Podcasts about Florida Aquarium

Roger Germann, President and CEO of The Florida Aquarium, sits down with Owen LaFave to discuss why turning Tampa Bay into a cultural gem of Florida is a worthwhile investment. Having reached the milestone of serving over 1 million visitors per year for the past two years, The Florida Aquarium – rated among the top 10 aquariums in the nation – is a prime example of how an attraction can engage the local community and expand beyond tourism dependence, resulting in an economic impact of over $300 million annually. When Roger first came to Tampa Bay and claimed he wanted to double the aquarium's $21 million budget, some may have had doubts – but he's done it! Learn how reinvesting in the facility, focusing on education and conservation, listening to members, reconnecting with locals, and prioritizing regional partnerships/vendors has led not only to market success and a $45 million expansion but to improved quality of life for the residents of Tampa Bay. As Roger likes to say, it's your Florida aquarium.   The Bank of Tampa | Member FDIC

Today's guest, Roger Germann, tells us that every person who visits the Florida Aquarium is helping them to preserve nature and provide a better life to the animals they care for. And they want to pay that support forward to the community as well, through partnerships like the one they've formed with us here at Feeding Tampa Bay. Tune in to learn about Roger's journey from a hardscrabble youth in Chicago, and how reconnecting people with nature has proven to be one of the most rewarding experiences he could have asked for. Follow @FeedingTampaBay on social media to learn about other community partners joining us in the fight to end hunger.

In the Season 2 kickoff of Robin's Nest, Dr. Debi Luke discusses her impactful work at the Florida Aquarium, focusing on marine conservation. She highlights efforts to protect manatees, an iconic species at risk, and her advocacy for their well-being. Dr. Luke also talks about Florida's climate challenges, especially with coral conservation, aiming to restore reefs critical to marine biodiversity. Additionally, she covers the aquarium's role in rescuing and rehabilitating sea turtles, emphasizing the urgency of protecting these vulnerable marine creatures. Hope you enjoy!

In episode 88 of The TBD Podcast, Garrett sits down with Roger German, CEO of the Florida Aquarium, to discuss Tampa's evolving vision, the Aquarium's impact on the community, and its role in the city's future development. They explore what Tampa could look like in the years ahead, offering valuable insights into how the Aquarium is helping shape the city's future. Don't miss this engaging conversation on leadership, conservation, and community growth. 0:00:00 - Intro 0:04:07 - What is the vision of Tampa? 0:22:33 - The Impact of the Florida Aquarium 0:46:40 - The Aquarium's role in future Tampa development 0:56:18 - What can Tampa look like? 1:13:23 - What qualities does the aquarium look for in new hires? 1:15:52 - Roger German's greatest lesson in leadership 1:19:07 - Outro

Celebrating sharks with the Florida Aquarium; Judge dismisses case against Alec Baldwin; How to pack for your summer vacation like a pro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Celebrating sharks with the Florida Aquarium; Judge dismisses case against Alec Baldwin; How to pack for your summer vacation like a pro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Florida Aquarium and the University of Miami are joining forces in an effort to help coral in the Florida Keys survive rising water temperatures. It involves crossbreeding Florida coral with coral from a warm bay in Honduras. We speak with Keri O' Neil, who's leading the project for the Florida Aquarium. 

During yesterday's show, Steve and Andrea were surprised to learn that the fish in Tampa have been causing sleepless nights for the locals, but not for the reasons one might expect. Roger Germann, President and CEO of The Florida Aquarium in Tampa, joins the Steve Cochran Show to shed some light and explain how the sex noises of these fishes are responsible for the disturbance.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

A Tapestry of Cultural DiversityTampa's cultural landscape is as diverse as its population, reflecting the influence of various communities that have shaped the city's identity. From the historic Ybor City, once known as the "Cigar Capital of the World," to the contemporary art scene in the Tampa Bay area, the city is a melting pot of different cultures and traditions. Visitors can immerse themselves in the vibrant Cuban, Spanish, and Italian heritage, evident in the local cuisine, architecture, and lively festivals that celebrate Tampa's rich multicultural tapestry. Some of the most unique areas of Tampa to visit are Downtown Tampa,  South Tampa/Bayshore, Ybor City, and Citrus Park.Ybor City is a vibrant, historic district filled with attractions, unique restaurants, and plenty of entertainment opportunities. The area is known for its Cuban heritage, evidenced by the many cigar factories and Cuban restaurants, bakeries, and cafes. Ybor City also has numerous antique stores and specialty shops, accompanied by a variety of museums, art galleries, nightclubs, and music venues. The area holds several festivals, such as the annual Cuban Sandwich Festival, as well as performances from the Tampa Bay Rowdies soccer team. Ybor City is also home to the world's largest fireworks display, held on the Fourth of July every year. It's also home to many popular restaurants, like The Columbia Restaurant and The Bricks of Ybor City. Overall, Ybor City is an ideal destination for visitors who appreciate culture, history, and a unique atmosphere.A Paradise for Nature Enthusiasts For nature enthusiasts, Tampa offers a myriad of opportunities to explore its breathtaking natural beauty. The city is renowned for its stunning beaches, including the famed Clearwater Beach and the picturesque Honeymoon Island State Park, where visitors can indulge in water sports, sunbathe on pristine sands, or enjoy a stroll along the shoreline. For Class II rapids, check out Hillsborough River State Park.Additionally, the nearby Florida Aquarium and the Lowry Park Zoo provide immersive experiences for wildlife lovers, showcasing an array of marine life and exotic animals worldwide. On hot summer days, don't forget to visit  Adventure Island and  Water Works.Urban Excitement and Entertainment GaloreBeyond its natural allure, Tampa is a bustling urban hub that never fails to impress with its dynamic entertainment options. The lively Riverwalk, flanked by trendy restaurants, bars, and shops, offers a scenic backdrop for leisurely strolls and exciting evening activities. For shopping, and hanging with friends, visit Hyde Park,  Armature Works, Centro Ybor (Historic District), Sparkman's Warff, and Channelside. Hyde Park offers a vintage experience with rustic cobblestone streets, and the yummy treats you will find within the village cannot be overstated. In addition, Bayshore Blvd has many trails to explore. Tampa has its very own large-scale amusement park, Busch Gardens. As Florida's premier amusement park, Busch Gardens is an excellent option if you want the whole family to be involved. From roller coasters to shows to animals, you can spend your entire day smiling and laughing. If you like escape rooms, Breakout Games Escape Room is the best escape room I have ever been to.  Armature Works is a historic building & outdoor event space in the historic Heights district on the banks of the Hillsborough River. The historic building is a vibrant space containing bistros, bars, boutiques, and a full-service restaurant. Here, visitors can experience the rich culture of Tampa, the best of the city. Sporting Events Gone WildSports enthusiasts can catch a football game at the iconic Raymond James Stadium or a hockey game at the Amalie Arena, home to the city's professional football and hockey teams, respectively. Fun fact about Amalie Arena- students who show up in Lightning apparel and present their student ID can get into the "student rush," where they will place you in empty seats. You could be sitting right behind the glass!Stay like a CelebrityThe most unique hotel to stay in when in Tampa is the national landmark hotel, the Floridan. Located on 905 N Florida Ave, the Floridan was officially listed in the National Register of Historic Places on March 12, 1996, and is Tampa's only historic grand hotel still standing. Developed by architect Francis Joseph Kennard from 1926 to 1927, the hotel reflects a roaring 20s vibe. It shows the rich oasis that was inhabited by orange juice barons and other business tycoons, as well as high-ranking Military officers, Mafia members, and movie stars. The hotel is also a base for the Cincinnati Reds baseball players during Spring Training!Drinks and ClinksSome of our favorite breweries include Tampa Bay Brewing Co. (located in Ybor and Westchase), Coppertail Brewing Co. (located in Ybor), Brew Bus Brewing (they have buses that take you all over Tampa to different breweries), Cigar City Brewing Co. (located in South Tampa), and Six/Ten Brewing (located in Central Tampa by the airport). Bru is a 16-tap taproom that sells beers from only Florida Breweries. They have games and trivia. They are dog-friendly and kid-friendly and have a kombucha and cold brew for non-alcoholic options.Culinary Delights and Epicurean AdventuresTampa's culinary scene is a tantalizing fusion of flavors, reflecting the city's diverse cultural influences and its proximity to the Gulf of Mexico. From traditional Cuban sandwiches and Spanish paella to fresh seafood delicacies and farm-to-table dining experiences, Tampa offers a culinary journey that caters to every palate. Visitors can indulge in gastronomic adventures at the local farmers' markets, upscale restaurants, and charming cafes, savoring the delectable creations of talented chefs and experiencing the warmth of Southern hospitality at every turn.Hidden Gem Foodie FavoritesMichael's Grill has impressive authentic Italian food. Ulele has super cheesy macaroni and cheese in Tampa and has won several awards. King of the Coop is the spot for Nashville Hot Chicken. Bahama Bucks has top-notch shaved ice, and Jeremiah's has the best Italian ice. Green Lemon has excellent Mexican food, and Loli's Tacos has the most authentic tacos that are served in a little shack. La Teresita Restaurant was established by Cuban immigrants in 1972 and has served presidents, governors, senators, mayors, and other movers and shakers. The Floridian has the best Cuban sandwich around (pork, swiss cheese, mustard, pickles and salami).The Alessi Bakery evolved from a small bakery on Cherry Street in 1912 to a full-scale dining establishment with a bakery, deli, and distribution center. Alessi has long been a household name in Tampa. Founded by Nicolo Alessi, this Tampa landmark has been passed on down through the generations and remains a family-owned and -operated company today.Tavern FoodiesMaloney's Irish Pub has incredible $7 burgers on Wednesdays and trivia nights as well. Burger Culture is a food truck that serves fresh burgers to order. They have great fries, too. Eddie and Sam N.Y. Pizza is top-notch pizza. Front Porch and Bart's Tavern is located in a two-story Victorian house on Florida Ave. They have string lights and frequent live music.Deli DelectablesMott and Hester's Deli has the best cheese ziti and meaty sandwiches. Datz is a deli that serves eclectic food, from sandwiches to bacon-stuffed meatloaf. They also have a chocolate shop that makes incredible little truffles and a bakery called Datz Dough (two locations, one in Downtown Tampa and the other in St. Pete).                                                                                                                          Upscale EatsColumbia Restaurant is a renowned upscale restaurant, famous for its 1905 salad and amazing traditional Cuban food. Daily Eats is very fancy and serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Bern's Steakhouse and Dessert Room is phenomenal, and you can also just come by to try their specialty desserts. On Swann is located in a renovated historic home in south Tampa. Comfortable yet classy, industrial and vintage, On Swann is unique and trendy. On the menu, you'll find everything from shareable dishes like wings and flatbreads to entrees like sea bass and risotto. There's also a fantastic selection of cocktails and wines, as well as several vegan and vegetarian options. The pork chop is my personal favorite. For those with dietary restrictions, On Swann has something for everyone. Whether you're vegan, gluten-free, or lactose intolerant, the staff goes above and beyond to ensure that each diner enjoys a delicious and enjoyable meal. But that's not all — On Swann also has a unique game room. Here, you can play pool, darts, foosball, and other classic games. The unique ambiance of On Swann makes it an excellent spot for date night, as well as a great place to hang out with the girls.If you're looking for a chic stop for lunch or brunch in Tampa, look no further than Oxford Exchange! Located in a historic 19th-century building, Oxford Exchange is a beautiful and inspiring oasis of food, goods, and services. Dining-wise, guests can choose from breakfast, lunch, grab-and-go items, and espresso and tea beverages. The menu features dishes from hand-flipped trout and fried green tomato sandwiches to the mega-popular breakfast burrito. Dinner and a book are also available, you can order up some delectable red wine and a tasty dinner and browse their selection of books. Oxford Exchange's goods selection features gifts, books, and home decor. Whether you're looking for the perfect tea towel to give as a gift or a cozy candle to light up your own home, this eclectic selection is sure to satisfy you. Finally, Oxford Exchange offers signature cocktails, private dining and events, full-service catering, gift wrapping, and more. Whether you're looking for an enjoyable evening or a cool place to grab brunch, Oxford Exchange is the spot to go!Tampa, Florida, is a city that seamlessly blends history, culture, nature, and modernity, creating an enchanting tapestry that leaves a lasting impression on all who visit. With its warm climate, welcoming locals, and an array of attractions for every interest, Tampa promises an unforgettable experience for travelers seeking a perfect blend of relaxation, adventure, and cultural exploration. Plan your next getaway to Tampa and immerse yourself in the allure of this coastal gem in the heart of the Sunshine State!

Roger Germann is an American businessman, political appointee and former TV producer. He is one of the founders of the American Sports Museum in Chicago, Illinois, is currently the President and CEO of The Florida Aquarium located in Tampa, Florida, and is a former executive of the notable Shedd Aquarium in Chicago.

With the vivacious Che joining us, we bring to you an episode that's a wild ride from Vegas to the depths of childhood memories, punctuated with waves of laughter and moments of raw honesty. Known for her comedic genius on TikTok and stand-up performances,Che unravels his journey from suburban life to the sensory overload of Vegas and the cultural diversity of New York. We chat about his plans to explore the Big Apple, his decision to take a break from alcohol, and his love for food and dive bars. As we shift through gears, Che unfolds Che past, giving us a candid glimpse into Che childhood, where his parents play a critical role in shaping his sense of humor. The influence of his upbringing and the 90s culture on his personality comes to light as we walk through his journey into stand-up comedy. Tune in, as we delve into a pivotal mushroom trip that transformed Che, and discuss the healing power of ketamine treatments and talk therapy in his life. Che also shares his thoughts on how comedy has evolved, making it more relatable for diverse communities.Wrapping up our lively chat, Che and I engage in hilarious banter about astrology, relationships, and the guts it takes to risk it all. The fascinating world of social media, the adrenaline rush of going viral and the disappointment when a post doesn't hit the mark are all part of our discussion. Our offbeat conversation also brings in topics like the Jamie Foxx clone conspiracy, a GOP Senator's awkward freeze at the mic, and the tale of a manatee at a Florida Aquarium. Trust us when we say, this episode is a fiesta of comedy, life lessons, and personal anecdotes that you wouldn't want to miss!

Hey podfam! Welcome to another episode of our podcast. In this week's episode, we explore the intersection of high school bullies and politics, focusing on controversial figures Marjorie Taylor Greene and Lauren Boebert. We discuss the tea surrounding their house floor spat . We also dive into our weekend at Busch Gardens, the Florida Aquarium and a local restaurant vibe in Florida. So, grab your headphones, settle in, and join us. It's a podcast episode you won't want to miss.Instagram: mas_podcastTwitter and TikTok: mas_podcast22Email: mannyandshawn@gmail.comWebsite: https://qrco.de/bdc2U4 or https://rss.com/podcasts/maspod/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@maspodcast0:00 - Welcome7:00 - Issue on the table49:00 - Shawn's Corner57:21 - Manny's Corner 59:00 - Last WordsFeatured Articles:https://apnews.com/article/biden-impeachment-boebert-mccarthy-republicans-69fec0cefecfdf0fdaabd5ba430730f2https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/marjorie-taylor-greene-calls-lauren-boebert-little-b-house-floor-gop-p-rcna90592https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2023/06/mtg-on-calling-lauren-boebert-a-little-bitch.html

In the 7a hour, NewsRadio WFLA Anchor Chris Trenkman runs through today's top stories, including a report that Carole Baskin's ex-husband is alive in Costa Rica. Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister joins the show to deliver safety tips for the upcoming Gasparilla parades along Bayshore Blvd. Governor Desantis, in a speech, teases making gas stoves tax-free. Tampa Bay Business Journal Real Estate Editor Ashley Kritzer joins the show to talk expansion plans for the Tampa Riverwalk and Florida Aquarium. Disturbing new details in the Ana Walshe story. The Daily Show guest host Leslie Jones warned white people not to mock the new MLK statue.

Tampa Bay Business Journal Real Estate Editor Ashley Kritzer joins the show to talk expansion plans for the Tampa Riverwalk and Florida Aquarium. Plus, new details on the Patel family compound.

We live in Tampa and love it !   Since we moved here in 2017, we've enjoyed many of the things to do around our area.   In this episode, we'll share with you our "Bakers Dozen" of the best 13 things to do in Tampa.   Enjoy ! Links :Tampa Citipass:   https://www.citypass.com/tampaFree Veterans & Military Tickets for Kennedy Space Center Visitors (through Nov 11th)  https://www.kennedyspacecenter.com/launches-and-events/events-calendar/2022/november/2022-veterans-day-offerFree Veterans & Military National Park Passes: https://www.nps.gov/media/video/view.htm?id=94360E2D-B5FC-1C09-B5E519F6070B9106Straz Center for the Performing Arts:  https://www.strazcenter.org/Florida Aquarium :  https://www.flaquarium.org/Armature Works : https://www.armatureworks.comSparkman Wharf: https://sparkmanwharf.com/Tampa Riverwalk: https://thetampariverwalk.com/Busch Gardens: https://buschgardens.com/tampa/ZooTampa : https://zootampa.org/Seminole Hard Rock Casino:  https://www.seminolehardrocktampa.com/Biking the Courtney Campbell Causeway:  https://www.traillink.com/trail/courtney-campbell-trail/Sharkey's E-bike rentals on Courtney Campbell Causeway:  https://whatsuppaddlesports.com/Clearwater Marine Aquarium: https://www.cmaquarium.org/Ybor City:  https://yborcityonline.com/Honeymoon State Park:  https://www.floridastateparks.org/honeymoonislandClearwater Beach:  https://www.visitstpeteclearwater.com/communities/clearwater  

President and CEO of The Florida Aquarium Roger Germann is riding out Hurricane Ian in Tampa. He and the Steve Cochran Show talk about the difference between a tropical storm and a hurricane, where the Florida hurricane evacuation zones are, and how the aquarium and residents of Florida are preparing for the unexpected.     See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

During the 8a hour, the team from the Florida Aquarium stops with a sloth to discuss the upcoming Rhythm & Brews by the Bay event. Plus, Queen Elizabeth's death leads The Straz to cancel a show and more of Katie's trending stories.

The team from the Florida Aquarium brought a sloth to the studio and joined the show to promote Rythm & Brews by the Bay, happening Friday evening at the aquarium. Make sure to follow RyanGormanShow on Instagram to see pictures and video of the sloth in the studio!

In this episode, I am joined by Mike Harting, co-owner and CEO of St. Petersburg, Florida's 3 Daughters Brewing.3 Daughters Brewing opened as one of St. Petersburg's first craft breweries and after getting started and surviving the COVID pandemic, 3 Daughters has entered a growth phase that includes several satellite locations, like one in Fit2Run Running Store, one in popular tourist destination Clearwater Beach, and one in the St. Petersburg/ Clearwater Airport.3 Daughters Brewing's Orange IPA is also now available on Allegiant Airlines flights leaving from Florida airports. Mike talks about this growth, as well as his background in the restaurant industry, and drops a few hints on where 3 Daughters Brewing will be growing to in the future. My thanks to this episode's sponsor - Rhythm and Brews by the Bay Beer Festival!Florida Aquarium's Brews by the Bay is back – and it's being turned up a notch!For years, The Florida Aquarium has hosted a successful beer, food and music festival called Brews by the Bay. After a two-year hiatus, the Aquarium is bringing back the event with a twist – a musical twist, that is. Newly named Rhythm and Brews by the Bay, the hit event will now incorporate a concert headlined by ‘90s alternative rock band, the Gin Blossoms, and opened with an acoustic set by Ken Block and Drew Copeland of the band Sister Hazel.Known for popular songs like “Until I Fall Away”, “Found Out About You”, “Hey Jealousy”, "Follow You Down" and their five-time Platinum breakthrough album New Miserable Experience, the Gin Blossoms are a staple alt-rock icon you don't want to miss!Ken Block and Andrew Copeland, co-founders of the platinum-selling band Sister Hazel, hail from our very own Sunshine State. From the same genre, they are known for Billboard hits like “All For You” and "Change Your Mind."As with Brews by the Bay, guests can enjoy endless brews from local craft breweries as they take in all of the amazing views The Florida Aquarium has to offer – be it their 500,000-gallon Coral Reef gallery or the aerial view of Tampa Bay offered by their scenic rooftop terrace.General admission tickets are available for $125.Learn more about the event and purchase tickets here.  In this episode, you will again hear a segment I am calling “The Six Pack.” These are six questions to conclude the episode, all related to the beer industry and what the guest has learned in the industry. The “six pack” gives a little more information about Joe and his beer beliefs.You can listen to the podcast here, or on your favorite podcast platform. Remember to subscribe or follow so you don't miss an episode!Thanks for joining us in the journey of the BeerWise Podcast, hosted by Mark DeNote – editor of Florida Beer News.If you like the podcast, please tell someone. If you have constructive feedback or a guest you'd like to hear on the show, please email mark@floridabeernews.com or follow the “Contact Us” link on this site. Thanks for joining us in the journey of the BeerWise Podcast, hosted by Mark DeNote – editor of Florida Beer News.If you like the podcast, please tell someone. If you have constructive feedback or a guest you'd like to hear on the show,

The Florida Aquarium in Tampa announces its first expansion since it opened in 1995. We talk with CEO Roger Germann about new sea creatures and new ways of exhibiting existing residents of the conservation-centered aquarium.

Dr Scarlett Smash and Dr Craken MacCraic are on the road again - the next stop on their Tampa Bay tour is the Florida Aquarium. This episode is supported by an ad from Cetacean Research Technology - providers of affordable, top quality hydrophones to scientists, documentary makers, artists, educators, whale-watchers and all types of ocean enthusiast! https://www.cetaceanresearch.com/index.html If you liked this show please support us so we can keep providing more content,  $1 helps : www.patreon.com/marineconservation  Contact info@absolutelysmashingllc.com for more information about sponsoring MCHH episodes or having advertisments on the show. MCHH Twitter MCHH Fb Live Dr Scarlett Smash YouTube Dr Scarlett Smash Twitter  Dr Scarlett Smash Instagram Dr Scarlett Smash TikTok  Dr Craken MacCraic Twitter Dr Craken MacCraic Instagram MCHH Instagram

Two experts on Florida wildlife, Katherine McGill and Kate MacFall, discuss proposed changes to the state's trapping regulations The post Katherine McGill & Kate MacFall: discussing proposed changes to Florida's trapping regulations first appeared on Talking Animals.

Tim and Dawn Talk about some non-Disney attractions they experienced on their recent trip to Florida!  They will share their thoughts on The Florida Aquarium in Tampa and Kennedy Space Center on the east coast! Consider supporting ResortLoop.com!  You can find our Patreon here! Thank you for downloading and listening to ResortLoop.com - The Gateway to the Magic!  Relaxing at 43.21 degrees?!  Please stand clear of the doors! To receive your free vacation quote visit us at Resort Loop Travel! Help support our friends at The NASCAR Foundation! To help support the show, visit ResortLoop.com/support! Check out our LooperGear at TeePublic! Thank you for downloading Episode 841 of ResortLoop.com!

Please leave a review of the book/episodes on Amazon, where other women like you can learn to travel. In this episode: FAQ is: What are the best snacks to bring on a trip? Today's Destination is: Fort Myers, Florida Today's Mistake- I Couldn't sleep Travel Advice:  Pack an extra toothbrush FAQ: What are the best and easiest snacks to bring on a trip? Answer: My favorite snack food is nuts, mixed with a trail type snack that's packed in small baggies by me. I buy larger sizes and transfer them to the size that I need for my trips. I mix it up a bit, with the ingredients, such as berries, coconut, seeds and other non-salty flavors. If I am craving salty snacks, I like the idea of edamame or popcorn. Even cheese can help me with satisfying this craving. The only other favorite is fruit, but most of the time this will need to be chilled.   https://www.today.com/health/9-cheap-healthy-snacks-when-you-re-craving-something-salty-t192259 Today's destination: Fort Myers, Florida Fort Myers is a fast growing coastal city in and the county seat and commercial center of Lee County. The population has been growing from about 62,000 in 2010 to about 90,000 in 2020. I was heading to Florida for a trip and got some good advice on this destination from a friend's cousin, Beth Ann. There is so much going on here. I have to thank my friend Jo Balsamo Wood for her help in navigating my solo trip. In Fort Myers, visit Manatee State Park, Edison-Ford Winter Estates,  https://www.edisonfordwinterestates.org/ For lunch or dinner, visit the Mucky Duck restaurant on Sanibel Island, which is right by the beach.  Check out the Ding Darling Wildlife Refuge on Sanibel, the Lighthouse on Lighthouse Beach on Sanibel. You can even take a sunset boat cruise from Fort Myers Beach and see the dolphins. There is also Koreshan State Park worth visiting, located on U.S. Highway 41 at Corkscrew Road. It was also added to the National Register of Historic Places . Beth Ann likes kayaking or canoeing, there's the Estero River or further south at Clam Pass.  She recommends parasailing on Fort Myers Beach—lots of fun! Just south in Naples are the Naples Botanical Gardens-very lovely! A bit outside of the city, you will find these. Tampa: e bor   Ybor City, The Florida Aquarium, Henry Plant Museum on campus of U. Of Tampa St Petersburg: The Salvador Dali Museum  Sarasota: The Ringling Museum, and next to that The Car Museum, The Mote Aquarium, Selby Gardens, which was having a special exhibit on art. North Port is on the way to Fort Myers: Warm Mineral Springs, said to have healing powers! There are signs off I-75 directing you there. May you have a great visit to the Fort Myers area as a destination. Today's Mistake- I Couldn't sleep I could not fall asleep and I  just lay there awake, which was not a good plan. I spent most of the night worrying about not sleeping, which was also making things worse. If that happens to you, don't be like me. Instead, do one of the following: pray for peace and comfort, breathe deeply and quietly with eyes closed and rest every part of your body. If those don't work, try taking a hot bath or shower and that may be what needs to happen for the sleep to arrive.   Today's Travel Advice-Pack an extra toothbrush   Taking care of your oral hygiene is a long term project and every day you think of your teeth as precious gems, you will prolong their life. Pack an extra toothbrush and some extra floss and picks. You never know when you'll be away from the comfort of running water for best tooth care. So bring this with you and you will be glad you did. Your dentist will notice your big smile when you make your next visit.   Today I want to bring meaning to your travels. Send me your travel tip. You can send it to my website, Facebook page, group, or Instagram. You can send to my Twitter, blog, and maybe you'll see your tips in Dr Travelbest's 5 Steps to Solo Travel. Connect with Dr Travelbest Website Drmarytravelbest.com Mary Beth on Twitter Dr. Mary Travelbest Twitter  Dr. Mary Travelbest Facebook Page Dr. Mary Travelbest Facebook Group Dr. Mary Travelbest Instagram

The Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science is a leading science museum dedicated to sharing the power of science, sparking wonder and investigation, and fueling innovation for the future. I speak with Frank Steslow, CEO, about the impact that the museum has had, and the exciting possibilities of a future of a Blockchain/Crypto/NFT Exhibit. As President of the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science, Frank Steslow has over 30 years of experience as a scientist and executive manager in science-based, non-profit organizations, including eight years as the museum's chief operating officer. As COO, Steslow was responsible for the overall operations for the museum in the areas of finance, communications, marketing, exhibits, environmental conservation, public programming, and visitor services. Before joining Frost Science, Steslow was the CEO of the Da Vinci Science Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania, he served in several executive leadership positions at the Florida Aquarium and the New Jersey Academy for Aquatic Sciences, where for five years he was the Academy's COO. Before his career in public aquaria, Steslow worked as an environmental scientist for the State of Florida and as a biological scientist for The National Marine Fisheries Service in the Bering Sea. Steslow received a Master of Science degree in environmental health and science from the University of South Florida and also holds a Bachelor of Science in microbiology from Pennsylvania State University. Sergio Tigera is a dynamic leader, Speaker and Executive Coach with over twenty years of domestic and international business leadership experience. He is currently CEO of Progress Partners Consulting, a firm specializing in optimizing individual and team performance. He is also the founder of the Peak Performance Method™ training and is Host of the Gamechangers LIVE® Podcast! Email: sergio@progresspartnersconsulting.com Phone: 786-457-0113 www.linktr.ee/coachsergio | www.sergiotigera.com | www.gamechangerslive.co | www.thepeakperformancemethod.com www.linkedin.com/in/sergiotigera

As President of the Phillip and Patricia Frost Museum of Science, Frank Steslow has over 30 years of experience as a scientist and executive manager in science-based, non-profit organizations, including eight years as the museum's chief operating officer. As COO, Steslow was responsible for the overall operations for the museum in the areas of finance, communications, marketing, exhibits, environmental conservation, public programming, and visitor services. Before joining Frost Science, Steslow was the CEO of the Da Vinci Science Center in Allentown, Pennsylvania, he served in several executive leadership positions at the Florida Aquarium and the New Jersey Academy for Aquatic Sciences, where for five years he was the Academy's COO. Before his career in public aquaria, Steslow worked as an environmental scientist for the State of Florida and as a biological scientist for The National Marine Fisheries Service in the Bering Sea. Steslow received a Master of Science degree in environmental health and science from the University of South Florida and also holds a Bachelor of Science in microbiology from Pennsylvania State University.

Many people may have heard of the Manatee Viewing Center, but today we are going to talk about The Florida Conservation and Technology Center, a new co-op between Tampa Electric, The Florida Aquarium, The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, and the University of Florida, which includes the Manatee Viewing Center.  They are doing a lot of awesome things there.  It's fun! It's educational. They've got some great hiking trails.  They've got an awesome observation tower… and it's all free!  Also included... No winter in Tampa; Where's the beef; Everyone needs a woman like this; Tampa Bay's best observation towers; Parking HERE would be nice, and Am I trespassing again?

In this episode, we tell you about Winter Village in Downtown Tampa, the holidays at the Florida Aquarium, and a fun place to watch manatees in Apollo Beach. Q105's Roxanne Wilder starts us off with returning guest Rachel from the "Theme Parks and Rec Podcast" and they tell you about a fun event going on now at Curtis Hixon Park in Downtown Tampa: Winter Village. This annual event gets you into the holiday spirit and is presented by our back-to-back Stanley Cup Champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning (:55)! Next, Roxanne is joined by a very special guest who gives us the details on the holiday festivities at the Florida Aquarium. They even tell you how you can meet the jolly man himself, Santa Claus (3:22)! Then, Sean from 98.7 The Shark shares his recent experience checking out the Manatee Viewing Center in Apollo Beach. It's a free spot where you can bring your kids to see not only manatees but many other marine life (5:49). Join us as we take you on a journey across all of Tampa Bay. We will show you all that this city has to offer led by the biggest tastemakers in Tampa Bay. We are here to help you Experience Tampa Bay in 10 Minutes or Less! Join us as we take you on a journey across all of Tampa Bay. We will show you all that this city has to offer led by the biggest tastemakers in Tampa Bay. Hosted by Q105’s Roxanne Wilder from the MJ Morning Show and Geno Knight they will be joined each week by a new tastemaker who will fill you in on something you need to check out. From the biggest events and headliners to small community events to the hottest places to eat to the local hidden gems, we will make sure you know what is going on in our area in one easy-to-digest weekly podcast episode. We are more than just beaches and sunshine! A new episode drops every Thursday at 10a. Be sure to subscribe so you don't miss an episode! We would also love to know what you think of the show. Please leave us a 5-star rating and a review!

Scott Rose is the Senior VP/Chief Operating Officer ZooTampa at Lowry Park. Scott's career spans many decades working at animal attractions such as SeaWorld, Discovery Cove, the Florida Aquarium and now ZooTampa. Scott has also been very involved with the Florida Attractions Association where he advocates for all attractions across the state. During this conversation, Scott shares insights about working with animals, aligning the Marketing and Operations departments and the importance of guest research.   Aligning Marketing and Operations "Sometimes I find I am arguing with myself." Marketing and Operations teams often have different agendas and tactics to complete their tasks. As COO, Scott now oversees both departments and has to not only balance the relationships, but also the objectives and deliverables - which he says is actually fun. As a long-time sales and marketing professional, Scott recognizes that what those teams do have a big impact on the operation. Marketing wants to sell as much as they can, but then Operations has to deliver on it. Scott believes that to bring the teams together in a positive way takes communication and an understanding of what the other group is doing, as well as having an appreciation for what both departments contribute to the success of the zoo.   Guest Research “We've expanded the program to get input from people who normally don't comment on the guest experience.” The quote above is referring to the “Host of the Day” program at ZooTampa. Every Saturday, a member of the ZooTampa team will come to the park, dressed as a guest, and they will bring their family. This form of guest research allows the experience to be evaluated from a different viewpoint from traditional research efforts, and the results provide leadership with a robust data set upon which to make key decisions.  This program was originally designed just for senior leaders, but recently they have started to include members of the team who aren't normally guest-facing or involved with the guest experience. This has proven to be invaluable in getting very candid feedback from people who are passionate about the zoo, but who also don't necessarily know what SHOULD be happening, so they can experience the zoo with an open mind.    Communicating through COVID “In the attractions industry, we all went through this together and there was no playbook.” Scott says that early on in the pandemic, the ZooTampa leadership team decided that they were going to come out of the pandemic stronger than ever, which meant working to bring back the 80% of their staff that they had to furlough when they shut down. While some employees chose other lines of work or were not comfortable coming back, every employee that was furloughed was offered re-employment and the majority of them did come back.  According to Scott, one of the other key strategies during the pandemic was to continue to market the park, adjusting the communication for the new conditions. While other parks stopped or slowed down their advertising, ZooTampa did not take their foot off of the accelerator. Through social media and other channels, Scott said they used the shut-down period to tell their guests how they were taking care of the ZooTampa family and how they would be ready to welcome them back when it was safe to do so.   To learn more about ZooTampa: zootampa.org    To connect with Scott directly: scott.rose@zootampa.org   This podcast wouldn't be possible without the incredible work of our amazing team: Audio and video editing by Abigail Giganan Scheduling and correspondence by Kristen Karaliunas Social media marketing by Kate Kujawa Branding and design by Fabiana Fonseca Email marketing by Sam Bercik To connect with AttractionPros: attractionpros@gmail.com

On August 30th, 2021, AttractionPros hosted an interactive podcast with a live audience at the 2021 Florida Attractions Association Annual Conference.  While the topics discussed revolved around the lessons learned during the pandemic, the overall tone of the session was incredibly positive, focusing on the silver linings of these incredibly difficult past 18 months.  Questions to the audience asked for stories of those silver linings, examples of changes made during the pandemic that are likely to stick around, and also ways in which people grew personally during these challenging times. Jared Reid of Wild Florida Airboats said that COVID was “the best thing that has ever happened” to the business.  When the lockdowns came, Wild Florida was just launching its new safari drive-through attraction.  Because of the nature of their attraction, it was able to stay open while other attractions had to remain closed.  By focusing more on the local market and less on tourists, attendance soared from 200 visitors per day to over 4000.   Mary Stella of Dolphin Research Center discussed their pivot to connecting with supporters daily over social media platforms.  This led to increased engagement and donations from the people they interacted with digitally.  They also increased their distance learning curriculum.   Kara Laufer of Naples Botanical Garden emphasized the goal of “being a force for good.”  They worked to grow their online presence while finding ways to give back to their community.  One way they gave back was by offering free admission to healthcare and frontline workers and their families.  They've also partnered with food banks to help distribute donations to those in need.  During all this, their memberships grew. Rob Lamke of the Museum of Science and Industry (MOSI) emphasized that change is not inherently bad.  He discussed how sometimes there is a tendency to keep doing things the same way that they have always been done.  The pandemic forced MOSI to implement some of the types of things they'd already discussed but never committed to, such as a huge focus on digital content.  This led to increased engagement with their partner schools, record attendance to the museum and their summer camps, and a greater focus on engaging with adults. John Chidester with Fun Spot America looked ahead, keeping everyone on during the challenging times but asking them to try new roles, like landscaping, to help prepare for the eventual reopening.  While others were having to lay folks off, Fun Spot was hiring.  When the time came to reopen, Fun Spot focused on locals who hadn't gotten a chance to enjoy all of the parks' latest additions.  Additionally, while others were cancelling their new ride and coaster orders, Fun Spot was able to move up in the line and get new attractions in a more timely, affordable manner, helping them be ready for the recent surges in travel. Sara Turner with IMAG History & Science Center said that the downtime gave them a chance to reevaluate their mission.  They switched up their programming to become more virtual.  They also worked with a local news station to create weekly science segments, giving back to their community while also spreading the word about what they do.  They also gave back to their community with food drives. Christina Schwartzman of Sawgrass Recreation Park said that the pandemic gave them a chance to slow down and decide how they wanted their business to look in the future.  Instead of continuing to focus on getting as many guests as possible through the doors each day, they decided to switch their focus to VIP, low-volume experiences.  This meant there were fewer people coming to their attraction, but they were making more money.  Their new focus enhanced the guest experience by allowing visitors to have a quiet, nature-focused visit.  Additionally, the supply chain challenges allowed Sawgrass to partner with more small vendors who provided handmade items for their gift shop.  Christina also expressed the joy of getting to spend more time with her frontline workers. Julie Baross of Gatorland also discussed the benefits of switching to digital content to grow their engagement with kids and their families.  They also created a character, named Social Distancing Skunk Ape, to remind people to stay six feet apart.  Their efforts to reach out and provide free digital entertainment in 2020 have led to record-breaking attendance in 2021. Dean Mixon of Mixon Fruit Farms discussed the need to reinvent themselves during the pandemic.  The downtime gave Dean time to finish filing a patent.  Additionally, there was a greater emphasis on weddings on their beautiful farmland.  Dean also expressed his gratitude for local visitors coming out to support the farm, and he also talked about how thankful he was for the employees that stayed with them through the most challenging times. Janet Mixon, also of Mixon Fruit Farms, discussed another aspect of their pivot.  A Canadian company reached out to them and asked for assistance making Broghies.  This was a new line of business for them, and the popping nature of the machine that makes the Broghies has been a hit with young visitors. Lisa Sbuttoni with Fort Myers River District Alliance talked about the campaign she created called “Look Up, Fort Myers.”  Lisa hired aerobatic pilots to put on an amazing show that could be seen all over Fort Myers for the 4th of July.  Along with this, Lisa worked with local news channels to feature 26 local businesses and encourage people to buy from local small businesses.  Because of the community coming together during this challenging time, none of the businesses in the downtown district went out of business during the pandemic. Scott Rose with ZooTampa at Lowry Park discussed how they had to implement changes to their yearly, large-scale Halloween and Christmas events.  In the past, these events have been free for zoo members, so 75% of attendees were members.  Because controlling attendance would be important for this event and to combat no-shows, a $5 non-refundable reservation fee was required for all attendees, even members.  This fee was given back to people that came in the form of Zoo Bucks that could be used on food and merchandise during the event.  This caused more people to choose to dine during the event instead of before arriving.  Despite having to limit attendance, the huge in-park spending increase actually made the events more profitable while also giving those that attended a better guest experience. Barry Bass with A Means to a Vend noticed the trend of drive-by parties and gatherings happening during the pandemic.  He launched a new product, later named PromoPop, in response.  He put popcorn in customizable containers that could be given out as party favors during these drive-by celebrations. Aimie Johnson of the Florida Aquarium talked about how she amped up her collaboration skills during the pandemic.  When working with other aquariums who were also creating plans to safely reopen, Aimie freely shared her learnings with others while also asking questions about how the other aquariums were managing guest flow, holding events safely, and keeping employee morale up.  She also discussed the value of asking experienced pros to share their thoughts while also gathering the thoughts of newer employees. Kelly Sheer with Moonlight Promos shared how tragedy helped her make a difficult but positive change in her life.  Her doctor of 20 years sadly passed away  due to COVID-19.  This tragedy caused her to reflect and think about what she wanted her life to look like moving forward.  This introspective caused her to end relationships that weren't providing joy to her life and making a big move to a new part of the country to start anew. Robin Rosario with Pure Florida talked about how she'd always tried to shoulder everything herself, both at home and at work.  However, when she was hospitalized due to COVID-19, she realized that her family and her coworkers were capable of taking care of things when she needed to rest.  She realized how blessed she was to be surrounded by folks that supported her, and she was humbled to learn that she no longer had to feel responsible for handling everything on her own.   While Matt and Josh were asked to host the session together, Josh was unable to attend due to an unexpected breakthrough COVID-19 infection.  If you are on the fence about getting vaccinated against COVID-19, please note that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stresses that “high vaccination coverage will reduce spread of the virus and help prevent new variants from emerging.” To learn more about the Florida Attractions Association, click here.  For previous AttractionPros LIVE! episodes hosted at various conferences throughout the United States, click here. This podcast wouldn't be possible without the incredible work of our amazing team: Audio and video editing by Abigail Giganan Complete episode summary by Paige Reiter Scheduling and correspondence by Kristen Karaliunas Social media marketing by Kate Kujawa Branding and design by Fabiana Fonseca Email marketing by Sam Bercik To connect with AttractionPros: attractionpros@gmail.com

*Tapes Tuesday 1pmTHIS SHOW AIRS: THURSDAY 9.9.21 --------------------------------------------------*NOW LIVE STREAMING TO MULTIPLE PLATFORMS*------------------------------------------------------------------LISTEN MONDAY – THURSDAY AT 4PM ON AM860 / 93.7 FM SMART TV OWNERS CAN SEARCH BINGENETWORKS TO FIND US ON Roku / Firetv / Appletv /Amazon*Sunday show 102.5fm THE BONE SEG 1. (16:00) 24:30 TO 08:30OPEN :HOW THE SHOW WORKS : We are a Consumer Advocate for you... SPONSOR – BRANDON PORTER - VETERAN GUTTERS PROPERTIES (2) JOHN LONG – UNITED STATES INSTITUTE AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING usiaht.orgFind out how USIAHT is partnered with the NFL to bring awareness to the issue of human trafficking. Most of us dont realize how pervasive human trafficking is, John has eye opening stats regarding male victims. Learn how to recognize trafficking indicators and get involved with USIAHT to make a difference.TEASE TODAYS SHOW.... ------------------------------------------------------------------------- SEG 2 (08:30) 08:30 to 00:00 SPONSOR – GOLF CART DEPOT PROPERTIES (2) Karmika V. Rubin, Esq. The Law Offices of K. V. Rubin, PA 111 Second Ave NE, Ste 341 St. Petersburg, Florida 33701 www.rubinslaw.com ZOOMINAR – SEPT 23 6PM "LETS TALK ABOUT LANDLORDS & TENANTS" ----------------------------------------------------- SEG 3 (12:00) 24:30 to 12:30 SPONSOR – REPLENISH IV SOLUTIONS PROPERTIES (2) -more w KARMIKA RUBIN ESQ. Upcoming Zoominar SEPTEMBER 23 6PMregister at :www.rubinslaw.comWho is considered a tenant?Do I need a Lease?How do I Evict my relative?Can I lease or rentout my property while the property is in forclosure? Do I need an attorney to be one a landlord? ----------------------------------------------------- SEG 4 (12:00) 12:30 to 00:30 SPONSORS -brothersezmoving PROPERTY (1) Feelgood StoryNFL Green will be joining Force Blue, Pepsi Stronger Together, Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission, NAUI, Keep Florida Beautiful and The Florida Aquarium for a marine debris and ghost fishing gear removal operation and a pier cleanup at Anna Maria Island. SHANE SOCASH – DAVID REYNOLDS JEWELRY & COIN Get the latest values of precious metals and find out why Shane sells physical GOLD not just a paper note that indicates possesion. Check out his showroom in St Pete and let his GIA certified gemologists create a unique piece of jewelry or get cash for your coin collection! :30 Close ........RANDOM ACT OF KINDNESS See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

James L. Ferman, Jr., CEO & President Ferman Motor Car Company, Inc. James L. Ferman, Jr., serves as CEO and President of Ferman Motor Car Company, Inc. and its affiliated automobile dealerships, headquartered in Tampa. Founded in 1895 by his grandfather, W. Frederick Ferman, the Ferman family business is ranked one of the largest dealership groups in Florida and in the United States, with more than 1,300 employees and annual sales of over $900 million. His civic and community involvement includes past Chairman and Campaign Chairman of The United Way of Hillsborough County and past Director of the Community Foundation of Tampa Bay. He is past Chairman of the Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce and its Committee of 100, past Chairman of The Tampa Museum of Art, past Chairman of The Florida Aquarium, and a past member of the Board of Directors of the Ocean Conservancy.  A 1965 graduate of Emory University, he is a Trustee Emeritus at Emory University where both he and his wife, Celia, received the Emory Medal for distinguished Alumni Achievement Award in 1999. In 1997 he received the Tampa Citizen of the Year award from both the Civitan Club of Tampa and the Rotary Club of Tampa. In 2001 he was a Tampa Bay Business Hall of Fame inductee, and received the Florida Family Business of the Year Award from the John H. Sykes College of Business at The University of Tampa. In 2010, he was presented with the Distinguished Citizen Award by the Gulf Ridge Council Boy Scouts of America, and in 2012 he was the recipient of the H. L. Culbreath Profile in Leadership Award, presented by Greater Tampa Chamber of Commerce. He is a Director and Chairman of the Tampa Bay Banking Company and The Bank of Tampa, a former Director of TECO Energy, Inc. and Tampa Electric Company, and Chairman Emeritus of the Board of Trustees of the University of Tampa. Born in Tampa in 1943, Mr. Ferman was an Eagle Scout and served in the U. S. Coast Guard. He is married to the former Cecelia Davis, and they have two daughters, Laura Farrior and Janice Straske, and six grandchildren. They reside in his native Tampa where they are members of Hyde Park United Methodist Church.

Lakshmi Shenoy is the CEO of Embarc Collective, the innovation hub in downtown Tampa that helps Tampa Bay's startup talent build bold, scalable, thriving companies. Before moving to Tampa Bay, Lakshmi was in Chicago and served as the Vice President of Strategy & Business Development at 1871, the #1 university-affiliated business incubator in the world. Prior to 1871, Lakshmi worked at Prophet Brand Strategy, Time Inc., Procter & Gamble and Leo Burnett. She has a Bachelors of Arts in Sociology from the University of Chicago and an MBA from the Harvard Business School. Lakshmi currently serves on the board for The Florida Aquarium and Junior Achievement Tampa Bay. Recommendations: Leadership: Unapologetically Ambitious: Take Risks, Break Barriers, and Create Success on Your Own Terms Book by Shellye Archambeau The Mom Test: How to Talk to Customers and Learn If Your Business is a Good Idea when Everyone is Lying to You Oh Hey, and I'm Marina. I am a technologist, mom, podcast host, leadership coach, cruciverbalist and aquarian ;) UNBOSSED IS… “Paths To Success of Amazing Women in Chicago” I welcome you to ask questions, participate, and join me as we explore these topics by emailing me at info@unbossed.io or visiting www.unbossed.io. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/marina-malaguti/support

In this episode we are going to talk about the Clearwater Marine Aquarium and the Florida Aquarium, two huge visitor attractions in the Tampa area. I've got some good news and some bad news related to them. One is a "can't miss" and the other is a definite "skip it".

Link to article: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-88568-y#Abs1Participating Aquariums: Adventure Aquarium, The Florida Aquarium, Aquarium of the Pacific, and Ripley's Aquarium of the SmokiesAssociation of Zoos and Aquariums: https://www.aza.org/?locale=en

2005 Annual Report   Big Cat Rescue's Mission Statement:  To provide the best home we can for the animals in our care and to reduce the number of cats that suffer the fate of abuse, abandonment or extinction by teaching people about the plight of the cats, both in the wild and in captivity, and how they can help through their behavior and support of better laws to protect the cats.   Advances:  In 2005 the IRS reported that there are 964,000 registered charities in the U.S.  Only 81 of them qualify for and display the BBB Wise Giving Alliance Standards seal.  Big Cat Rescue is one of them. This seal confirms that the organization meets all 23 of the Standards for Charity Accountability. We have become so well known in the area, that our volunteers complain about wearing our logos in public because everyone loves us so much they just have to stop us and tell us so. Howie Baskin helped a Girl Scout troop organize our first Golf Tournament which netted 15,000.00. Invested in undercover surveillance equipment to shed light on the dirty truth behind the exhibition and exploitation of exotic cats.   Animal Care:  We added more whole prey to our cats' weekly diets and switched over to a prepared diet created by Natural Balance that improves their health via vitamin supplements. Faith the baby bobcat was upgraded to a much larger and more challenging Cat-a-tat where she had to learn to “out-fox” her food. Later, after completing her survival training, she was released onto 17,000 acres of pristine bobcat habitat.  President Jamie Veronica, and the interns track her weekly to insure that she is thriving on her own. We had to turn away 85 big cats that were no longer wanted by their owners but we rescued Snorkle the tiger from a circus owner and brought in tigers: India, Nyla, King, Princess and Narak from the circus. Rescued three baby mountain lions who were orphaned by a hunter in Idaho.  Their names are Artemis, Ares and Orion and they were neutered and spayed this year so that they can always stay together.   Staff and Volunteer Training:  Jamie Veronica got licensed by the state to be able to pick up injured or escaped wildlife.  In the past it had to be brought to us by someone who was so licensed .  Cathy Mayeski and Jen Rusczcyk completed the Clicker Training Expo in CA and now have 57 of our cats in the Operant Conditioning program. Jen organized and developed the Enrichment program making it one of the best in the country.   Jamie Veronica took the Intern Program to the next level and manages their housing, group activities and scheduling.  The Volunteer Committee re-wrote the Volunteer Program and the Intern Program and have updated ALL of our volunteers level of certification through testing. Some of our members attended the EARS training. (Emergency Animal Rescue Service) Hired green shirt Sharon Marszal to work filling orders for the gift shop and sent her to eBay training classes.  Read books on Non Profit Marketing, Adobe Photoshop, Dreamweaver and Flash to perfect our skills in these areas.   Education:  Our Education Director, Kathryn Quaas, is partnering with the Florida Aquarium to promote several joint efforts for schools and summer camps. We did legislative presentations to Stetson Law University on three occasions this year promoting a register to vote drive.  The Fur Ball CD of games, puzzles, screensavers and more were given to the 500 attendees with 300 extra being used as rewards for children who answer questions correctly during her presentations and field trips.   Howard began working with the Greenfund Network to create a joint venture in schools where kids turn in ink cartridges for recycling in bags that tell about Big Cat Rescue so that both their school and the sanctuary can benefit from the program.  Some kids may not care about raising money for scholarships, but they do care about saving tigers and this is a way to inspire them to keep these cartridges out of the landfills.   Filmed the rescue of three orphaned baby cougars with David Hurd Productions for use on the Animal Planet's new series that will be aired repeatedly, and thus help educate people about what is happening to their precious wildlife in the name of sport.  Six local libraries now stock our video, The Big Cat Picture in their documentary sections.   The portion of our web site that is devoted to education aimed at children through learning games has grown in leaps and bounds.  We added hundreds and hundreds of puzzles, free wallpapers, free screensavers and other educational activities that feature photos and drawings of the cats along with our message that “Exotic Animals Don't Make Good Pets!”  Began compiling worksheets and coloring pages for a educational handbook for students next year. Added FCAT lesson plans to our Teacher's Resource area. Used the Google grant to broadcast the availability of these teaching aids to students, their parents and teachers.  We participated in a study with Odd Cast that resulted in us being awarded 100,000 free streams for our Virtual Hosts.   Legislation:  Founder, Carole Baskin was unanimously elected to serve on the Board of the Humane USA Political Action Committee.  She was also appointed to the steering committee of the Florida Chapter of Humane USA. We enlisted the Florida Animal Control Association to help us approach the State of Florida in an effort to change the rules to better protect the animals and the public.  We were joined by HSUS and Humane USA in this endeavor and have asked the National Fraternity of Police Officers to join us as well. Carole was also appointed by Commissioner Brian Blair to serve on the Animal Advisory Committee and was elected secretary.  In November she was unanimously nominated to serve as Chair of the Animal Advisory Committee. We attended the Tampa Bay Partnership's Tampa Bay Day in Tallahassee and met with 25% of the state's legislators to ask for better animal protection laws.   We began promoting our Legislative portion of our web site that is dedicated to educating the public and legislators about animal welfare bills. 1,111,647 pages of bills were viewed by visitors.  We rallied support for the Federal bills to stop canned hunts with an aggressive online letter campaign to get people to ask their senators and representatives to co-sponsor this bill that would make it illegal to transport exotic animals across state lines for the purpose of injuring or killing them. We promoted hundreds of bills at the state and federal level. In just the first year we were responsible for 20,969 letters being sent to congress on behalf of the animals.   We launched our first online petitions and gathered 494 signatures on one to ban breeding and sale of exotic cats and 1878 signatures on 10 things we want legislators to know which includes the banning and breeding of exotic cats. We also launched our first online polls to see how people feel about issues such as animals in the circus, bobcats and cougars being hunted, exotic animal pets and more.  Response has been terrific and we are finding that roughly 85% of the public loves animals and want better laws to protect them and 90% do not want to see big cats being made to perform.   Attended AZA's Legislative session and Taking Action for Animals in Washington, DC.  Met with our Senators and Congressmen in D.C. and here locally to discuss the exotic animal issues. County Administrator, Pat Bean and Animal Services Director, Bill Armstrong both toured and interacted with the cats, learning about how we use operant conditioning for emergency preparedness.  We hosted tours for Hillsborough County Commissioners: Kathy Castor, Ronda Storms, Jim Norman, Ken Hagan, and for aids to Brian Blair and Mark Sharp.  We also toured Pinellas County Commissioners: Ronnie Duncan and Karen Seel.  We introduced these commissioners and State Representatives Kim Berfield and aids for Kevin Ambler along with team players for gubernatorial candidate Jim Davis so that they have a better understanding of why Florida needs laws to prevent the private ownership of dangerous exotic pets.   Requested that we be appointed to the state's Captive Wildlife Committee but were denied as the Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission decided to comprise the committee of exotic pet owners.  State Legislators made it known later that the Florida Wildlife Conservation Commission “had better fix this exotic animal problem or the legislature was going to get involved and FWCC was not going to like it.”  Began working on a memo with the help of former gubernatorial candidate Bill McBride's law firm that affirms a County's right to impose laws that do regulate exotic animal ownership as long as those laws do not single out exotic pet from other provisions that would apply to all.  In the past the Counties often thought they were helpless in the face of the constitutional amendment that had granted the Fish and Game agency the ability to act outside of the legislative process that all other states enjoy.   Fundraising and Marketing:  We had our first ever $10,000.00 day of tours and private tours in December.  Implemented our first direct mail campaign at Christmas with a request to support the three orphaned cougars.  We doubled the price of the Fur Ball tickets from 55.00 and 75.00 to 100.00 and 150.00 and raised a net of $60,000.00 (up from 40,465 last year) with only 500 attendees.  This enabled everyone to have a better time because there were no lines and our volunteers found it much easier to deal with 500 people at check out as opposed to 850 like we had last year at lower prices.  We discovered last year that at 55.00 we were just breaking even and for people for whom that was a lot of money we found that they did not spend money in the auctions so we had to evaluate whether the Fur Ball was a donor thank you party or a fundraiser and deciding it was the latter made the agonizing decision to double the price.   Opened an online store on eBay to reach a broader market with our logo's items and unique offerings. We tried MagFundraising.com for the first time and raised almost 3000.00 in magazine subscription commissions.  Our volunteers raised $3000.00 wrapping books at Borders Books.  Invested in Telosa's Donor Management software. We were given the front and back page of the Tampa Tribune's Commentary section and have been on several national programs including CNN, Fox, Animal Atlas on Discovery Channel and Animal Planet.   We purchased a second terminal for our Point of Sale system due to the overlap of tours beginning and ending in the gift shop.  In Jan our web site was averaging 170,000 hits per day and by the end of the year was reaching more than 300,000 hits per day with a surge to 744,000 hits per day thanks to a Google Adwords grant for unlimited advertising for three months. Cox radio gave us more than 100 on air spots to advertise the Valentine's Day wedding at Big Cat Rescue and gave us 300 more free advertising spots on air for our golf tournament on two stations. They also donated 300 spots for the Fur Ball.   Jamie Veronica's photos have been used in Biodiversity Magazine by Tropical Conservancy, and we created a Stock Photo portion of our website where featured artists donate their work and we sell the images online.  We set up Cafe Press and Zazzle sites to sell her images to raise money for the cats.  We were asked to apply for the WEDU's charity awards for our fundraising and marketing achievements.  The ink recycling program with Greenfund Network has succeeded far beyond our initial goals thanks to marketing the envelopes through our newsletter with now has a circulation of more than 35,000 homes.  We are candidates for the Webby Awards with the winner to be announced in 2006.   We created several video productions that tell viewers what we do including Orange Sky by Jamie Veronica and the Two Minute Tour by David Hurd.  In addition to this we created several new interactive slideshows including one called Born To Be Free that contrasts life in cages to life in the wild.  We started our first automatic direct deductions for banks and credit cards and a program with Albertson's where participating card carriers can have part of their purchases donated to us.  We created our first Big Cat Travel site that allows people to get the best Priceline prices on airfare, car and hotel rental, cruises and event tickets with the commissions paid to Big Cat Rescue.  Carole lost 17 more pounds with Matol and set up www.Matol-Diet.com so that others can lose weight, build their own home business and the commissions go to the cats as well. Volunteer Beth Stewart created and marketed a calendar of our sanctuary called Saving Big Cats.  This calendar was available at Amazon.com, Borders.com and BarnesAndNoble.com and we sold a number on site and on line as well.  The calendar was produced by TideMark Productions and featured photos of our cats for every month and their personal rescue stories.   With the help of Teasdale Worldwide Howard Baskin created our first formal Corporate Sponsorship program, both in general and for the Fur Ball.  We held special kid's tours after Thanksgiving and Christmas and were packed and got a lot of good press coverage for doing something for the kids.  We were in the press 48 times in 2005 and many of these were interviews with Scott Lope.  We were in Glamour Magazine twice, on CNN, The New York Times, The Washington Post, Inside Edition and were instrumental in providing background information for Parade Magazines' piece on the exotic pet trade and for ABC's Prime Time that should air next year.  We have a PSA that was made jointly with the Girl Scouts of America that is airing nationally to encourage young people to get involved and do something good in their community.  We ended the year with money in the bank to begin building our Big Cat Lodge.   Grounds Improvement:  Completed two more tiger Cat-a-tats for the circus tigers in case of emergency. New Cat-a-tats were built for cougars; Mack and Cleo along with hurricane proof dens for each of them.  Cages were reshaped and room additions built for Caracals; Rusty & Sassy and Cachinga & Cachanga.  The same was done for the Serval; Alpha, Bobcats; Alex & Windsong and Banshee.  In addition many of the cats got hammocks, swinging platforms, secondary dens just to play in and Alex & Windsong got a new fort.  Tonga was moved and his old roofless cage was turned into a temporary playground for the three orphaned cougars.   The E-Center was whimsically painted to look like a leopard and the Cabins were painted by volunteer Julie Hanan to look like a tiger.  Butterfly gardens were added by Kathryn Quaas and the kids of summer camp to the Cabin area.  We moved the cavies off the tour route to a much larger enclosure and tore down the old otter cages that they had lived in on the lake.  The area was cleared so that there is a beautiful view of the lake and the tigers and lions beyond now.   Brought in a new Intern home that is a 4BR/2BA and Vern built a deck that is perfect for socializing after a long day of cat chores. Cleared all Brazilian Peppers from the back forty and built a road around the cell tower to make the back parcel more accessible. This area required heavy clearing and then bush hogging of dog fennel and some fill over the concrete to turn it into a lovely park like area.  Stood falling wall back up. Weeded and planted ferns at the beach. Began massive clean up of Styrofoam from lake banks. Bought a new shed for the two new golf carts and a new riding mower.  Added lots of filing cabinets and storage cabinets to the gift shop and office. The fenced waiting area had a cola machine, waterfall and lots of landscaping and mulching added to create a nice place for guests to wait for their tours.  Donor recognition signs were added to this area.   Bought three more acres for alternate access and parking and cleared the land of dog fennel so that we can keep it mowed.  Took on debt for the first time in our history with the purchase of this land.  Began negotiations with Outback and the County on building a multi use Education and Conference Center called the Big Cat Lodge.  Unveiled the new conceptual drawings of this improvement created by Collman and Karsky with help from Genesis at the Fur Ball. Applied for a Planned Development for this additional 3 acres to give us cross access, parking and 6 more residences for interns and volunteers.   Helping Others:  We invited other animal welfare groups to use our Legislative tools in customized banners on their web sites so that they could encourage their visitors to write their representatives about important animal welfare issues. We hosted the Alzheimer's Memory Walk for 600 walkers who raised 50,000 for Alzheimer's victims. Worked with PAKT to help them negotiate a deal with the circus and AZA for promoting responsible, life time care for animals who have had to work for a living. Continued to help ACT by driving the Spay Day trailer each month so that 100-160 cats per month can be spayed.   Charities that we donated to this year in the form of Free Passes to our sanctuary:  100 passes to No More Homeless Pets Adopt-a-thon 30 passes and gift certificate for a Big Cat Expedition to Florida Voices for Animals, Donated a Big Cat Expedition, a Feeding Tour and more to Animal Coalition of Tampa for their Some Enchanted Evening fundraiser and the same again to their Stride For Strays walk-a-thon. Donated the use of our facility to the Humane Society of Tampa Bay for their Volunteer Appreciation party and to National Humane Society for their volunteer and donor recognition party at Christmas. Donated an Expedition and Two for One Passes to SPOT and worked with them to create a segment on Pinellas County's Public Access Channel. Hosted a party for a team of Florida Panther protectors.   We raised 1250.00 each for EARS and HSUS to aid the animal victims of Katrina and 1000.00 each for conservation programs to save the margay in Brazil, to help start an eco tourism lodge in Guyana and to assist Lewa in Africa.   Other:  Gave a private tour to Toronto Blue Jay's Shea Hillenbrand. Customized a golf cart for hurricane use by creating a cat-proof cage to drop down over the carriage so that we can access any part of the property in the event of a cat being loose.   In a year when tsunamis, earthquakes and hurricanes ravaged the globe and other sanctuaries, even good ones, found themselves considering the euthanasia of their animals rather than let them starve due to the drop in donations we were able to thrive.  We are thankful to our staff and volunteers who worked tirelessly to make this possible and to all of our donors and visitors who kept our cats fed in these worst of times.   The saddest news is that we now have to turn away nearly 100 exotic cats every year, because we cannot afford to take in all of them that are being bred and sold into the entertainment, pet and zoo industries.  The most common victims are Lions, Tigers, Cougars, Servals, Caracals and Bobcats.  We are now devoting more time to raising awareness and trying to get laws enacted that will protect these magnificent creatures from man.   The mission has evolved from just saving the cats that ended up in places like fur farms, hunting ranches and auctions, to making a difference on a global scale. People who come here and spend time with our cats are transformed.  I hear, over and over again, how people feel like their lives were changed forever by knowing these animals on such a personal level.  Many times I have heard visitors say, “I looked into that cat's eyes, and I saw God!”   For many of them, it is the first time that they have ever felt that they were intimately connected with the rest of creation.  It is a wake up call that we are all ONE.   It is my dream to integrate the beauty and majesty of the great cats with the inner awakening we can enhance in our visitors.  By making people more aware, we can make the world a better place.   Our Officers and Board of Directors • President Jamie Veronica (not compensated by BCR) • Vice President & BOD Cathy Mayeski (not compensated by BCR) • Secty/ Treasurer  Vernon C. Stairs (not compensated by BCR) • Director and Coordinator Brian Czarnik (not compensated by BCR) These members met for monthly board meetings.   Paid Staff: • Operations Manager  Scott Lope (compensated but not a member of the board) • Gift Shop Manager Cynthia Montayre (compensated but not a member of the board) • Administrative Sharon Marszal (compensated but not a member of the board)  

Sarah Rubin is the Education Coordinator at Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center. She comes from a long line of zoo, aquarium, and museum work and has worked at The Florida Aquarium, Mote Marine Laboratory, the Salisbury Zoological Park, the National Park Service, and the Brevard Zoo. She now calls Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center, on the St. Petersburg Pier, her home. At the Discovery Center, Sarah manages the Education Department. She manages and develops STEM based programs that fit all ages, including summer camps, afterschool programs, overnights, birthday parties, young learning classes, and various public and private programs.   Today, she would like to talk about the various programs that are offered at the center and the Discovery Center's new eco-vessel The Discovery. The Discovery is a 40' Coast Guard Certified vessel that will enable guests to receive an intimate look at the life in Tampa Bay. We will have tours that will enable you to identify dolphins and see rich bird habitats. It will be a one of a kind experience. This is slated to come online in late May 2021. They also offer many other opportunities at the center. They typically offer 4-6 public programs a day, which can range from aquarium talks, creature features, food chain lessons, plankton labs, shark biology and conservation, and many more. Their most popular classes are our dissection classes. They offer lionfish dissections and squid dissections on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. They book fast so make sure to get your ticket early on their website. email: srubin@tampabaywatch.org website: tbwdiscoverycenter.org FB: https://www.facebook.com/TBWDiscoveryCenter

Sarah Rubin is the Education Coordinator at Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center. She comes from a long line of zoo, aquarium, and museum work and has worked at The Florida Aquarium, Mote Marine Laboratory, the Salisbury Zoological Park, the National Park Service, and the Brevard Zoo. She now calls Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center, on the St. Petersburg Pier, her home. At the Discovery Center, Sarah manages the Education Department. She manages and develops STEM based programs that fit all ages, including summer camps, afterschool programs, overnights, birthday parties, young learning classes, and various public and private programs.   Today, she would like to talk about the various programs that are offered at the center and the Discovery Center's new eco-vessel The Discovery. The Discovery is a 40' Coast Guard Certified vessel that will enable guests to receive an intimate look at the life in Tampa Bay. We will have tours that will enable you to identify dolphins and see rich bird habitats. It will be a one of a kind experience. This is slated to come online in late May 2021. They also offer many other opportunities at the center. They typically offer 4-6 public programs a day, which can range from aquarium talks, creature features, food chain lessons, plankton labs, shark biology and conservation, and many more. Their most popular classes are our dissection classes. They offer lionfish dissections and squid dissections on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday. They book fast so make sure to get your ticket early on their website. email: srubin@tampabaywatch.org website: tbwdiscoverycenter.org FB:  https://www.facebook.com/TBWDiscoveryCenter

Howie and I are engaged to be married next Nov. 1. and I am the happiest woman in the world. He is such a romantic!  On May 19 when he went to play golf in Philadelphia, his brother, a jeweler flew down from Raleigh to meet him and educate him about diamonds.  He's known all this time and managed to not only keep a secret, but to fool me entirely.  I knew he loved me but figured it would be ten years before he would be able to commit to it.   We met Nov. 1, 2002 at the reception for Ed Sayers at the Florida Aquarium and the reason we got to know each other so well is that we both got there at 5:00 and no one else did until 5:30.  To celebrate our anniversary, Howie suggested that we go to Anna Maria Island for the weekend.  On Friday night, Halloween, we had gone to a lovely little restaurant called Euphemia Haye and had an intimate, candle lit dinner by the sea.   Saturday, Nov. 1 we met with Phil who was letting us borrow his brother's house at 116 Maple (just a couple of houses off the beach) and he introduced us to Joe and Patsy who have purple clothes donation boxes all over the place so that we can put our signs out all over town and raise awareness for the cats.  Later we had a pic-nic on the beach, read and tanned ourselves and played in the gulf.  Back at the cottage, at 5:00 which is when we decided would actually have been a complete year, he hugged me with so much joy that it felt different than any hug before.  He is so good to me.   Howie had suggested that we take a bottle of Champaign out to the beach around six to watch the sun go down.  As the sun was sinking quickly to the horizon he handed me a big box and asked if I wanted to open my gift.  It was wrapped in beautiful, delicate white on white wrapping paper and as I tore away the paper the box said Neiman Marcus.  I commented on what an extravagant gift that must be and Howie said, “Nothing but the best for you.”   I was not prepared for what came next.  As I lifted the lid and peeled back the tissue paper, I saw, carefully mounted in place, a smaller black box that was open and holding a magnificent engagement ring.  In big script above it was a placard that said, “Will you marry me?” and underneath it read, “Hint:  The correct answer is Yes”.   As the reality of the moment enveloped me I burst into tears and buried my face into his chest.  I tried to say, “Yes, in this lifetime and in all nine”, (thinking of the birthday cards we had bought each other that we identical) but was sobbing too heavily to be understood.  Finally Howie asked if this meant, “yes” and I wrote in the sand: Yes!!!   He has made me the happiest woman in the world and I want to make him feel like king.  He is so good to me!   I've been writing my story since I was able to write, but when the media goes to share it, they only choose the parts that fit their idea of what will generate views.  If I'm going to share my story, it should be the whole story.  The titles are the dates things happened. If you have any interest in who I really am please start at the beginning of this playlist: http://savethecats.org/   I know there will be people who take things out of context and try to use them to validate their own misconception, but you have access to the whole story.  My hope is that others will recognize themselves in my words and have the strength to do what is right for themselves and our shared planet.     You can help feed the cats at no cost to you using Amazon Smile! Visit BigCatRescue.org/Amazon-smile   You can see photos, videos and more, updated daily at BigCatRescue.org   Check out our main channel at YouTube.com/BigCatRescue   Music (if any) from Epidemic Sound (http://www.epidemicsound.com) This video is for entertainment purposes only and is my opinion.

Ryan talks to Dr. Debborah Luke, Senior Vice President of Conservation at the Florida Aquarium, about their partnership with NFL Green and Force Blue for NFL Green's "100 Yards of Hope" legacy project involving coral reefs off the coast of Florida.

Christine Cardon with https://clutterrescue911.com/ gives us easy tips for cleaning up after the holidays. Karsyn Licciardello from Licciardello Stables, shares the season of giving, However,  the real heart- felt Christmas tale begins with a teacher who is the bread winner of her family and volunteers her time at the stables to enable her daughter to ride and grow up around horses like she did as a child. This lady is a pillar of the community, her school and held in high regard by the stable staff &  families!! Rita Lowman https://www.pilot.bank/about-us/officers-and-directors/senior-officers/rita-lowman/ Rita Lowman, President of Pilot Bank is a 40+-year banker who has blazed trails for the industry throughout her career. Elected Chair of the 2017/2018 Florida Bankers Association, Rita was the third woman in 130 years to serve in this position.  She serves on several other boards including 2020/21 Chair of the Outback Bowl Board, Past Chair of the Board of Governors for the Center Club in Tampa and Board of Directors of the Florida School of Banking at UF, Southeastern US Cabinet of American Cancer Society, Board of Directors of the Tampa Chamber of Commerce and the Florida Aquarium.  Rita has been named the 2021 Chair of Go Red for the American Heart Association and also been named to the Dean’s Advisory Board for USFSP.  Rita is a proud member of USFWLP.

First Email to Howie 22 Nov 2002 23:53:01 EST Subject: Thank you for a wonderful evening To: hbaskin@bigfoot.com   Dear Howie (is that how you call yourself?)   Thank you for a wonderful evening.  After you arranged the private, candle lit dinner in the Florida Aquarium, I did not think it possible that you could improve on such a gesture.  I was wrong.   Tonight exceeded the backdrop of the rare tropical fish.  The setting, the food and especially the company were incomparable.  Chez Baskin's is the finest in elegance and ambiance the city has to offer.  There is nothing more calming than the water.   I feel like I bolted out of your home and wanted you to know that I just don't know anything about dating.  I've been married since I was 17 and this is the first time in my life that I have been going out with men socially.  My mother was even musing over it this morning and saying that she had never experienced me having fun and couldn't believe how old I was before getting around to it.  She also persuaded me not to take tonight seriously, because I had described you as being good looking, funny, single, a cat owner and that you were cooking a meal tonight.  She said if I walked in and saw that your home was clean and well decorated then I could be sure that you were gay and that I was just there to convince your friends that you were not.  All evening, I had a wonderful time, even based upon the supposition that she must be right because your home was impeccably furnished and spotlessly clean.  I didn't want to make you uncomfortable with wondering how on earth you were going to get this woman out of your house, so I bolted.   Three things I noticed in your conversation that really impressed me and when your eulogy is being written, I want to be sure they are added to the Mary-and-her-cat-in-the-middle-of-the-night story.  The first was that even after you had invested so much of your time and energy into renaming the street, that you chose not to take advantage of the majority being in your favour, so as to not upset the few who opposed.  Most people could have reasoned that away any number of ways, but you put others ahead of your own desires.      The second was that you sold your home to satisfy a debt after an investment didn't pan out.  In my business and in the work I do for WOES I see so much irresponsibility and it is encouraged by society rather than exposed for the self centeredness it represents.  You had lots of options at your command that required no sacrifice on your part, and yet, you chose to do the right thing.     The third was the kindness that you show to your elderly neighbors, from listening to them to escorting them.  I could tell from all the details that you shared with us tonight that you had really listened to these people and had given them a part of you that I am sure they hold very dear.  There were many other nuances such as the way you described the horse's hesitation or the cat's aversion to fur in the water, that tell me you are very observant of the world around you and that you are moving with it in a manner that causes no harm and brings much joy.   You truly are a special person and I am glad to have met you. - Carole   I've been writing my story since I was able to write, but when the media goes to share it, they only choose the parts that fit their idea of what will generate views.  If I'm going to share my story, it should be the whole story.  The titles are the dates things happened. If you have any interest in who I really am please start at the beginning of this playlist: http://savethecats.org/   I know there will be people who take things out of context and try to use them to validate their own misconception, but you have access to the whole story.  My hope is that others will recognize themselves in my words and have the strength to do what is right for themselves and our shared planet.     You can help feed the cats at no cost to you using Amazon Smile! Visit BigCatRescue.org/Amazon-smile   You can see photos, videos and more, updated daily at BigCatRescue.org   Check out our main channel at YouTube.com/BigCatRescue   Music (if any) from Epidemic Sound (http://www.epidemicsound.com) This video is for entertainment purposes only and is my opinion.

I Met Howie And My Life Changed Forever   (Photo is Howie on our Wedding Day 11/1/2004)   After the scary ordeal with Jay Baykal, I'd dated a number of men including Bob Solomon, another guy with a foot fetish I met at a Sailing Club, a contractor who was selling a house on Pelican Island, Mr. America (Collins), and others I've totally forgotten, but I didn't let any of them to move in.     Howard Eugene Baskin and I met met at the kick off party for a new concept that Mary Hessler Key was introducing to Tampa Bay called No More Homeless Pets. The coalition was being formed to end euthanasia of healthy dogs and cats in shelters by implementing an aggressive spay and neuter program. Big Cat Rescue is one of the founding members of No More Homeless Pets of Hillsborough County.   At that party, Howie won my adoration immediately because he had actually visited WildLife on Easy Street and knew who we were when it seemed that no one in the area had ever heard of us.  Mary Key had suggested he visit us with his little foster brother, Eric years before.  Mary had invited her best friend, Howie, to the kick off party because she wanted to get him involved.     At dinner parties Howie is always the one who tells our “meeting story” but this time I get to tell it.  Mary had sent out paper invitations to the kick off party at the Florida Aquarium for 5:00 PM, but she later sent out an email, changing the time to 5:30. Of all the people who got invitations, Howie and I were the only ones who didn't read the email because we already had the paper invites.  At 5PM when I arrived at the aquarium there was just one person going up the ramp ahead of me.  He was tall, thin, wearing a grey suit and had a spine that bent him slightly to the left.  His gate was stiff and I thought to myself, “I could sure loosen him up!”   He heard me behind him, as we were the only people in the area, and turned to ask if I was going to this “pet function.”  I moved up beside him and we chatted as we walked the ramp to the room where the event was to take place.  Arriving there was one whole wall of glass and the beautiful fish on the other side.  The room was full of candle lit tables and there was a bar tender in the corner of the room.  Howie said it was pretty odd that NO ONE, not even the host, Mary, was here suggesting that maybe they were in another room.  He went up to the bartender and asked.   Coming back to where I was sitting at a table he said, “Turns out the whole thing was a sham that Mary set up so you and I would meet!”  He's always been good at delivering a straight faced one liner and I was speechless.  Once he saw that his statement had its desired effect he confessed that the event wasn't supposed to start until 5:30 and we later learned from Mary about the content of the email correcting that.   I was smitten immediately.  I'd been seeing a hypnotherapist  about my weight, my shame and my horrible choices in men.  I'd decided that the next guy I'd date would be someone I'd never be attracted to ordinarily.  Howie certainly fit that description.  I've never cared about a man's physical appearance.  I think that's shallow.  My previous predilection was for the “bad boys” and this guy was like meeting Mr. Rogers,  right down to the closet full of sweater vests.  It's how I first described him to Jamie and my mom too.  Turns out to be the best decision I ever made.   The following is Howie's bio:   Mr. Baskin is a semi-retired management consultant who works with early stage and fast growing companies in the areas of strategic planning, finance and operations.  He conducts strategic planning sessions, creates financial forecasts and monitors performance against them, assists in developing financial presentations, marketing materials, and management reports to monitor both financial and non-financial metrics.  In some cases he actively negotiates transactions on behalf of clients.   Mr. Baskin is a graduate of Union College in Schenectady, NY.  He earned a law degree from the University of Miami in 1978 and an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1980.   Mr. Baskin spent 11 years at Citicorp in various assignments, most recently as Director of Strategic Planning for the Commercial Real Estate Division whose assets exceeded $20 Billion.  Since leaving Citicorp in 1991 he has been an equity participant and general manager in three companies, one of which he co-founded.   I've been writing my story since I was able to write, but when the media goes to share it, they only choose the parts that fit their idea of what will generate views.  If I'm going to share my story, it should be the whole story.  The titles are the dates things happened. If you have any interest in who I really am please start at the beginning of this playlist: http://savethecats.org/   I know there will be people who take things out of context and try to use them to validate their own misconception, but you have access to the whole story.  My hope is that others will recognize themselves in my words and have the strength to do what is right for themselves and our shared planet.     You can help feed the cats at no cost to you using Amazon Smile! Visit BigCatRescue.org/Amazon-smile   You can see photos, videos and more, updated daily at BigCatRescue.org   Check out our main channel at YouTube.com/BigCatRescue   Music (if any) from Epidemic Sound (http://www.epidemicsound.com) This video is for entertainment purposes only and is my opinion.

When the Leafy Seadragons at the Florida Aquarium were born with a congenital disorder that prevented them from floating, our guest, Dr. Ari Fustukjian, built custom buoyancy control devices to help them swim again. 

Roger Germann, CEO of the Florida Aquarium, joined AM Tampa Bay to discuss the Super Bowl legacy project 100 Yards of Hope.

At 9am, listen to a fun show with Roger German from The Florida Aquarium as him and Leo Cannyn relate in their love for marine life. Roger explains his brilliant plan to help coral reproduce rather than breaking off a piece and regrowing it. This plan makes the coral more adaptive and more likely to thrive. He also goes in to talk about their sea turtles and what they do to keep them happy and healthy. If you're a fan of the underwater wildlife, go to the Florida Aquarium to learn about more amazing marine animals.

As President & Chief Executive Officer of The Florida Aquarium, Roger Germann's leadership has been instrumental in guiding this Tampa attraction through some very difficult times. In this episode, Roger and Andi talk about the importance of guiding principles, managing expectations, and always keeping your margins in mind. After all, in the world of mission-driven organizations, more margin means more mission.

Eric Hovland, the Associate Curator at The Florida Aquarium &, is a marine biologist and known by friends and others as the “Shark Guy,” joined AM Tampa Bay to discuss Shark Week kicks off Sunday evening on the Discovery Channel.

Roger Germann, The Florida Aquarium President, and CEO joined AM Tampa Bay to discuss the Florida Aquarium's expanded hours called 'Aqua Nights' start tonight.

Learn about how your ancestors’ work habits might be influencing your own; the first evidence of an underwater dinosaur; and how an aquarium successfully reproduced coral in captivity for the first time. Societies with a history of hard farming labor tend to work more hours today by Kelsey Donk Arduous farm labor in the past means longer working hours today. (2020). EurekAlert! https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2020-04/oupu-afl041420.php  Fouka, V., & Schläpfer, A. (2020). Agricultural Returns to Labour and the Origins of Work ethics*. The Economic Journal. https://doi.org/10.1093/ej/ueaa029  Luzer, D. (2013, September 4). Study: The Protestant Work Ethic Is Real. Pacific Standard. https://psmag.com/economics/protestant-worth-ethic-real-65544  Spenkuch, J. L. (2017). Religion and work: Micro evidence from contemporary Germany. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 135, 193–214. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jebo.2017.01.011  Glaeser, E. L., Alesina, A., & Sacerdote, B. (2012). Work and Leisure in the U.S. and Europe: Why So Different. Harvard.Edu. https://scholar.harvard.edu/glaeser/publications/work-and-lesiure-us-and-europe-why-so-different  Scientists have discovered the first unambiguous evidence of a water-dwelling dinosaur by Grant Currin New fossils rewrite the story of dinosaur evolution and ecology - and change the appearance of Spinosaurus. (2020, April 29). National Geographic Society Newsroom. https://blog.nationalgeographic.org/2020/04/29/new-fossils-rewrite-the-story-of-dinosaur-evolution-and-ecology-and-change-the-appearance-of-spinosaurus/  Ibrahim, N., Maganuco, S., Dal Sasso, C., Fabbri, M., Auditore, M., Bindellini, G., Martill, D. M., Zouhri, S., Mattarelli, D. A., Unwin, D. M., Wiemann, J., Bonadonna, D., Amane, A., Jakubczak, J., Joger, U., Lauder, G. V., & Pierce, S. E. (2020). Tail-propelled aquatic locomotion in a theropod dinosaur. Nature, 581(7806), 67–70. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41586-020-2190-3  An aquarium successfully reproduced coral in captivity for the first time by Grant Currin Alaa Elassar, CNN. (2020, April 22). How scientists could save coral from brink of extinction. CNN. https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/22/us/florida-aquarium-first-reproduce-ridhed-cactus-coral-trnd/index.html  ‌The Florida Aquarium Becomes First Organization in History to Induce Spawning of Atlantic Coral; A New Hope to Save Florida’s Reefs. (2019). Flaquarium.org. https://www.flaquarium.org/pressroom/posts/the-florida-aquarium-becomes-first-organization-in-history-to-induce-spawning-of-atlantic-coral-a-ne US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. (2020). What Are Corals? Corals Tutorial. NOAA.gov. https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/tutorial_corals/coral01_intro.html  Getting Coral To Reproduce. (2019, August 25). NPR.org. https://www.npr.org/2019/08/25/754122930/getting-coral-to-reproduce Subscribe to Curiosity Daily to learn something new every day with Cody Gough and Ashley Hamer. You can also listen to our podcast as part of your Alexa Flash Briefing; Amazon smart speakers users, click/tap “enable” here: https://www.amazon.com/Curiosity-com-Curiosity-Daily-from/dp/B07CP17DJY 

Roger Germann, The Florida Aquarium President, and CEO, joined AM Tampa Bay to discuss The Florida Aquarium is reopening with limited capacity starting May 15.

Universal CityWalk and Disney Springs have announced openings of select stores and restaurants as things start to open back up in Florida. However, most places have implemented new protocols for workers and guests.  We also discuss updates for Disney Cruise Lines and the Florida Aquarium in Tampa. *New episodes available every other Thursday! Find more great podcasts at bPodStudios…The Place To Be For Podcast Discovery. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

As this episode releases on May 11th, Shanghai Disney Resort will reopen to the public! In Episode 29, we review some of the safety measures the resort is undertaking and analyze when the other parks may reopen as well.   Disney Springs will also embark on a small reopening on May 20th, including such restaurants as STK and Wine Bar George. Loungefly has released a new Marvel line of bags and wallets, while Build-A-Bear is now offering a Stitch doll for online purchase. PLUS: A Funko Haunted Mansion board game, Kate's bad Stitch impression, and the status of the Florida Aquarium.

Join host Charlie Potter for your weekly news and interviews related to the environment, nature and the great outdoors. This week, Charlie welcomes Chicago native Roger German who now serves as the president and CEO of the Florida Aquarium in Tampa.

We are back with some good news to round off your week.Brewdog are giving free beers at the end of lockdown. You can sign up here: https://brewdog.typeform.com/to/gjyOYqPeanut butter has become a hack in at-home dog grooming.The Tate Modern have released a video tour of their Aubrey Beardsley exhibition, to be enjoyed from the comfort of your own sofa https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-britain/exhibition/aubrey-beardsleyPenguins Edward and Annie have been on a date at Shedd Aquarium in Chicago https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_w2eDhC1bD0Scientists of the Florida Aquarium have made a breakthrough in coral conservation, with the first reproduction of cactus coral in human care. https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/historic-discovery-that-will-help-save-florida-reef-tract/Anthony O’Shaughnessy has been making dinner for his elderly neighbour. Find him on twitter www.twitteer.com/@anthonyshockFind us on social media @canwejustask to share your stories and positive news with us. And please rate, review and share the podcast with your friends. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Roger Germann is the President and CEO of the Florida Aquarium. His personal mission is not only to improve the aquarium, but to help the entire industry thrive as well. In this fascinating episode, Roger walks us through his leadership philosophy (including in times a crisis), how fundraising has been impacted by COVID-19 and what he would put on a billboard.  For more on the Florida Aquarium or Roger: Florida Aquarium Roger Germann on Twitter: @Rogmann If you have a question for the mailbag or know of a leader we should highlight on the show, please drop us a line.  If you have questions about anything addressed on the show, feel free to reach out anytime! Josh – josh@amusementadvantage.com Matt – matt@performanceoptimist.com Twitter Facebook LinkedIn Are you looking for ways to lead your team into the "new normal"?  Schedule a FREE 30 minute call with Matt Heller to talk about anything you'd like... engaging remote employees, personal leadership struggles or your favorite ice cube recipes!  Just having someone to talk to can help you maintain perspective and spur new ideas.  To schedule your call, click here. When the time is right and you'd like to dig deeper, you may be interested in a coaching program, online workshop (customizable to you and your team) or a book-club style learning engagement.  Learning doesn't have to stop because we are social distancing! Click here for virtual and online learning resources!

Sandra Morrison, Director of Communications at the Florida Aquarium. Joined AM Tampa Bay to discuss Washed Ashore-Art to Save the Sea.

This week we talk about the new LEGOLAND Florida all-inclusive package that kicks off this spring, Florida Aquarium's first-ever 21+ sleepover event and much more!  Micaela also tells us about her trip to EPCOT's Festival of the Arts!  New episodes available every Thursdays! Find more great podcasts at bPodStudios…The Place To Be For Podcast Discovery See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Roger Germann, CEO of The Florida Aquarium, joined AM Tampa Bay to discuss WWE Superstar Titus O’Neil teams up with the Florida Aquarium to raise funds for Australia Bushfire Rescue Efforts.

We look back at the state of bees, the role of invasive species, endangered sea turtles and efforts to save Florida Coral Reefs.We start our final look back at 2019 with Dr. Jamie Ellis, a professor of entomology and director of honey bee research at the University of Florida.We talk with Ellis about how honey bee populations are faring, and why beekeepers are having to work harder to maintain healthy colonies.We started this conversation with Jamie about the controversy of pesticides.We moved our look back from bees to love bugs, and termites. We learned from Phil Koehler, endowed professor at the University of Florida who specializes in urban entomology, and Steve Puhs, service coordinator with the pest control company Truly Nolen's Port Richey office. We opened our discussion with Phil and love bugs.Florida Matters reporter Cathy Carter talks with Melissa Bernard, senior biologist with Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium and its Sea Turtle Conservation and Research program, about the habitats of sea turtles.We know Florida is the home to more than 500 kinds of invasive species, but what happens once these animals we call 'invasive' have been here long enough to adapt? Todd Campbell, associate professor of biology at the University of Tampa, and John Humphrey, wildlife biologist with the USDA Natural Wildlife research center's Florida Field Station in Gainesville, answers our questions.  To wrap up, we talk about Florida's coral reefs. We talked with Erin Muller, science director of the Elizabeth Moore International Center for Coral Reef Research at Mote Marine, and Keri O'Neil, senior coral scientist at the Florida Aquarium who's also known as the "coral whisperer." O'Neil explains exactly how coral forms. 

This week on Florida Matters, we share some of our favorite discussions about plants, animals and environmental challenges facing our state. We look back at the state of bees, the role of invasive species, endangered sea turtles and efforts to save Florida Coral Reefs. We start our final look back at 2019 with Dr. Jamie Ellis, a professor of entomology and director of honey bee research at the University of Florida. We talk with Ellis about how honey bee populations are faring, and why beekeepers are having to work harder to maintain healthy colonies.We started this conversation with Jamie about the controversy of pesticides. We moved our look back from bees to love bugs, and termites. We learned from Phil Koehler, endowed professor at the University of Florida who specializes in urban entomology, and Steve Puhs, service coordinator with the pest control company Truly Nolen's Port Richey office. We opened our discussion with Phil and love bugs. Florida Matters reporter Cathy Carter talks with Melissa Bernard, senior biologist with Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium and its Sea Turtle Conservation and Research program, about the habitats of sea turtles. We know Florida is the home to more than 500 kinds of invasive species, but what happens once these animals we call 'invasive' have been here long enough to adapt? Todd Campbell, associate professor of biology at the University of Tampa, and John Humphrey, wildlife biologist with the USDA Natural Wildlife research center's Florida Field Station in Gainesville, answers our questions. To wrap up, we talk about Florida's coral reefs. We talked with Erin Muller, science director of the Elizabeth Moore International Center for Coral Reef Research at Mote Marine, and Keri O'Neil, senior coral scientist at the Florida Aquarium who's also known as the "coral whisperer." O'Neil explains exactly how coral forms.

This week on Florida Matters, we share some of our favorite discussions about plants, animals and environmental challenges facing our state. We look back at the state of bees, the role of invasive species, endangered sea turtles and efforts to save Florida Coral Reefs. We start our final look back at 2019 with Dr. Jamie Ellis, a professor of entomology and director of honey bee research at the University of Florida. We talk with Ellis about how honey bee populations are faring, and why beekeepers are having to work harder to maintain healthy colonies.We started this conversation with Jamie about the controversy of pesticides. We moved our look back from bees to love bugs, and termites. We learned from Phil Koehler, endowed professor at the University of Florida who specializes in urban entomology, and Steve Puhs, service coordinator with the pest control company Truly Nolen's Port Richey office. We opened our discussion with Phil and love bugs. Florida Matters reporter Cathy Carter talks with Melissa Bernard, senior biologist with Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium and its Sea Turtle Conservation and Research program, about the habitats of sea turtles. We know Florida is the home to more than 500 kinds of invasive species, but what happens once these animals we call 'invasive' have been here long enough to adapt? Todd Campbell, associate professor of biology at the University of Tampa, and John Humphrey, wildlife biologist with the USDA Natural Wildlife research center's Florida Field Station in Gainesville, answers our questions. To wrap up, we talk about Florida's coral reefs. We talked with Erin Muller, science director of the Elizabeth Moore International Center for Coral Reef Research at Mote Marine, and Keri O'Neil, senior coral scientist at the Florida Aquarium who's also known as the "coral whisperer." O'Neil explains exactly how coral forms.

Roger German, President & Chief Executive Officer of the Florida Aquarium, joined AM Tampa Bay to discuss the Bead-Free Bay Campaign ahead of Gasparilla 2020.

Scientists have successfully reproduced endangered species of Atlantic coral in an artificial setting for the first time. The Atlantic pillar coral, a coral species found in the Florida Reef, has been classified as almost extinct. Aside from severe damage to coral populations caused by climate change, a new coral illness called Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease increased the threat of its extinction. Researchers from the Florida Aquarium and London's Horniman Museum and Gardens started working together in 2017 to find ways to increase the population of the endangered coral species. The scientists were able to legally collect coral fragments from the protected reef to conduct the research. For the experiment, the scientists put up an aquarium equipped with advanced technology to imitate the natural conditions of the ocean. The artificial setup was designed to help scientists carefully regulate water temperature. Lighting settings were also controlled to create the effect of sunrise and sunset, which are important factors in preparing corals to reproduce. The experiment proved successful when the corals released eggs and sperms after several months. The achievement sparked hope to repopulate coral reef systems around the world. Keri O'Neil, one of the researchers, is hoping that the new corals will have better resistance to the changing conditions in their natural environment. The corals that the team reproduced in the lab were reportedly produced with new genetics and traits that may increase their chances of survival. O'Neil further stated that the team is planning to conduct the experiment on other coral species aside from the Atlantic pillar coral.

Recently, the Florida Aquarium in Tampa announced being the first facility to successfully induce spawning of endangered Atlantic pillar coral in human care. One day, scientists think this achievement may enable humans to restore reef systems like the one along the southeastern shores of Florida. President and CEO, Roger Germann describes the aquarium's plans for growth including the expansion of a 22-acre satellite facility used for recreation, education, conservation research, and rescue and rehabilitation for sea turtles. For the second year in a row, The Florida Aquarium has been nationally recognized as one of North America’s best aquariums, taking the number two spot in USA TODAY’S 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards. 37:30 A message to TripAdvisor. www.imata.org/speak_up 39:30 That Sounds Wild: Mexican Gray Wolves. www.endangeredwolfcenter.org www.flaquarium.org www.animalcaresoftware.com www.iReinforce.com http://peppermintnarwhal.com  

One of the most popular Tampa Bay areas is definitely South Tampa, so let's take a closer look to see if it's for you! Generally when people are talking about South Tampa, they're referring to the peninsula that juts down into Tampa Bay with the northern boundary of South Tampa being State Road 60 (Kennedy Boulevard) and the southern boundary being MacDill Air Force Base. So why do so many want to live in South Tampa? LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION South Tampa is close to two large commercial areas - the Westshore District near Tampa International Airport, and Downtown Tampa. That makes for a convenient commute. However, you would have pretty quick access to highways bringing you to other Tampa Bay areas including I-275 and the Crosstown Expressway. It's also close to fun places around Downtown Tampa like Amalie Arena, Curtis Hixon Park, The Florida Aquarium, Glazer Children's Museum, Straz Center for the Performing Arts, and Sparkman Wharf. EATING, DRINKING & SHOPPING Because South Tampa has been a popular areas for a long time, many local and chain businesses and restaurants have set up shop here. You don't have to go far to find an amazing restaurant, fun boutique, or grocery store. SCHOOL DISTRICT If you've been looking online at listings, you probably see the phrase "in the Plant High School District." Plant High School is consistently one of the highest rated in the area. Make sure you check the actual school zone for the house you're interested in purchasing. The other high school in South Tampa is in the southern portion of the peninsula - Robinson High School. *NOTE: School zones subject to change NOT COOKIE CUTTER Because the area has been built over the last century, every house looks different and there are plenty of examples where century-old bungalows sit next to brand new contemporary construction. If you value privacy, South Tampa can be a hard place to find it with many smaller lot sizes. Unless you are backing up to the water, golf course, or a street changes are good that you'll have a neighbor backing up to your property. NEIGHBORHOODS & HOUSING OPTIONS You can see beautiful, historic bungalows in Hyde Park Village, lots of new construction in Swann Estates from builders developing existing lots where older homes used to stand. There are townhouses close to Howard Avenue, and you'll find some walkable neighborhoods in South Tampa. Like Downtown St. Pete, South Tampa has some of the highest price real estate in the area since demand is so high. If you want a waterfront property in South Tampa, be prepared to spend well over $1 million. Other popular neighborhoods include Beach Park, Bayshore Beautiful, Ballast Point, Interbay, Westