gland ducts. The salt is then excreted as a concentrated saline solution, which is expelled from the body.Crocodiles do not chemically change the salt (sodium chloride) into something else. Instead, they filter and concentrate it, allowing them to maintain proper electrolyte balance in their bodies, especially when living in saltwater environments. This process is crucial for osmoregulation, as it prevents dehydration and helps them survive in both freshwater and saltwater habitats.In summary, crocodiles excrete salt in its original form (sodium chloride) but in a highly concentrated solution, rather than transforming it into a different substance.Sponsors and Ways to Support UsGumleaf Boots, USA (free shipping for patrons)Thank you to Always Wandering Art (Website and Etsy Shop) for providing the artwork for many of our episodes.Support us on Patreon.Check out the Field Guides merch at our Teespring store. It's really a great deal: you get to pay us to turn your body into a billboard for the podcast!Works CitedAdmin, CrocAttack. “Database.” CrocAttack, CrocAttack, 17 July 2023, crocattack.org/database/. Balaguera-Reina, S. A., M. Venegas-Anaya, V. Beltrán-López, A. Cristancho, and L. D. Densmore III 2018. Food habits and ontogenetic dietary partitioning of American crocodiles in a tropical Pacific Island in Central America. Ecosphere 9(9):e02393. 10.1002/ecs2.2393Briggs-Gonzalez VS, Basille M, Cherkiss MS, Mazzotti FJ. American crocodiles (Crocodylus acutus) as restoration bioindicators in the Florida Everglades. PLoS One. 2021 May 19;16(5):e0250510. doi: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34010342/Grigg, Gordon C., et al. Biology and Evolution of Crocodylians. Comstock Publishing Associates, a Division of Cornell University Press ; CSIRO Publishing, 2015. Mazzotti Frank J. , Balaguera-Reina Sergio A. , Brandt Laura A. , Briggs-González Venetia , Cherkiss Mike , Farris Seth , Godahewa Avishka 2022. Natural and Anthropogenic Factors Influencing Nesting Ecology of the American Crocodile in Florida, United States. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution Vol. 10. https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/ecology-and-evolution/articles/10.3389/fevo.2022.904576 ISSN=2296-701XMazzotti, F.J. The American Crocodile in Florida Bay. Estuaries 22, 552–561 (1999). https://doi.org/10.2307/1353217Mazzoti, Frank. “American Crocodiles (Crocodylus Acutus) in Florida.” Myfwc.Com, University of Florida IFAS Extension, myfwc.com/media/1847/americancrocodilesinfl.pdf. Accessed Dec. 2024. Villegas, Alejandro, & Schmitter-Soto, Juan Jacobo. (2008). Feeding habits of the American crocodile, Crocodylus acutus (Cuvier, 1807) (Reptilia: Crocodylidae) in the southern coast of Quintana Roo, Mexico. Acta zoológica mexicana, 24(3), 117-124. Recuperado en 30 de enero de 2025, de http://www.scielo.org.mx/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0065-17372008000300008&lng=es&tlng=en.
Send us a textOn this week's episode the Madcaps camp at Everglades National Park and discuss their experiences hiking and enjoying the fascinating Everglades Ecosystem. Please subscribe! Shares and reviews are much appreciated!Get your FREE sticker from the Florida Springs Council and sign up to be a springs advocate at https://www.floridaspringscouncil.org/madcapsQuestions and comments can be emailed at thefloridamadcaps@gmail.comRyan can be found on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/the_fl_excursionist/Chris and Chelsey can be found at https://www.instagram.com/sunshinestateseekers/?hl=en
Took a trip to Everglades National Park and stayed a couple of nights at the new Flamingo Lodge. It was fantastic. There's a full report, as well as coverage of my local Key Largo fishing and news.
As the calendar runs down on the current session of Congress, there are a number of pieces of legislation that would involve or possibly impact the National Park System if they find their way into an omnibus lands bill that gains passage before the session adjourns. While we haven't seen exactly what might find their way into an omnibus lands bill, among the candidates are legislation that would turn Chiricahua National Monument into a national park, one that would create a “designated operating partner” to oversee the Appalachian National Scenic Trail, and another that calls for a Benton MacKaye National Scenic Trail feasibility study. There's also pending legislation that would approve expansion of Big Bend National Park by about 6000 acres, one that would transform Apostle Islands National Lakeshore into Apostle Islands National Park and Preserve, and one that, if passed, would forbid any official wilderness designation to be bestowed on Big Cpress National Preserve. We're going to take a look at the Big Bend, Apostle Islands, and Big Cypress measures today with Bob Krumenaker, who, during his 40+ years with the National Park Service, was superintendent of both Apostle Islands National Lakeshore and Big Bend National Park and served a stint as acting superintendent of Everglades National Park, which adjoins Big Cypress National Preserve.
The vulnerable red-cockaded woodpecker is known to be found in national park units throughout the southeast. Big Cypress National Preserve and Everglades National Park in Florida, Cumberland Island National Seashore in Georgia, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Tennessee are just a few of the parks that either are, or once were, home to the woodpecker. Recently the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service moved to downlist the red-cockaded woodpecker from being an endangered species to being threatened. While that normally would be welcome news, the decision has been criticized as being premature and ignorant of climate-change threats to the species. This week the Traveler's Lynn Riddick discusses this decision with the southeast program director of Defenders of Wildlife…and the thinking behind that organization's belief that this decision comes at a questionable time.
(S11:E8) What's it like to see Miami by Airstream? In this episode, Jamin and Hilarie stay on the west edge of the metroplex and make their way into Miami Beach to sample Cuban food and some top notch mojitos. They take a self-guided art deco walking tour along Ocean Drive and do a little shopping. RV-ing to Miami wouldn't be completed without a trip to the largest tropical wilderness in the U.S., Everglades National Park. For more context, check out this podcast's companion video (S11:E8 First timers in Miami | Cuban food, art deco tour + Everglades) on YouTube (https://youtu.be/1RdaSLS2jJU). Send us your feedback and thoughts via email at travelfomopodcast@gmail.com. Have your own travel story? Attach a voice memo to your email, and you could hear your own voice in a future episode of the podcast. ____ Travel FOMO is hosted by a husband and wife duo, Jamin and Hilarie Houghton. Learn more about them at www.travelfomopodcast.com. Subscribe to Travel FOMO in two different ways: (1) Watch their adventures on YouTube and (2) Follow audibly from wherever you listen to podcasts. Follow Travel FOMO on social media: Instagram: www.instagram.com/travelfomopodcast Facebook: www.facebook.com/travelfomopodcast TikTok: www.tiktok.com/@travelfomopodcast YouTube: www.youtube.com/@travelfomopodcast
In the Florida Everglades, the Burmese python is an invasive species that's close to triggering an ecological collapse. We'll head out with python hunters who track down these massive snakes for a bounty. Then we wade through the waste deep murky waters of the Everglades to see what researchers are learning about Burmese pythons in their waning hopes to remove them from this fragile tropical wilderness. This show would not be possible without listener support. You can help us continue to create this special immersive storytelling by donating at kuow.org/donate/thewild. Thank you. For some great photographs and clips from our journey through the national parks, check out our Instagram @thewildpod and @chrismorganwildlife. THE WILD is a production of KUOW, Chris Morgan Wildlife, and the NPR Network. This episode was produced by Lucy Soucek and edited by Jim Gates. THE WILD is hosted, produced and written by Chris Morgan. Fact checking by Apryle Craig. Our theme music is by Michael Parker.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Everglades National Park Disappearances & MysteriesBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/missing-persons-mysteries--5624803/support.
In this episode of the Beyond Jaws podcast, hosts Andrew Lewin and Dr. David Ebert welcome Dr. Grace Casselberry, the sixth recipient of the prestigious Eugenie Clark Award from the American Elasmobranch Society. Dr. Casselberry, a postdoctoral student at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, shares her inspiring journey in marine biological research, highlighting her dedication, perseverance, and innovative contributions to the study of elasmobranchs, including sharks and rays. Listeners can look forward to insights into her accomplishments, future aspirations, and the impactful work she has done in public outreach and research. Join us for an engaging conversation about the importance of marine conservation and the legacy of Eugenie Clark! Connect with us: Website: https://bit.ly/37TMqeKInstagram: https://bit.ly/3eorwXZ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@beyondjawspodcast7591 Dave: Website: https://www.lostsharkguy.com/ Instagram: https://bit.ly/3q1J9Q5 Andrew: Website: https://www.speakupforblue.com/ Instagram: https://bit.ly/37g5WkG Dr. Grace Casselberry: A Rising Star in Shark Research Dr. Grace Casselberry, the sixth recipient of the Eugenie Clark Award from the American Elasmobranch Society, has made significant strides in the field of shark research. As a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, her work focuses on the spatial ecology of various shark species, predator-prey dynamics, and the effects of catch-and-release angling on striped bass. Her journey into marine science and shark research is both inspiring and illustrative of her dedication to the field. Early Influences and Education Grace's interest in marine science was sparked during her childhood summers spent in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, where she developed a love for the ocean through fishing with her grandfather. Unlike many marine scientists who have been fascinated by sharks since childhood, Grace's path was more gradual. It wasn't until her undergraduate studies at the University of Connecticut, where she took a fish biology class, that she realized she could turn her passion for fishing into a career studying fish. After completing her Bachelor's degree in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Grace interned at the Panama City Lab, where she gained hands-on experience with sharks. This internship solidified her interest in movement ecology and led her to pursue a Master's degree at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where she studied the residency and habitat use of various shark species in a marine protected area. Research Focus and Achievements Grace's Master's research involved tagging and tracking tiger sharks, lemon sharks, nurse sharks, and Caribbean reef sharks in Buck Island Reef National Monument in St. Croix. Her findings revealed that these species spent over 50% of their tagged days within the marine protected area, underscoring its importance for shark conservation. For her PhD, Grace shifted her focus to great hammerhead sharks in the Florida Keys, where she investigated their movement patterns and interactions with the recreational tarpon fishery. Her research uncovered that approximately 15% of hooked tarpon were consumed by hammerheads, raising concerns about the impact of shark predation on the tarpon population. In addition to her shark research, Grace has also worked on critically endangered sawfish, conducting juvenile nursery area habitat assessments in Everglades National Park. This work involved catching and tagging juvenile sawfish to better understand their habitat use and population dynamics. The Importance of Funding and Collaboration Throughout her academic journey, Grace has actively sought funding to support her research. She has applied for various grants, including the prestigious Dr. Nancy Foster Scholarship from NOAA, which allowed her to pursue her PhD. Grace emphasizes the importance of persistence in grant writing, noting that rejection is a common part of the process. She encourages aspiring researchers to apply for funding opportunities, as they are essential for advancing scientific knowledge and conservation efforts. Grace's collaborations with organizations such as Bonefish and Tarpon Trust and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary have also been instrumental in her research. These partnerships have provided valuable resources and support, enabling her to conduct fieldwork and share her findings with stakeholders in the fishing community. Recognition and Future Aspirations Receiving the Eugenie Clark Award is a significant milestone in Grace's career, recognizing her perseverance, dedication, and innovation in shark research. She hopes to continue her work in applied conservation and management, focusing on the intersection of marine animal movement and fisheries management. Grace's journey serves as an inspiration to early-career scientists, particularly women in marine science, as she exemplifies the impact of passion, hard work, and collaboration in advancing our understanding of marine ecosystems. The importance of grant writing and securing funding is a critical aspect of a successful career in marine science, as highlighted by Dr. Grace Casselberry in her interview on the Beyond Jaws podcast. Grace emphasizes that her experience with grant writing has been somewhat unique, as she has actively pursued funding to support her research projects, particularly during her PhD and postdoctoral work. Grace began writing grant proposals while finishing her master's thesis, recognizing that her lab did not have the resources to fully support her PhD work. This proactive approach allowed her to secure funding, which was essential for her to continue her research on sharks and other marine species. She notes that the process of applying for grants can be challenging, as it often involves competing against many other talented researchers with compelling ideas. One of the key takeaways from Grace's experience is the reality of rejection in the grant writing process. She candidly shares that she has applied for more grants than she has received, which is a common experience for many researchers. Grace highlights that while rejections can be disheartening, they are not personal and often reflect the competitive nature of funding opportunities. She encourages aspiring scientists to persist despite setbacks, stating, "You're never going to get the money if you don't try to get the money." Grace also emphasizes the importance of learning from feedback received on grant applications. For instance, after applying for the Dr. Nancy Foster scholarship and not receiving it initially, she was able to use the feedback to improve her proposal for the next application cycle, ultimately leading to her success. This illustrates the significance of resilience and adaptability in the grant writing process. In summary, Grace's experiences underscore that grant writing is not only a necessary skill for securing funding but also an opportunity for researchers to articulate their ideas and the importance of their work. Her journey reflects the challenges and rewards of navigating the funding landscape in marine science, highlighting the need for persistence, learning from rejection, and the ability to tell a compelling story about one's research.
Send us your Florida questions! Leslie Kemp Poole joins the podcast to talk about Florida's true first state park, the one forgotten and ignored by the Florida state parks system — but prized by the National Park Service (and part of Everglades National Park). The trio also talks about the powerhouse of a woman instrumental in the park's creation: May Mann Jennings. Finally, listeners get an update on the proposed changes to several state parks and learn how they can take action.Links We MentionedUpdates to Florida State Park proposed changes (with link to the FDEP survey)Florida's first state park, now called Royal Palm State Park and inside Everglades National ParkTopsail Hill Preserve State ParkDr. Von D. Mizell-Eula Johnson State ParkImage via National Parks Service Support the Show.Support the podcast! For $5/month, you get premium Florida Keys history and travel tips with Brad Bertelli and Cathy Salustri.Subscribe to The Florida Spectacular newsletter, and keep up with Cathy's travels at greatfloridaroadtrip.com. Find her on social media: Facebook.com/SalustriCathy; Twitter/IG: @CathySalustri Question or comment? Email: cathy@floridaspectacular.com. Free, weekly episodes of "The Florida Spectacular" are co-hosted by Rick Kilby.Get Rick's books at rickkilby.com/ and http://studiohourglass.blogspot.com/. Connect: Facebook.com/floridasfountainofyouth, Twitter (@oldfla), and IG (@ricklebee).Premium, biweekly episodes of "The Florida Keys" Spectacular are co-hosted by Brad Bertelli. Find Brad's column in The Keys Weekly newspaper, ch...
Everglades National Park Mysteries!Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/missing-persons-mysteries--5624803/support.
Manatees are some of the most unusual looking wildlife creatures that you'll find in coastal units of the National Park System, places like Everglades National Park, Biscayne National Park and Cumberland Island National Seashore. They are huge – the largest on record reportedly tipped the scales at 3500 pounds and was 13 feet long – and rather bulbous looking. But manatees are also an endangered species under the Endangered Species Act. There are many threats to manatees along the Southeastern coastline of the United States, from power boaters to shrinking shorelines, and even climate change impacts. To learn more about these interesting mammals and the struggles they face to build their populations, we're joined today by Tiare Fridlich, a manatee biologist with the Save the Manatee Club.
Welcome back to another captivating episode of the WGI Unleashed Podcast! For our 84th episode, we sat down with Coriann Salas, WGI's Corporate Program Manager in our Fort Lauderdale, Florida office! Coriann's journey began in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan before relocating to Florida at the age of ten. Now, with over two decades spent in the Sunshine State, she proudly considers herself a “Native Floridian.” Having spent her formative years in the sun and sand, it's no surprise that her academic path led her to the University of Central Florida during the exciting Dante Culpepper days. Finding Her True Calling in Engineering Coming from a family of engineers, Coriann initially chose to study environmental sciences, hoping to carve out a different path than that of her relatives. However, her natural aptitude for mathematics and an interesting piece of advice from a professor quickly guided her back to engineering. This switch, small as it may seem, not only aligned with Coriann's strengths but also equipped her with essential life skills that she consistently incorporates into her daily work, such as problem-solving and organization. Coriann's professional journey began with a structural engineering internship, where she, not so excitingly, helped design water and wastewater treatment tanks. Determined to secure a better foothold in the industry, she tirelessly reached out to numerous engineering firms in the state of Florida until she landed a position as a junior bridge designer. Over 13 years at this firm, she honed her skills and deepened her understanding of the engineering landscape while creating connections and relationships that would benefit her greatly down the road. Rising to New Challenges at WGI Through relentless tenacity and effective networking over her years in the business, Coriann was offered an opportunity to grow WGI's transportation team and lead a team of bridge designers. One of her significant achievements at WGI was opening a new office location in Fort Lauderdale - allowing her to grow professionally and create something she is incredibly proud of. Embracing a New Role with Broader Impact Coriann's career took a pivotal turn when she was asked to spearhead WGI's companywide transition from a legacy internal associate and client database, Deltek Vision, to a new and improved platform, BST. Achieving the success she did throughout this initiative resulted in Coriann being promoted to WGI's Corporate Program Manager. In this role, she has spearheaded other key initiatives, including enhancing Quality Assurance/Quality Control practices and procedures across the company. Her work now involves collaborating with almost every department, from Finance and Accounting to Human Resources and everywhere in between. Coriann's dedication and commitment to WGI's core value of “Be the change you seek” have cemented her as an invaluable resource for WGI. While she enjoys working behind the scenes and making significant impacts across various facets of the organization, she still appreciates her roots and occasionally gets her hands dirty in some plan sheets. A Multifaceted Life Beyond Engineering Outside of her professional life, Coriann is a devoted mother of two and a fitness enthusiast who has completed the 7-mile marathon in the Florida Keys (once) and has hiked the Everglades National Park during the rainy season, showcasing her adventurous spirit. Even though health is a priority for Coriann, she also has a passion for baking sweet treats, appreciating the precision and mathematical aspects it involves. Join us in this inspiring episode as Coriann Salas shares her journey, insights, and the values that drive her contributions to WGI. Don't miss out on this engaging conversation on the WGI Unleashed Podcast! Join us in thanking Coriann Salas for sharing her fascinating story - from her early days at school in Orlando to the many hats she wears now; Coriann's journey has been nothing short of thrilling! So, put on those headphones and crank up the volume because it's time to get unleashed! Don't forget to tune in next time as we unravel more captivating tales and insights on the WGI Unleashed Podcast. Until then, stay inspired and keep unleashing your potential! Visit your favorite podcast app now and subscribe to WGI Unleashed to receive alerts every time a new episode drops. You can find us on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, iHeart Radio, Google Podcasts, or wherever you find your favorite podcasts!
Snakes are often seen as slithery, slimy and scary. But these intriguing non-legged creatures have made CrowdScience listener Okello from Uganda wonder how they move – more specifically, he wants to know how they climb trees so easily, and so fast. Presenter Caroline Steel meets snake expert Mark O'Shea to investigate the ingenious methods different snakes use to scale a tree trunk, and gets a demonstration from a very agreeable corn snake at a zoo.Snake movement isn't just your typical S-shaped slithering: these reptiles move in a remarkably diverse range of ways. Melissa Miller from the University of Florida explains all the range of motion snakes can employ to effectively travel along the ground as well as at height.Caroline witnesses this in action as we pay a steamy visit to the Everglades National Park in Florida, USA, tracking pythons across the vast swamps there. We find out why understanding these pythons' movement is vitally important for conserving the local ecosystem.Contributors: Dr Melissa Miller, Research Assistant Scientist, University of Florida Brandon Welty, Wildlife Biologist, University of Florida Prof Mark O'Shea MBE, Professor of Herpetology, University of WolverhamptonPresenter: Caroline Steel Producer: Hannah Fisher Editor: Cathy Edwards Production Co-ordinator: Ishmael Soriano Studio Manager: Neva Missirian
Join us as we discuss Everglades National Park, the largest tropical wilderness in the United States. We cover the history, travel tips and more.
Tonight on our sleep travel podcast, one of the largest natural wetlands on Earth. As twilight descends on Everglades National Park, this remote wilderness undergoes a remarkable transformation revealing a hidden world of nocturnal activity and extraordinary nature sounds. The trill of chirping crickets fills the humid air above the dense marshes and mangroves, punctuated by the intermittent splashes of fish and reptiles as they break the water's surface below. Silhouettes of herons and egrets glides gracefully against the moonlit sky, traversing with ease this unique 1.5 million acre ecosystem in southern Florida. 25.21470, -80.85034
Subscribe and support the podcast: https://miamicomedy.com/podcast Go to a live Miami Comedy Show tonight: https://miamicomedy.com/events In this episode of the Miami Comedy Podcast, we discuss a recent trip to Nashville and how Miami could benefit from borrowing ideas from other parts of America. Suggests introducing country music nightlife to diversify the club scene, encouraging an Amish presence to balance modern vices, upgrading the Everglades National Park with party cabins, creating a theme park inspired by local celebrities similar to Dollywood, highlighting Miami's rich and tumultuous history in a dedicated museum, and revitalizing public transportation with a party bus concept. Additionally, Manny touches on legalizing marijuana in Florida to boost the economy. Throughout the episode, Manny humorously proposes these ideas to make Miami even more unique and appealing to both tourists and locals. (00:00) Introduction to the Miami Comedy Podcast (00:25) Bringing Country Music to Miami (03:11) Introducing Amish Culture to Miami (05:35) Revamping Miami's National Parks (07:48) Creating Miami-Themed Theme Parks (11:09) Innovating Miami's Nightlife and Bar Scene (13:25) Proposing Unique Miami Street Parades (14:26) Revolutionizing Miami's Public Transportation (15:45) The Push for Legalizing Weed in Miami (17:20) Closing Thoughts and Call to Action Follow us for all things Miami Comedy! (Live comedy shows, podcasts, livestreams, memes, and more...) Live Comedy Shows ⮕ https://miamicomedy.com Instagram ⮕ https://instagram.com/miamicomedy Facebook group ⮕ https://miamicomedy.com/group Facebook ⮕ https://facebook.com/miamicomedydotcom Twitch ⮕ https://www.twitch.tv/miamicomedy Twitter ⮕ https://twitter.com/miamicomedycom Tik Tok ⮕ https://www.tiktok.com/@miamicomedy Merch ⮕ https://shop.miamicomedy.com --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/miami-comedy-podcast/message Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/miami-comedy-podcast/support
Marcus and Corey What You Know 'Bout That? trivia game for Monday, April 8th, 2024
On this day in 1960, the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park was established as the first underwater nature preserve in the United States. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Cathy Shields joins Let's Talk Memoir for a conversation about the role guilt and grief have played in her experience parenting a unique child, how she has navigated her daughter's diagnosis of severe cognitive disability, writing about complicated mothers and complicated mothering, protecting children in our work, critical mothers, living in the contradiction, and her memoir The Shape of Normal. Also in this episode: -not giving up -social anxiety -forgiving ourselves Memoirs mentioned in this episode: The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan DIdion Educated by Tara Westover The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls Raising a Rare Girl by Heather Lanier To Siri with Love by Judith Newman Catherine (Cathy) Shields, M.S. Ed., is a retired early childhood teacher. She writes about parenting, disabilities, and self-discovery. In her debut memoir, The Shape of Normal, Cathy explores the truths and lies parents tell themselves. Her stories and essays have appeared in NBC Today, Newsweek, Bacopa Literary Review, Grown, and Flown, Brevity Blog, Write City Magazine, The Manifest-Station, and elsewhere. Cathy lives in Miami, Florida. In her free time, Cathy likes to hike, kayak, and explore the Everglades National Park with her husband, to whom she's been married forever. Connect with Cathy: Website: https://www.cathyshieldswriter.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cathyshieldswriter LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/cathy-shields-88487711b X: https://twitter.com/Catshields1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cathy.p.shields.3 Substack: https://cathyshieldswriter.substack.com/ Get Cathy's Book: https://www.vineleavespress.com/the-shape-of-normal-by-catherine-shields.html — Ronit's writing has appeared in The Atlantic, The Rumpus, The New York Times, The Iowa Review, Hippocampus, The Washington Post, Writer's Digest, American Literary Review, and elsewhere. Her memoir WHEN SHE COMES BACK about the loss of her mother to the guru Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh and their eventual reconciliation was named Finalist in the 2021 Housatonic Awards Awards, the 2021 Indie Excellence Awards, and was a 2021 Book Riot Best True Crime Book. Her short story collection HOME IS A MADE-UP PLACE won Hidden River Arts' 2020 Eludia Award and the 2023 Page Turner Awards for Short Stories. She earned an MFA in Nonfiction Writing at Pacific University, is Creative Nonfiction Editor at The Citron Review, and lives in Seattle with her family where she teaches memoir workshops and is working on her next book. More about Ronit: https://ronitplank.com Sign up for monthly podcast and writing updates: https://bit.ly/33nyTKd Follow Ronit: https://www.instagram.com/ronitplank/ https://twitter.com/RonitPlank https://www.facebook.com/RonitPlank Background photo credit: Photo by Patrick Tomasso on Unsplash Headshot photo credit: Sarah Anne Photography Theme music: Isaac Joel, Dead Moll's Fingers
The Everglades National Park Join us today as we learn about one of the largest and most diverse National Parks in the United States. Sources: https://www.floridamuseum.ufl.edu/southflorida/habitats/pinelands/native-flora-and-fauna https://www.everglades.org/the-everglades-handbook/section-2-environments-of-the-everglades/pinelands/ https://www.nps.gov/aboutus/national-park-system.htm https://www.nps.gov/ever/learn/nature/hardwoodhammock.htm https://www.britannica.com/plant/bladderwort https://kids.nationalgeographic.com/nature/article/everglades https://www.nps.gov/places/florida-bay.htm Connors, Kathleen. Everglades National Park. Gareth Stevens Publishing, 2016. Send us listener mail! Send an audio message: anchor.fm/inquisikids-daily/message Send an email: podcast@inquisikids.com
In this episode of Citizens Climate Radio, listeners hear stories, insights, and innovative approaches to tackling climate change. From the unique perspective of a climate change comedian who marries humor with serious environmental advocacy to the empowering tales of youth activism at the global COP28 summit, this episode showcases diverse methods of engagement and action. Highlighting the importance of resilience, space for mental and emotional health, and the groundbreaking work of package-free shopping, it will inspire you while providing you with practical guidance. A Climate Change Comedian? Brian Ettling shares his compelling journey from a park ranger to an influential climate change comedian, a story that encapsulates the essence of turning gloom into bloom. With seventeen years of experience as a seasonal ranger in the majestic landscapes of Crater Lake National Park and Everglades National Park, Brian shares how a simple yet profound question about global warming from a park visitor sparked a drastic shift in his career path and life purpose. “Excuse me, all-knowing ranger,” a visitor said. “I have a question.” I smiled, humbly curious and certain I had the answer. “What's happening with global warming in the Everglades?” Wait. What?! I knew nothing about global warming, and visitors hate when park rangers tell you, 'I don't know. Brian spent time researching the question and was shocked by what he discovered. The information I learned scared me. What the (bleep)! Because of climate change, sea level was expected to rise at least three feet in Everglades National Park by the end of the 21st century. The sea would swallow up most of the park and nearby Miami since the highest point of the park road is less than three feet above sea level. UGH, I hate you, climate change! This pivotal moment led him to deeply research climate change, eventually inspiring him to merge his passion for environmental advocacy with his unique sense of humor. An amateur video on YouTube led to two national television appearances on Comedy Central's Tosh.0. Daniel Tosh introduced America to the goofball who became the Climate Change Comedian. Brian's narrative is a vivid testament to the power of individual transformation and the role of creativity in addressing serious global issues. He illustrates this by recounting defining moments in his journey, and he invites us to experience the journey complete with silly sound effects and a musical score. Brian Ettling is a dynamic climate change communicator from Portland, Oregon, with a deep history of engagement with Citizens Climate Lobby (CCL). Over the years, he has worn multiple hats within CCL, including legislative liaison, co-chapter leader, and Missouri State co-coordinator. His dedication is evident in his attendance at nine CCL international conferences in Washington, D.C., where he served as a breakout speaker. Additionally, Brian has contributed his insights at the Canadian National CCL conference, showcasing his unwavering commitment to climate advocacy. For a complete transcript and more, visit https://citizensclimatelobby.org/blog/podcast/episode-92-theres-something-funny-about-climate-change/ Resilience Corner Tamara Staton explores the nuanced relationship between space—both physical and emotional—and climate advocacy. Tamara emphasizes the importance of creating space for rest and reflection to enhance effectiveness in climate activism. She illustrates this with personal anecdotes, suggesting, "When I create space, I enable presence and perspective... Creating space widens our window of tolerance, allowing us to respond with grace, ease, and courage to the challenges we face." She underscores the critical balance between passionate activism and the need for self-care to sustain long-term engagement in climate work. Tamara Staton is the Education and Resilience Coordinator for Citizens Climate Education. Get more tips and resources by visiting The Resilience Hub on CCL Community. NEW! The CCL Youth Corner The Citizens Climate Lobby Youth Corner introduces a vibrant platform where middle and high school students across the USA amplify their voices on climate action. Host Veda Ganesan highlights their proactive efforts to make their voices heard at COP28. She shares the important role CCL Youth volunteer Vinay Karthik played at the international conference in Dubai. In the next Youth Corner, you will learn about The Great School Electrification Challenge. Dig Deeper: Check out the CCL Youth Blog. Veda Ganesan is the producer and host of CCR's new Citizens Climate Lobby Youth Corner; it is a project of CCL Youth. Veda also hosts Sustainable Cents podcast. Good News Damon Motz-Storey (they, them) shines a spotlight on the Realm Refillery in Portland, Oregon, a pioneering package-free grocery store. It exemplifies sustainable shopping by offering a wide variety of bulk goods, from flour to laundry detergent, all without disposable packaging, presenting a compelling model for reducing single-use plastics and living one's environmental values. Damon Motz-Storey is an active climate advocate and the Oregon Chapter Director of the Sierra Club, dedicated to promoting sustainable practices and environmental conservation. In other Good News, Peterson Toscano highlights two innovative climate change exhibitions in New York City museums. At the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), Life Cycles: The Materials of Contemporary Design showcases the intersection of design and sustainability, featuring Solar Ivy, a system of small solar panels resembling leaves that generate energy from sunlight and wind. Additionally, the Climate Museum in SOHO focuses entirely on climate change, currently featuring “The End of Fossil Fuel," and encourages visitors to engage in actionable steps toward environmental advocacy. If you have a Good News Story to share, contact us: Radio @ CitizensClimate.org Take a Meaningful Next Step Each month, we will suggest meaningful, achievable, and measurable next steps for you to consider. We recognize that action is an antidote to despair. If you need help with what you can do, please take a look at one of the following next steps. If you are in middle or high school, visit CCLUSA.org/Youth to learn about their Great School Electrification Challenge! If you are a college student, you can get involved with CCL Higher Education and the College Carbon Fee and Dividend Movement. You can learn how you can jumpstart a campaign on your campus. Sign up for monthly text reminders to contact your members of Congress and get the step-by-step guidance you need to reach lawmakers effectively. Visit CCLUSA.org/Action Stay Tuned In the March 2024 episode, you will meet Erica Valdez, the newest team member of Citizens Climate Radio. Erica, Horace, and Peterson will engage in a discussion on the various roles individuals can adopt in addressing climate change. Eileen Flannagan, a Quaker author, activist, and trainer, will elaborate on the four roles change-makers often play: Advocate, Rebel, Helper, and Organizer. They ask, “What is your role on this new planet???” The episode is set to premiere on Friday, March 22nd, 2024. Listener Survey We want to hear your feedback about this episode. After you listen, feel free to fill in this short survey. Your feedback will help us make new decisions about the content, guests, and style of the show. You can fill it out anonymously and answer whichever questions you like. You can also reach us by email: radio @citizensclimatelobby.org
Florida Panthers (Puma concolor couguar) are a distinct population of pumas that live predominantly in southwest Florida. Pumas used to roam the entire United States, but habitat loss and overhunting in the 1800's and early 1900's caused them to disappear from much of their range. Every breeding population of pumas East of the Mississippi river vanished, except for one. South Florida, due to its wild and swampy nature, was able to thwart human development just enough for its inhabiting pumas to narrowly avoid oblivion. These surviving pumas, or Florida Panthers, represent the resiliency of wild south Florida. The decades since their near extinction have been filled with controversy, conservation, and politics. This iconic cat still has many challenges to face, and with only 200 or so remaining in the wild, their future is uncertain. Daniel was first introduced unofficially to this animal during his first trip to Everglades National Park in 2017. The Florida Panther and the swampy, remote areas in which they are found captivated Daniel's imagination. Every subsequent trip to the Everglades and southwest Florida had at least some time dedicated to searching for this cat, all to no avail. In January 2024, after spending months preparing and researching, Daniel embarked on a five-day solo trip in the backcountry of the Big Cypress National Preserve, with the sole objective of finally crossing paths with a panther.But what exactly IS a Florida Panther? Are they only found in Florida? Are they black? What is the difference between a Florida Panther and a mountain lion? And of course… do they eat people?! Luckily, Bill was able to meet Daniel in south Florida to record an episode about the Florida Panther and tackle the questions and misconceptions that leave this cat shrouded in mystery. This episode was recorded on January 8th, 2024 at Everglades National Park in Homestead, FL. Episode NotesWhen Daniel was talking about Florida Panther size, they were described as smaller than other pumas out west. It should also be noted that while they do fall to the bottom of the size and weight scale of pumas in North America, the populations of pumas closer to the equatorial rain forests in South America are even smaller. This reinforces the notion discussed in the podcast that pumas in colder climates or higher elevation tend to be larger than pumas in warmer climates and lower elevation. Also, Bill asked Daniel what their life span was, and Daniel was not sure. Bill guessed 20-30 years. According to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, “Panthers can live up to 20 years or more in the wild. Female kittens have a good chance of living 10 years or more. Males have a tougher time, but if they survive to five or six years old, they are likely to live even longer to 10 or more years.” Nicely done Bill!While discussing vehicular collisions as the number one cause of death of Florida Panther, Bill and Daniel discussed how in 2023, 13 Florida Panthers were killed by vehicular strikes. So far in 2024, there have been five. Bill and Daniel referred to the rule about animals being larger the farther you get from the equator, but they couldn't remember the name of the rule. It's Bergmann's Rule, and it's defined as: “one of the best-known generalizations in zoology. It is generally defined as a within-species tendency in homeothermic (warm-blooded) animals to have increasing body size with increasing latitude and decreasing ambient temperature. That is, Bergmann's rule states that among mammals and birds, individuals of a particular species in colder areas tend to have greater body mass than individuals in warmer areas. For instance, white-tailed deer are larger in Canada than in the Florida Keys, and the body size of wood rat populations are inversely correlated with ambient temperature. This principle is named after a nineteenth-century German biologist, Karl Bergmann, who published observations along these lines in 1847.” - from The New World EncyclopediaLinks Panther Pulse, the database containing documented Florida Panther deaths and depredations: https://myfwc.com/wildlifehabitats/wildlife/panther/pulse/Path of the Panther: https://pathofthepanther.com Sponsors and Ways to Support UsGumleaf Boots, USA (free shipping for patrons)Thank you to Always Wandering Art (Website and Etsy Shop) for providing the artwork for many of our episodes! Support us on Patreon!Check out the Field Guides merch at our Teespring store. It's really a great deal: you get to pay us to turn your body into a billboard for the podcast!Works CitedCaudill, Gretchen & Onorato, Dave & Cunningham, Mark & Caudill, Danny & Leone, Erin & Smith, Lisa & Jansen, Deborah. (2019). Temporal Trends in Florida Panther Food Habits. Human-Wildlife Interactions. 13. 87-97. 10.26076/kta5-cr93.Cox, J. J., Maehr, D. S., & Larkin, J. L. (2006). Florida Panther Habitat Use: New Approach to an Old Problem. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 70(6), 1778–1785. http://www.jstor.org/stable/4128112Frakes RA, Belden RC, Wood BE, James FE (2015) Landscape Analysis of Adult Florida Panther Habitat. PLOS ONE 10(7): e0133044. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0133044Hostetler JA, Onorato DP, Nichols JD, Johnson WE, Roelke ME, O'Brien SJ, Jansen D, Oli MK. Genetic Introgression and the Survival of Florida Panther Kittens. Biol Conserv. 2010 Nov 1;143(11):2789-2796. doi: 10.1016/j.biocon.2010.07.028. PMID: 21113436; PMCID: PMC2989677.Johnson WE, Onorato DP, Roelke ME, Land ED, Cunningham M, Belden RC, McBride R, Jansen D, Lotz M, Shindle D, Howard J, Wildt DE, Penfold LM, Hostetler JA, Oli MK, O'Brien SJ. Genetic restoration of the Florida panther. Science. 2010 Sep 24;329(5999):1641-5. doi: 10.1126/science.1192891. PMID: 20929847; PMCID: PMC6993177.Land, Darrell & Shindle, David & Kawula, Robert & BENSON, JOHN & LOTZ, MARK & Onorato, Dave. (2010). Florida Panther Habitat Selection Analysis of Concurrent GPS and VHF Telemetry Data. The Journal of Wildlife Management. 72. 633 - 639. 10.2193/2007-136.Maehr, David S. (1997). The Florida Panther: Life and Death of a Vanishing Carnivore. Island Press ISBN 155963507X, 9781559635073Pienaar, Elizabeth & Rubino, Elena. (2016). Habitat Requirements of the Florida Panther. 10.13140/RG.2.1.1887.2722.Robert A. Frakes, Marilyn L. Knight, Location and extent of unoccupied panther (Puma concolor coryi) habitat in Florida: Opportunities for recovery, Global Ecology and Conservation, Volume 26, 2021, e01516, ISSN 2351-9894, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2021.e01516. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2351989421000664)Urbanizing Landscape. PLoS One. 2015 Jul 15;10(7):e0131490. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0131490. PMID: 26177290; PMCID: PMC4503643.Vickers TW, Sanchez JN, Johnson CK, Morrison SA, Botta R, Smith T, Cohen BS, Huber PR, Ernest HB, Boyce WM. Survival and Mortality of Pumas (Puma concolor) in a Fragmented, Urbanizing Landscape. PLoS One. 2015 Jul 15;10(7):e0131490. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0131490. PMID: 26177290; PMCID: PMC4503643.Photo Credithttps://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Everglades_National_Park_Florida_Panther.jpg?uselang=en#Licensing
www.atravelpath.com 00:00 Introduction 01:45 Why are the Florida Keys so Special to You? 02:22 Who Should Go to the Florida Keys? 03:40 How Long Should Someone Spend in the Florida Keys? 04:40 What is the Best Time of Year to Visit the Florida Keys? 06:50 The 7-Mile Bridge Drive 07:30 Kid and Pet Friendly Activities 08:34 Flying into the Florida Keys 10:15 Campgrounds in the Florida Keys 13:40 Duval Street 15:20 Nightlife in the Florida Keys 17:00 Dog Friendly Beaches 18:45 Favorite Restaurants and Key Lime Pie 22:40 In & Around the Florida Keys 31:13 Two Complaints about the Florida Keys 32:43 What is One Thing You Can't Leave the Florida Keys without Doing? Laure and Jason on Social: YouTube Facebook Instagram This was the ULTIMATE guide for visiting the Florida Keys! Jason and Laura did a fantastic job explain everything to do, from dining, snorkeling, museums, camping, things to watch out for, and much more. We feel like we have three weeks' worth of activities all planned out! Hope you enjoy! Links Blog Resources: https://atravelpath.com/road-trip-with-kids/ Key West Calendar of Events Catamaran from Fort Myers: Key West Express State Park Campgrounds Bahia Honda Curry Hammock John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park Dog Friendly Beaches Sombrero Beach Anne's Beach Key Lime Pie Publix Key Lime Pie Bakery in Key West Key West Fort Zachary Taylor State Park Garbo's Grill Airstream Restaurant Sloppy Joes Bar Key West Cemetery Mallory Square Hemingway House Key West Lighthouse Southern Most Point Key Largo The Fish House Mangrove Tunnel Kayak Islamorada Divers Museum Hurricane Monument Robbie's of Islamorada (restaurant and tarpon feeding) Around the Keys Robert Is Here Fruit Stand Everglades National Park Big Cypress National Preserve Dry Tortugas National Park Paws for a Cause Old 7-mile bridge fundraiser Modern Marvels Episode: Overseas Highway *All content from atravelpath.com, including but not limited to The Travel Path Podcast and social media platforms, is designed to share general information. We are not experts and the information is not designed to serve as legal, financial, or tax advice. Always do your own research and due diligence before making a decision. Transcript from YouTube hey Jason and Laura welcome back to the travel tips segment of the travel path podcast yes thank you for having us stat nice to talk again yes if you guys haven't heard we had episode 13 Jason lore and their daughter Alexis came on the show talking about their 75-day road trip they took with the three of them and their dog Polly um they talked about everything from the frustrations some of the hurdles and obstacles traveling with children so if you're looking to get into an extended road trip with kids definitely check that one out today travel tips we're talking about one destination they know best so Laura and Jason what are we talking about today the Florida Keys awesome I'm particularly excited about this because that is very high on my list where we're going to end up for a little while at some point this year but tell us why this is such a important special place for you guys I think just it's very versatile I feel like there's just there's a lot out there and there's a lot of availability and um it just it's a great it's a fun place you feel like you're on vacation it's one of those plac as you go and you're like okay I'm on vacation and you can drive there and you can drive there it's accessible I would say and uh you you feel like you are far far away from anything normal absolutely now obviously this is a great vacation destination if you want warm weather this is exactly where you should go but what would you say for someone who wants what type of experience who should go to the Florida Keys well and that's great because like it's be there's Beach there's a lot of water sports but there's tons of like history there as well that's super interesting if people are you know it's not our thing but people just like to go bar hopping I mean you can't beat Deval Street and Key West or fishing a lot of people go fishing is huge um but again she mentioned the history the beaches there's not a ton of beaches actually in the keys people might think oh there's beaches there's not a ton of beaches we'll mention we can mention some few of those that we like and but again it's there's a lot to offer for a lot of different types of people there and a very laid-back Vibe I think that's the biggest thing is you really do feel like you're on vacation when you go I mean just it is very laate back it's not for somebody who wants to climb mountains or anything like that there's not a lot of intense sports to do probably but um I guess snorkeling you know that that can work up a good a good workout but yeah it's definitely like that laidback I want to be on vacation Vibe perfect and sometimes you need that especially you know for us who are doing these extended road trips and you know Are Climbing like you said climbing mountains and just constantly on Trails sometimes it's nice to get that vacation in where you can actually just wind down reset relax get your vitamin D and fuel you a little bit more for those longer trips that we're going to take later to get that full Key West experience how long do you think someone should plan to take their trip there I know for us like we say we want to have at least five days there but you can actually do a day trip go down to Key West and come back you can spend months there it's again it's very versatile with timing is that you know there's tons of stuff to do down there or if you really ever like I only have one day or I only have one evening or two days still do it yeah it's uh just so people realize from Mainland Florida to Key West depending on traffic you're looking between two and three hour drive yeah which really isn't that bad especially if you just want to be able to go down and experience it for a day or a night and then you know head back into like you said the mainland I'm sure we'll talk about it later on but that two or three hour drive is probably worth it just for the keyan Pai alone right it is it definitely is the type of driving that you're going to do there is not like anything else that you can do either so it's it's worth it just to make the drive MH yeah very true what would you say is the best time of year to visit or what time the year do you guys like to go so I will say we have two opinions so this is this will be interesting so I love to snorkel and be in the water but I found that going in the winter for me I don't like being cold the water was so cold I couldn't even breathe in my snorkel mask properly because I kept getting salt water let's let's get this up straight though it's it's maybe cold by Florida standards it's not cold by Lake Michigan standards or anything in the Northeast 70 degrees it's 70 degrees is what the temperature is it's probably a little bit cooler in the winter time than you would might think that it is right so the water itself is 70 degrees on average um in the winter time and for me that's just too cold to I just I was shivering so much so um I now I've only been in the summer the fall and the winter I haven't been in the spring um but I actually really liked the fall even though it's hurricane season so I know you do need to watch the weather but for me the temperature was just perfect it was it about 90 degrees the water felt wonderful and because I love being in the water and Alexis agrees we both really liked the fall even though I miss the Fall colors you know that we have in New England and Michigan we have beautiful fall colors but I really liked going that to my year because of the temperature the summer is very very hot and I haven't been the spring so it could be the actually Springs the best time to go and we just don't know so we haven't been there in the spring so we were actually just there a few weeks ago and it was high 70s low 80s to me I don't think you can get more perfect than that right so if you're just going and not going in the water winter is probably the best time to go because the yeah it's perfect temperature and that's a few weeks ago just for context recording this right now end of January mid January so that's yeah beginning of January yeah yeah we were in Florida right around the same time you were and I you couldn't have paid me to go snorkeling in that water I touched and I was like absolutely not way too cold I was like walking way away from it yeah and well I made myself go in the water I'm like I know I'm like we're here in the Florida Keys and like I need to get in the water but I was like okay I'm in the water there are a couple people with West suits but yeah not many yeah most people just we in their swimsuits Yeah you mentioned that drive to the Florida Keys was a drive you can't get anywhere else what did you mean by that well especially the seven mile bridge that is a very unique Drive you're literally driving over the ocean the views are awesome especially if you're driving near Sunset but I will say up in between kargo and Marathon you may not really feel like you're in the keys you really have to get south of marathon Marathon to Key West where you really are going from one little island to the next Little Island going over all these different Bridges um I think there's over 100 different bridges in the keys that you drive over you get more of a water view more frequently South America okay oh that's a good point now you obviously are traveling with your daughter and your dog most of the time so is that completely accessible I know you said she likes to go snorkeling with you but how do it go with the dog and her when you're down there oh yeah it's actually great there's Key West itself is super dog friendly tons of restaurants um are dog friendly and even the stores at first we were having somebody weit outside with the dogs while the other two P went into the shops and I started noticing I don't see any signs saying no pets allowed on many of the stores and so we started taking the dogs in and everyone the people that worked there were like oh they're so cute so even the stores like so most places you can take your dog in Key West Key West kind of anything goes anyway yeah key again it's that laid-back Vibe where you're just like you know even the mannequins Alexis noticed the mannequins in the store she goes mom their hair is really messed up I'm like it's because anything goes in Key West it doesn't matter if the mannequin is crazy hair that's nice that very relaxed Vibe so transitioning a little bit to um you guys are going to Key West you're probably bringing your Airstream right yeah have you ever flown from home to Florida and we actually recently just looked into it because our we're coming up on our 20th anniversary which is the emerald anniversary so we wanted to kind of do something with Emerald Waters and we were looking into flying directly to Key West and from in in January from Michigan to Key West is about 700 a person so you can fly to Key West you can fly into Marathon um but marathon's even more expensive than Key West so what a lot of people would do is fly into Miami is pretty low cost to do and then drive to the keys but Key West does have a I think a pretty large airport by you know Island standards um there's quite a bit of traffic in and out so if you have the budget for it you can fly directly there just not in our budget right yeah well we want to save the uh funds for those uh excursions and experiences right now when you fly into Miami how far is that drive you're probably looking around three hours because you just never know what kind of traffic you're going to get um even from Miami uh even you know Highway One going down through the keys you never know what you're going to because it's one way in one way out we haven't experienced any horrible traffic there but I know people have right well sounds like whatever your budget is however you want to have your transportation there's a lot of different options yeah you can even take a boat we've never done this but the Key West Express Key West Express leaves from Fort Meers and I think it's aadar that takes you directly to qf well that's arriving in style yeah exactly and it was pretty low cost from what I remember it wasn't a horrible price yeah it was a reasonable cost for you know getting you down to Key West now obviously in Key West there's going to be a ton of different boutique hotels and you know Cottage options when you guys bring your camper what are some of your favorite campgrounds we love state parks just in general Across America and the Florida Keys especially because they're pretty pricey um any you know unless you're in a state park so bah Honda Isa very favorite place to stay they have about 40 campsites total so it's a small Campground and maybe 15 of them are Waterfront so those were are very very nice obviously and we were lucky enough to get a couple of those a couple times ago uh they have cabins there that you can rent they do have cabins and tent camping but if you know I want to make it known that anywhere other than the state parks and anywhere in the Florida Keys you're $200 a night for a campsite or more usually if if you can find anything wow now I have heard that um from some fellow campers that we've come across they said it's very hard to get into those campgrounds that you have to be way ahead of time with booking so how how have you guys experienced that how far Advanced are you looking for your for your campsites it's it is it's it's like you said it's pretty stressful because honestly I would get on at 8 o' the day of that they would open up I did that for a whole month did not get any key sites and I would look at um bahah Honda Curry Hammock and John Penny Camp there's three different state parks I would look at all three of them I start always with theah Honda I couldn't do it it was like over a month I tried so he again he just keeps looking for cancellations and that's how we got we were able to get for nights at bonda and two at John Penny Camp so you really just have to keep on the cancellations because it's very hard to get into people are always cancelling I don't care what the campground is even small campgrounds like I said are only 40 sites at Honda people are always changing in their plans and you will find a cancellation if you can if you stay at it and even if you can get there for you know two nights the staff there like the Rangers are very they're very easy to work with like you just let them know hey we'd like to be here a little longer and just go into the ranger station every morning and check in with them if you only have two nights say hey were there any cancellations and we even um the one time we had one site for five nights but we really wanted a waterfront site because it was just it's so nice and we said for us it's worthwhile to move there for one night and go back to our site and they were actually able to find us a cancellation for a waterfront site we moved over there for the one night and we went back to our other site this that the Waterfront sites are just they're amazing oh like one of the best when you have that Waterfront site you you really don't want to go anywhere you just and bonda the other nice thing about that state park is you have like I love Sunrise I love Sunset and you have a Sunrise Beach and a Sunset Beach so in the mornings we would wake up we go see Sunrise you could do the walk around and then again the walks the beaches are not dog friendly on bajah Honda but you can still walk the whole Little Island there with your dogs so we would do our morning dog walk and um and loop around and yeah to me bah Honda is the best place to Camp so when you guys go just keep keep trying to get BAH Honda yeah it's worth it in terms of booking those campsites are you using websites those Campground websites or is there another website you're using for booking no this the Florida state parks website and we'll put links Below in the show notes for all the resources talked about in Today's Show Now obviously you know it's Key West so there's tons of restaurants there's a lot of bars like you've mentioned where you can hop in and out I'm sure it has a very Lively night life for um the bachelorette parties things like that but as far as families at times maybe not kid-friendly it was when we were there for around Halloween I can't remember the Fest is called but there's some sort of Fan Fest during Halloween where when you drive down dual Street people are not close and dval street is really the street that if you're worried about what your kids might see just don't go down dval street anywhere else is going to be normally okay so we turned onto dval Street and I didn't want to make a big reaction because then kids were gonna want to see everything so I'm like oh hey Alexis did you want to watch a show she's like yeah so we just gave her the iPad the headphones and we just and she she saw nothing well that's a good travel tip so as far as that is there anything else that maybe if you are a f traveling with you know small children that you should kind of avoid in the Key West area it's more just if there's a festival going on because like we walked down toal street just this last time and it was just F dur during the day it's okay you'll might see some things that you may not want your kids looking at and some of the windows but you might take the opportunity to distract them like Laura mentioned right when you see something just oh look at over here there's a chicken because there's tons of chicken CH are walking all over the place so there's always a way to distract them from seeing something you may not want them to see but during the day because everybody I think is sleeping still it's this a totally different vibe Walking Down the Wall Street but when the Sun goes down it changes yeah but again that's just the Wall Street right so the rest of the Key West is still very very kid-friendly for sure and like I said extremely dog friendly for sure awesome so what do you guys like to do at night when that sun goes down we're not really night lifers I'll admit we love to go see Sunset and then but the one night we were out a little bit later we went to Robbie's um to feed the tarpon and that was pretty fun too and then again I I'd read mixed reviews of dogs were allowed or not um but we brought our dogs and they let us go out on the decks to feed the tarpon but the Pelicans were just they were really aggressive bold it was hard to feed the tarpon you know and Alexis is trying to like you know shoe the Pelicans away and they're biting at her feet and everything ply wouldn't even bark at her no ply was hiding behind us we're like P do your job bark at them but one thing I would say about NTI and it never gets talked about the Nik at least not that I've heard is they have a a beautiful night sky yeah the stars there so if you're into you know you know nighttime photography or just stargazing especally at beah Honda it it was pretty nice pretty nice night sky so honestly like if you camp at bajah Honda you can really just stay there for your whole time because there's just there's so much even just right there like if you really just want to take a really late back you know vacation to the keys I mean yeah B Honda is where it's at well they have the snorkel tour there so you can you have an Excursion you can take right from the state park their their dive shop has a small restaurant in there they even sell key lime pie from there um so literally you you you have two or three different beaches there you can check out there's kayak rentals there so like Laura says there's a lot of opportunity just to stay put if you'd like to and it can help save money as well right but I wouldn't recommend that you got to at least go down to Key West you had mentioned there weren't a ton of beaches and going back to talking about the pet friendly activities and we're both frequenters of Honeymoon Island in Duneden which is a dog beach are there any dog friendly beaches in the keys yeah so in like I think it was the marathon area there's Sombrero Beach which is a really pretty nice Beach actually small but there's really pretty palm trees on the beach and yeah that's completely dog fry the dogs can go in the water there's a few others that we didn't go to there's one called an's Beach that's right off of the road that look kind of like a neat spot dogs are allowed there um um but one of our favorite beaches that dogs are kind of allowed at is the Fort Zachary Taylor State Park which is at the you know to of the Florida in Key West there dogs aren't allowed on the Sandy part of the beach are in the water but there's just this beautifully shaded palm tree Beach area that the dogs are allowed so like since Jason doesn't really want to be in the water anyway he would hang out with Polly in that beautiful Beach area shaded and Alexis and I would go in the water and you're really on the beach you you are I mean you you're sitting there looking at you know all the beautiful views that the beach offers and you're still sitting in sand but you may have a nice palm tree over the top of your head keeping you out of the sun right so yeah so it's and to us we feel like that was one of the most beautiful beaches we've ever seen it's one of the nicest beaches out there I think and it's nice too and then if you don't have your dog with you then um the fort Zachary Taylor is a very cool tour to take you can tour the whole Fort and there's just all these really cool little nooks and cranage I mean you could spend a couple hours over there just touring the fort they have historical reenactments sometimes so there just that was like one of our favorite places I think in in Q West was the for Zary Taylor State Park very cool history beaches nightlife dog friendly there's Little slice of everything for everybody cool good stuff transitioning a little bit and talking about food what are some of your favorite breakfast lunch spots or just spots you think you should definitely hit when you're in Key West or the keys area well we are huge key lime fans so we actually found Forbes Top 10 key lime pies we only made it through five of them because um some of them were just a little bit farther for us to drive and we didn't want to make the drive but each one was very very good um I will say Honestly though one of our favorite key lime pies is at Publix oh yeah really the grocery store the the grocery store wow but the one that we went to where was it the Key Lime Pie Bakery in Key West yes we feel according to our t bu is the best right and it said that it was the original key line place from like 1865 but of all the ones we've tried and that wasn't even on the top 10 list yeah some of those lists you wonder who put them together and but that one we really enjoyed it but you can't really get a bad piece of key pie anywhere in the keys um but surpr if you just in Florida you're not in the keys and you like key line pie just go to Publix pretty good Publix has a very good key line pie and then the other thing that's kind of neat too is that each place has her own take on key lime pie you know some will do whipped cream some do the mering some people drizzle it with raspberry chocolate covered um we actually found one we really liked um that was a coconut key lime pie that was probably one of our favorites as well so it's kind of neat so if you're a key lime pie lover just have at it from a restaurant standpoint in kargo we went to this restaurant called The Fish House for for dinner and it had a really nice you know being a sea type Vibe you know it felt like you're on a boat and uh they had really good food as well there and in Key West being airst streamers there's a restaurant called garos in Key West that has the food is cooked in an Airstream and it's all outside seating and they have live music there and then there's like a separate bar that's in like a old Cottage House that the drinks come out of there and the food comes out of the Airstream and really awesome Vibe and pretty reasonably priced for being in t West really good tacos yeah I got like the Fish Taco Trio I had the uh the burger I always from Burger man but uh those are two places that we can highly recommend and it was nice because it was super dog friendly because they had this big sign that says dogs preferred humans tolerated you always know that's going to be good you go in the bar and there was I think three golden retriever laying on the around in the bar by the bar area and yeah it was just yeah super dog friendly and then I know there's a whole list of restaurants that are dog friendly so and one we didn't eat at but we've heard good things about was Sloppy Joe's Sloppy Joe's Bar is a landmark a lot of celebrities are known to frequent that County chz just played a surprise concert there so that that's one that we could recommend there's there's just a lot of options for whatever your taste might be right and we haven't had a bad bad meal in in the Florida no robbes even robbes Robbie's where you feed the tarpon yeah and what was that uh Alam marada that's in Al marado so it's like halfway down the keys they have a good restaurant there we have their key lime pie um outdoor seating right on Waterfront so that's that's another place we'd recommend that place had a lot of neat stuff to check out other than just the restaurant again you can feed the tarpon the fish how was it five bucks for a right yeah for a bucket of fish or something very reasonably priced yeah so yeah I don't feel like can really go wrong because most of the food is you know fresh fish you know key lime pie can't go wrong with that well you guys are definitely making me hungry and now we have our nice list to follow when we get to uh the keys so if you haven't mentioned them already are there any nearby attractions that you want to mention well honestly the other thing too I know not this is not everybody's cup of tea but we went to the Key West Cemetery that was very interesting and very educational like in just the different kinds like the graves are all above um the ground because of the water level and just reading about some of the different people they had some really interesting gravestones like one was a big conch shell one was like a um a bookshelf with books on it of all her favorite books and I don't I I've always really enjoyed going to really old Cemetery like that I don't remember what the year what the year is on it but it's either somewhere in the 1800s I believe well Key West is Florida's first city right a lot of people don't know that but um cool places to check out is merer square uh oh yeah you definitely want to be there for Sunset that's a bucket listing we we just were able to do that this last trip there's three performers that perform right there there usually cruise ship import again it gives you that feeling that you are somewhere far away uh another cool place that we didn't go to that we want to may get to pretty soon as the dry to ugas National Park you have to take a a float plane out there or boat it's the only way to get there but that place is really awesome from what we've seen uh Hemingway houses there and so is the Key West Lighthouse there's a lot of different museums also in Key West for you know whatever your interests are you know there's there's just tons to do in Key like even just in Key West there's just tons to do awesome so you really could spend probably a couple weeks there and have just a bunch of different experience oh yeah and actually when I asked Alexis how long we needed to spend there she's like oh at least three weeks that was her that was her answer I'm convinced that you can spend as much time as you want in almost any place right because there's just there is so much it sounds like and it sounds like you guys just planned our entire 3-we trip down to the Key West and we'll definitely be listening to this podcast when we're making our trip down there cuz yeah this was really really informative yeah oh actually there's one more really cool thing that um you can take the you can actually walk or bike the old seven mile bridge to Pigeon key which you can only Access Pigeon Key by the old bridge now the interesting thing is dogs are allowed on the old bridge but they are not allowed on pigeon key except for one day a year there's sometime in January they do some Ser of a dog fundraiser so dogs are allowed on pigeon Key island but that looked like a really cool thing too it's like I think it's about two miles two miles of the old seven mile bridge like the original one that the train tracks were on um and just even the history of the Overseas Highway is really very interesting I think Modern Marvels Modern Marvels has a good episode about the Overseas Highway that I highly recommend anybody to check out if you're going to be headed down there because it's nice to know how it all came about and there is a hurricane Museum there as well because there was a huge hurricane in the 1930s killed a bunch of people and kind of impacted the Overseas Highway and there's I believe that museum is in is it Marathon or Isa marada I'm not sure which one but that that's there to check out as well the divers Museum divers Museum there's a lot there's a lot to do the list goes on and on yeah we could probably have a three-hour segment on what to do in in the keys the Florida Keys yeah we'll transition into the 321 countdown segment of the podcast the final three questions so what are three things to do around the Florida Keys area one thing we super duper recommend is the Robert Was Here Fruit Stand you heard that right Robert was here is the name it was called Robert was here for say I believe they've been operating for about 60 years it's in Homestead Florida it's just outside the Everglade so that's more of you're coming on the east side and they have just the most amazing variety of tropical and exotic fruits and not only that they have the best milkshake we have ever had hands down the best milkshake ever like I got um it's all made with fresh really fresh fruit um I got the coconut lime vanilla milkshake and Alexis is a huge fan of dragon fruit so she literally just got dragon fruit and ice in her smoothie um but the interesting thing too is that they have three turnovers as far as like different fruits so when we were down in October it was a whole different set of exotic fruit in January it was like a whole another set of exotic fruits it's kind of interesting we got to try these things called SEL and pomy and like all these really interesting C you know just very interesting names and very interesting flavors and then when I asked they said also June is another turnover so the big times are like summer winter and fall they have totally different fruits and you can actually just buy the fruit or you can put it into a smoothie or a milkshake but that is hands down a big recommendation and when we go because we're off we're Towing our Airstream either down or back from the keys there's RV parking there as well so don't feel like you can't go there if you're you're towing your rig right and not only that like we always just kind of stop get our fruit get our milkshakes and go but they have tons of stuff around there they have like a little petting zoo um they have different um like a I saw blacksmith little area so they've got a lot of things so it can be like a whole little stop if you want it to be couple other things though I mean you're right there at the Everglades National Park is literally right there and so is Big Cyprus just a little bit further north that's a really cool place if you want to see alligators there's tons of alligators all over the place you want to take an Al those uh swamp boat tours oh yeah you know those are right there check those out highly recommend doing that if you never done that before it's a really great experience so yeah basically is if you're coming down from the East side you know instead of taking the main Highway what's the road that 41 so 41 goes through the big Cyprus area and at every single little turn off that you can go on they have like a little Boardwalk you can see alligators like all over the place it's just it's really a cool kind of aspect of like getting down there and like we've talked about wanting to spend the night there we haven't yet but it's definitely a there's multiple there's multiple campgrounds along 41 between Naples and Homestead that you can you can spend time there if you'd like to and I highly would I highly recommend that like say we want to do that just for airb rides or if you want to hike Che ey alligators just a different vibe there oh yeah again it's a just that laid-back Vibe even in that at the national park there is super laidback and actually I talked to a lady at the visitor center I guess her and her husband don't sleep very well they said they were out kayaking at 2 the morning and they saw a cougar like just steering right Florida pan oh I'm sorry Florida panther yeah they have signs all over the place for Florida panther Crossing even when you're in Naples which is you know a high-end area they have signs everywhere Panther Crossing and the lights are flashing you know like you're gonna see one at any second so we we've watched we haven't seen any but I bet if you drove at night there's a slight chance you might see going across the road that's cool it's cool how informative this episode has been in terms of things you've done but at the same time you're talking about things you want to do so you've been here so many times you have so much experience here but there's still a ton of things left to do that's great so so in terms of three things around the park I have the Everglades National Park the Robert Was Here Fruit Stand and then the Big Cypress swamp why I got kind of one more so we can kind of combine those two but um kaying through the mang gr now you can do this at John Penny Camp State Park um I actually haven't gotten the opportunity to do it because the first time we were there there was eoli in the water which kind of brings up another point that very good at monitoring the water to make sure it's safe for people to go in they're constantly checking the you know bacteria levels um but there's also a lot of other independent places where you can kayak the mangr and even take your dog with you as well and I think that to me that's it's on my bucket list of of kayaking the mangr giant Penny Camp is another place that you that offers offshore snorkeling opportunities we weren't able to do that because of weather both times that we were there but they do have it and it's supposed to be really good and they have the glass bottom boat tours which is nice when you go through the state park it's only like $30 a person whereas if you go go to an independent you know person it's going to cost a little bit more so that's a pretty low cost activity to do what are two complaints somebody might have or not necessarily complaints but things they wish they prepared for before visiting the Florida Keys I think one of the the biggest thing preparations is a mental thing like sometimes you can research a place and all you see are the most beautiful things you know something that kind of happened with us at Glacier too where all we saw these all these amazing views and like it's not all amazing views there are just Woods which are beautiful but the same thing with the Florida Keys like when you you kind of expect that it's all going to be the seven mile bridge kind of look we're really driving from you know up until Marathon it kind of just looks like Florida does you know there's just you don't really see the water that much once you get to the seven mile bridge to Key West that section is you know that's that has that feel the Florida key you see the water you go to these little Islands but that was something that especially for Jason he was kind of like whoa this is the Florida Keys like it was kind of like a little bit of a shock to him because he was expecting seven mile bridge and like all these water views the whole time where it really is from Marathon to Key West is where you get those views so that was one and I think the other one which I know we touched on a little bit was the cost is that you know if you can get into a state park and utilize a state park it's great but the campgrounds are super expensive hotel are super expensive flying they're super expensive so you you can do it on a lowc cost budget but it can also be a very expensive thing to do yeah those are great tips it's planning ahead and then managing expectations in terms of getting into the Florida Keys yeah now we talked about a lot today and I mean a lot but if you were to leave the Florida Keys what is the one thing you cannot leave the Florida keys without doing and we we kind of had different answers on this I also agree with this his answer but for me you have to snorkel because part of like the Florida Keys is getting in the water that's part of the cool thing about the Florida Keys is that has all the coral reefs that are surrounding you know all the Florida Keys I know he had something that I also agree with but you can't go without going to Key West and you know visit the southernmost point um get to your picture by that it's a large like a buoy that's on land if you're not familiar with it there's always a line to take a picture so be prepared do that cross that off your bucket list go to m Square for the sunset and I think that'll complete the trip perfect now any you start talking about snorkeling any favorite snorkel spots in the Florida Keys well I found I know I gu you never got to do a boat tour because it just never worked out in our schedule so I hear that those really are the best if you can go to a boat tour but if you are just snorkeling um by yourself and you're just going to Beach Fort zre Taylor State Park they have four different little sections of rocks and when you when you s those rocks and we saw so many different fish we saw jellyfish we saw Alexa saw an octopus even at the one little section but to me that place was like just magical like you really like I said you felt like you were swimming in an aquarium it was absolutely beautiful and that was one place you can go that you don't have to take a snor boat tour or to now do you guys bring your own snorkel gear or do you know if there's a place you can rent them if you're just flying in for the weekend so John Penny Camp State Park and beia Honda offer all rentals and you can purchase things there as well and there's also tons other dive shops in the area as well yeah I would say like every every little section of shops you'll have you know scuba and snorkeling gear key lime pie and you know it's kind like you kind of see the same things like over and over so yeah there's tons of places to buy things or yeah the state parks rent them and I'm sure even other places rent them as well perfect yeah awesome wow yeah this was a ton of information here everything from from cruise ship location snorkeling spots restaurants dog places um yeah thank you guys a ton for coming on and and sharing your experience and your advice on planning a trip to the Florida Keys we definitely have a full itinerary for sure good good well we looking forward to seeing that video that's right awesome Jason and Laura thanks again for coming on the show and once again if you haven't heard the first episode episode 13 of the travel path podcast they talked about their 75-day road trip across the country how they did that with their daughter Alexis and all the cool things they saw out there so give that a listen and one more time Jason Laura where can my audience find out more about you guys so we are on YouTube as Adventures of Mom Dad girl and a little white dog we're also on Facebook with that same name and then on Instagram um as idesa Airstream but I will admit that I'm not a big social media person so you can find me best on YouTube I try to I try to answer my comments as much as I can Perfect all right we will link those channels below Jason and Laura thanks again thank you thank you
Back in Florida - at least for a day! Before going on a "company retreat/family wedding" cruise, we had a day to bird the Fort Lauderdale/Miami area. Good food, sunny skies, and cherished birds! Luckily for us, there was a free walk with Tropical Audubon Society at Frog Pond WMA/Lucky Hammock, a great hotspot just outside of the Everglades National Park entrance.Main Story Begins at: 9:24Show notesBuy me a CoffeeBirding is the World Brazil tripGreat Backyard Bird CountSan Diego Bird FestivalSpring ChirpBirding is the world BrazilBirds and Beans CoffeeTropical Audubon SocietyRobert is HereFrog Pond WMA/Lucky HammockeBird Trip ReportIntro Bird Call: White-eyed Vireo (Recorded: Florida December, 2022) Outro Bird Call: Fish Crow (Recorded: Florida, December 2022) Connect with us at...IG: @Hannahgoesbirding and @Erikgoesbirding Twitter: @WeGoBirding Facebook: @HannahandErikGoBirding Email us at HannahandErikGoBirding@gmail.com Website: http://www.gobirdingpodcast.com
Welcome to Missing Persons Mysteries!Join Steve Stockton as he discusses Everglades National Park Disappearances & Mysteries!Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below!
Nico Foris, CEO of Guest Services Inc, joins Steve in this episode to chat about his journey in the hospitality industry. Starting as a dishwasher at 12 years old, he progressed through various industries, including working as CFO for the Washington Commanders before landing his current role at Guest Services Inc. He shares his insights about the value of hard work, relationship building, listening skills, and humility. Nico discusses the success of his company's recent ventures, such as the re-establishment of a resort in the Everglades National Park. Don't forget to check out Good Morning Hospitality - Steve and Sarah's live show every Wednesday morning! Connect with Steve on LinkedIn RealTime Reservation Offer This episode is brought to you by our podcast partners at RealTime Reservation. Their inventory management system is best in class for hotels and resorts to manage their non-room inventory. The web-based application allows for creative upselling of overnight and daytime visitors with add-ons and pre-planned packages. Hotel guests and non-guests can reserve cabanas, pool chairs, activities, amenities, excursions, events, day passes, and much more. To learn more check them out here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Everglades National Park is home to alligators, crocodiles and large bermese pythons. It is a truly unique ecosystem and one of the worlds largest wetlands. Come listen and explore what makes Everglades so unique.
It's been six years since an oil company headed out across the marl prairie of Big Cypress National Park with vehicles weighing as much as 30 tons to search for oil reserves. Signs of that work continue to show on the prairie, despite stringent National Park Service requirements for restoring the landscape after the searching was completed. Located to the north of Everglades National Park, Big Cypress is a “split estate” – the Park Service owns the surface of the more than 720,000-acre landscape, while the mineral rights are privately owned – energy exploration and possible development were allowed in the preserve's enabling legislation. But how that exploration is allowed to be performed can be a matter of contention. While the National Park Service sounds mostly satisfied with the restoration work done by Burnett Oil, the National Parks Conservation Association strongly disagrees. The park advocacy group just released a 24-page report, “Speaking Up For The Swamp,” that points to remaining scars from that exploration work on the preserve. We'll be back in a minute with Melissa Abdo, NPCA's Sun Coast regional redirector, to discuss that report.
Southeastern Fly presents another enlightening episode in the "Wisdom from the Guides" series. In this special edition, we welcome two renowned saltwater guides, both with a penchant for Florida's serene coastal waters. First, meet Captain Christina Legutki, the proud owner of Chica Fly Charters. Christina's unique charter service is dedicated to empowering women in the realm of saltwater fly fishing, catering to anglers of all proficiency levels in the picturesque Naples region. Interested parties can discover more about her offerings at chicaflycharters.com and mangrooutfitters.com. A social media enthusiast, Christina also maintains a lively presence on Instagram as @stoney_legutki, where she shares glimpses of her aquatic adventures.Joining the dialogue is our second esteemed guest, Jeff Legutki, who stands out with his extensive knowledge of Florida's diverse fishing locales. Jeff is the mastermind behind Naples, Florida Fly Fishing and Anglers Addiction Guide Services. His guided excursions span several iconic sites, including the verdant Everglades National Park, the sprawling 10,000 Islands National Wildlife Refuge, the tranquil backwaters of Naples, the biodiverse Estero Bay, and the pristine Pine Island Sound.Sit back as Christina, and Jeff delve into discussions brimming with expertise, anecdotes, and invaluable tips for every saltwater fly fishing enthusiast. Welcome aboard Southeastern Fly!Produced by NOVA Media
Deep in the Everglades, a woman escapes violence from husband who then turns his aggression on the Park Rangers.National Domestic Violence Hotline and Support:https://www.thehotline.org/800-799-SAFEText START to 88788For more information about the podcast, check outhttps://crimeoffthegrid.com/SUPPORT THE SHOW:https://www.buymeacoffee.com/cotgSources:Miami Herald June 22, 2021 https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/article252279318.htmlUnited States Attorney's Office Southern District of Florida, March 30, 2021; https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl/pr/armed-standoff-everglades-national-park-leads-federal-attempted-murder-and-firearmsMiami Heraldhttps://www.miamiherald.com › local › article250292380
In this episode of the Ducks Unlimited podcast, host John Gordon interviews Kyle Green, the host and executive producer of The Green Way Outdoors podcast. Kyle shares his excitement about an upcoming one-minute conservation segment about Ducks Unlimited that will be airing on A&E and History Channel, showcasing how DU is making a difference in his hometown. He also discusses his journey in the outdoor industry and his goal of reaching new audiences.www.ducks.org/DUPodcastwww.thegreenwayoutdoors.com
It's all Tom McGuane's fault… He's the culprit who gave Robert Redford the book! Redford loved it, and his film, “A River Runs Through It” indelibly changed everything about fly fishing. Most offensive has been the amount of people around the world we're now seeing on every body of water. Good for them, actually. Fishing is one of the most important, life changing things we could ever allocate a great amount of our lives to. The down side is the pressure on the fishery, whether it be saltwater speedsters or critters in the fresh. On today's podcast, we visit with Bonefish Tarpon Trust's scientist, Dr. Ross Boucek who is the Florida Keys Initiative Manager studying the spectrum of elements that constitute a healthy resource. Ross is a second-generation South Floridian. He grew up fishing for tarpon and snook out of Everglades City. Ross earned his Masters and Doctoral degrees at Florida International University, studying how weather events, such as hurricanes, droughts, and extreme cold events, impact sport-fishes in Florida Bay and Everglades National Park. After his schooling, he worked for Florida Fish and Wild Conservation Commission, researching fish movements and migrations, and applying that information to conservation actions. Now based in Marathon, Ross spends most of his time in the Keys, either conducting BTT science, or working with anglers, and management agencies to turn BTT science into meaningful management and regulatory changes that improve our Keys fishery. When you listen to Ross, he defines all the issues and concerns with incredible knowledge, insight and clarity.
On today's podcast, researchers study the remains of enslaved people from the 1800s in the state of Maryland; learn about homelessness among American schoolchildren during the COVID-19 pandemic; next, the grammar of cleaning terms; then hear about Everglades National Park in Florida.
Welcome back to Environmental Professionals Radio, Connecting the Environmental Professionals Community Through Conversation, with your hosts Laura Thorne and Nic Frederick! On today's episode, we talk with Ben Poulter, Research Scientist at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center about Grant Writing, Wetlands and NASA Earth Projects. Read his full bio below.Help us continue to create great content! If you'd like to sponsor a future episode hit the support podcast button or visit www.environmentalprofessionalsradio.com/sponsor-form Showtimes: 1:48 Nic & Sam talk about Wetlands6:38 Interview with Ben Poulter starts10:21 Grant Writing18:48 NASA Earth Projects24:03 Field Notes, WetlandsPlease be sure to ✔️subscribe, ⭐rate and ✍review. This podcast is produced by the National Association of Environmental Professions (NAEP). Check out all the NAEP has to offer at NAEP.org.Connect with Ben Poulter at https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-poulter-2a758764/Guest Bio:Ben Poulter is an ecosystem ecologist at the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, where he has worked in the Earth Sciences Division since 2016. He leads a team of scientists researching methods for monitoring greenhouse gas emissions and removals from forests and wetland using aircraft, satellites and computer models. Some of his current projects include the BlueFlux field campaign measuring methane and carbon dioxide emissions over Everglades National Park, developing science and applications requirements for NASA's next hyperspectral and thermal imaging satellite, and developing a greenhouse-gas budget synthesis for North America with the Global Carbon Project. A common theme across Ben's projects and management style is a priority on collaboration, inclusion and public outreach and engagement – necessary for advancing scientific discovery, training the next generation of scientists, and contributing to understanding and solving climate changeMusic CreditsIntro: Givin Me Eyes by Grace MesaOutro: Never Ending Soul Groove by Mattijs MullerSupport the showThanks for listening! A new episode drops every Friday. Like, share, subscribe, and/or sponsor to help support the continuation of the show. You can find us on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and all your favorite podcast players.
The " World Favorite Millennial " Steven Busacca hunts for ghost orchids out in the Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park . For years the search has been on for orchids out in the Everglades National Park . Orchid enthusiast and poachers a like have combed the park in their quest. Learn what a Fakahatcher is ! You might even be part of the F.O.Fs ( Friend of Fakahatchee ) Find out as the name dropping continues by Steven . Captain Jeff the Lunkerdog witnesses a high speed boating accident. All this week on the Reel Guy Podcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Many people mistake the landscape of Everglades National Park for a swamp, full of mosquitos and razor-sharp sawgrass. Technically it's a wetland, home to a stunning array of wildlife and beloved by visitors and conservationists alike. But that view of the Everglades as a treacherous and hostile place informed more than a century of efforts to tame and transform the landscape in ways that are still playing out today.In this episode of “Field Trip,” Washington Post reporter Lillian Cunningham tells the story of how the water flow through South Florida was radically altered to make the region more habitable for people. Then, how that unintentionally disrupted one of the country's most important ecosystems. And finally, why we're racing to unravel those mistakes today. We'll meet Jerry Lorenz, an Audubon Society scientist who's spent more than three decades trying to protect his beloved roseate spoonbills and other species of birds. We'll journey by fan boat across the marshes with Houston Cypress, a member of the Otter Clan in the Miccosukee Tribe of Indians of Florida and an advocate for Everglades restoration, and Durante Blais-Billie, an environmental and Indigenous rights advocate from the Seminole Tribe of Florida. We'll learn about the legacy of environmentalist Marjory Stoneman Douglas and how groups like the National Parks Conservation Association and the Captains for Clean Water are following in her footsteps today.And we'll hear from Eva Velez of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers about what went wrong originally and what it now means to approach engineering “with nature.” We have incredible photos for this series. You can see them and find more on the National Parks here. “Field Trip” would not have been possible without the support of Washington Post subscribers. If you're not yet a subscriber, you can unlock a special deal as a listener to this series. Your first four weeks are free when you sign up here.
Anyone who has ever skirted the west side of Miami trekking southward to Everglades National Park or the Florida Keys has undoubtedly heard about the infamous Robert Is Here fruit stand. Since their simple beginnings as a roadside produce stand in 1959, they've grown into a mainstay attraction in southeast Florida for thousands of fans. From locally grown produce and other farm fresh products to their notorious fruit milkshakes and more, they've got something for everyone including serving as a rehab/foster care facility for a variety of animals. If you're a regular customer, you might learn some lesser known facts from this podcast episode, and if you've never visited them before then this is sure to light a fire under your fanny to get by there and see them. On a recent trip home from Key West, I stopped by to visit with Brandon Moehling about his family's history and the future of Robert Is Here. We enjoyed a fast paced, casual conversation so I've gone ahead and added the "explicit" warning for anyone with sensitive ears and/or feelings.
Benny Blanco is one of the nicest people you'll ever meet, but under his skin, his blood runs hot. In 2015, his life pivoted becoming a devout conservationists after Florida Bay lost over fifty thousand acres of his favorite fishing grounds. These grass flats were decimated by a large algae bloom cause by poor water quality and lack of fresh water. Joined at the hip with Captains for Clean Water, Blanco has been hand in hand with fellow guides and anglers alike on the footsteps of Tallahassee demanding change. The decimation over the years hasn't just been in Florida Bay but throughout Florida (Indian River Lagoon, Mosquito Lagoon, Everglades National Park, Caloosahatchee River, etc..). The main culprit was the lack of fresh water as it travels south through the Everglades. 2022 was a critical year when a passed Bill (2508) was on the desk of Governor DeSantis for a possible veto which was successfully executed. Those waning hours were critical. Captains for Clean Water and Benny's army were called upon and the “Rally in Tally” was a power play demanding to be heard, and they were. Benny Blanco has been a sought after fishing guide for over two decades. But his popular fishing show, “Guiding Flow TV” tells the conservation story from the poling platform of his skiff. Saving the Everglades is his most important work, and his voice has become one of the most powerful and respected in demanding Florida Legislature to clean up its act!
In this episode Crawlspace Media's Tim Pilleri and Lance Reenstierna speak with Jacob Olivier's mom Laurie about her son's disappearance from the Everglades National Park area near Homestead, Florida on August 24th, 2011. Charley Project page: https://charleyproject.org/case/jacob-michael-olivier Disappeared Blog: https://disappearedblog.com/jacob-olivier/ If you have any information please contact the Everglades Park Service at 305-242-7740. You can also submit a tip to our investigators at Private Investigations For the Missing by calling 866-331-6660 or emailing PIFTMtips@gmail.com. Check out our Missing subscription service where we have a bonus show and ad-free episodes! https://missing.supportingcast.fm/ Check out https://www.crescentcanna.com/ and get 30% OFF with our special discount code: MISSING. Go to https://www.framebridge.com/ and use promo code MISSING to save an additional 15% off your first order. Get $120 off your first three boxes at https://splendidspoon.com/MISSING. Sign up today at https://www.butcherbox.com/MISSING/ to get two, 10 oz New York strip steaks and 8 oz of lobster claw and knuckle meat FREE in your first order. Go to https://smile.amazon.com/ to connect your existing Amazon account to donate to PI's For the Missing. Follow Private Investigations For the Missing https://investigationsforthemissing.org/ http://piftm.org/donate https://twitter.com/PIFortheMissing https://www.facebook.com/PIFortheMissing/ https://www.instagram.com/investigationsforthemissing/ Main Theme by Kevin Macleod. Check out his work at https://incompetech.com/. Additional music by David Williams. See his work at http://williamsflutes.com. Follow Missing: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@missingcsm Twitter: https://twitter.com/MissingCSM FB: https://www.facebook.com/MissingCSM IG: https://www.instagram.com/MissingCSM/ YT: https://www.youtube.com/missingcsm Check out the new Crawlspace Discussion Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/talkcrawlspace/ Check out our entire network at http://crawlspace-media.com/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/388 Presented By: Togens Fly Shop, Country Financial, FishHound Expeditions Sponsors: https://wetflyswing.com/sponsors John Grasta, Bass Pro Ambassador, breaks down Florida Fly Fishing with a focus on skagit and tarpon spey. We find out how you can DIY your way to tarpon with a spey rod without a boat, which other species you can hit on a road trip if you're planning to head down to Florida and why he is loving Bass Pro and his life so much in Florida. We dig into his favorite products from Fair Flies towards the end and why Florida is such an epic place. It's pretty awesome to get his perspective, not only on fishing but also on other things. Florida Fly Fishing Show Notes with John Grasta 00:03:06 - John talks about how he got into fly fishing. His father's side of the family were avid hunters and fishermen. 00:05:12 - He mentions his mentor who introduced him to saltwater fishing and to David Olson of White's Tackle who taught him how to create distance by using a shooting head and mono running line. 00:06:54 - John talks about how he refined the traditional spey rod techniques and how that turned into his biggest addiction. 00:08:25 - He provides tips to those who want to get into tarpon fishing. 00:12:13 - He shares his techniques in fishing in alligator infested waters. 00:16:40 - He says that the pre-made fair fly brushes are the end all be all and why he deviated from the traditional fly fishing techniques. 00:18:03 - He tells about his biggest speckled sea trout which was 29 1/2 inches and weighed 10.2 pounds. He caught it using the predator hot orange/chartreuse 5D brush from Fair Flies. 00:20:22 - He describes how he ties the poppers that he use on tarpon and his own go-to pattern for everything which is the spitter gurgler. 00:24:10 - He mentions Nicklaus Bauer's videos that he often watches to learn patterns for catching pike and muskie and think of how he can put his personality into those patterns. 00:26:23 - He breaks down how he hooks into a tarpon. 00:31:50 - He talks about the Cabela's Vector Two-Hand Fly Rod which is one of his favorite rods. 00:34:33 - He talks about the benefits of the two-handed fly rod. 00:37:54 - He tells how he uses his pickup truck to gain elevation and distance when fishing. 00:40:29 - He mentions some of the good lakes in Florida for fishing such as Lake Apopka and Starke Lake in Ocoee. 00:42:28 - He talks about the Bass Pro Shop and gives tips on where to fish in Florida and the best times to catch a tarpon there. 00:48:24 - He specifies the best months and times of the day to catch some tarpon in Florida. 00:50:12 - He elaborates the benefits of using a Spey rod making it a great tool to have if you're going to Florida. 00:58:01 - He describes his setup for fishing tarpon and gives tips on how to reduce the line twist or what he calls pigtail. 01:01:42 - He enumerates the different species of fish you can hook into in Florida. 1:07:23 - He mentions two fly shops in Orlando that are the best resources to get gears and get the lay of the land. 1:09:42 - He talks about the Everglades National Park. 1:14:22 - He mentions other outdoor activities to do in Florida such as camping and kayak fishing and gives tips on how to plan your trip. 1:20:21 - He talks about the first time he moved to Ocoee, Florida 15 years ago and shares some information for those who are thinking about moving to Florida. 1:25:02 - We talk about the International Convention of Allied Sportfishing Trades (ICAST) 2022. He also mentions the Balsax Previa Max floating line (dark blue) which he uses for his running lines. 1:27:49 - He commends Fair Flies for making the best equipment for fly tying and other fly fishing products which he uses for bass, tarpon, and saltwater species down in Florida. One of his favorites is their pre-made dubbing brushes. 1:31:25 - He takes us to fishing around alligators in Florida and gives tips on what to do and what not to do to prevent accidents and being attacked by alligators. 1:38:28 - He tells a story of a lady losing her dog to an alligator. Show Notes: https://wetflyswing.com/388
Now is the perfect time to plan a winter trip to Everglades National Park. While the park's rainy season is typically April through November, the other months are a great time to visit. In this episode, we talk about hiking trails we enjoyed and some other park activities you might want to try, such as airboat tours, nature photography tours, kayaking, canoeing, and Matt's favorite, slough slogging through the wetlands. But the fun doesn't stop there. We dive deep into the sawgrass marsh with a close look at its reptile population as Karen explains the differences between alligators and crocodiles and discusses an alarming challenge the park is facing: an exploding population of Burmese pythons. Here are the links we mentioned in this episode: · Everglades NP website where you can find info about guided tours · Everglades National Park Institute for info about additional tours · Link to our Patreon account Intro video · Where to subscribe to our Patreon account · And, check out our fun and inspiring apparel at Dirtlander.com Subscribe to The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen, and if you've enjoyed our show, please leave us a review or rating on Apple Podcasts. Five-star ratings help other listeners find our show. Follow us on Instagram at @mattandkarensmith, on Twitter at @mattandkaren, on Facebook at dearbobands, or check out our blog at www.mattandkaren.com. To advertise on The Dear Bob and Sue Podcast, email us at mattandkarensmith@gmail.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices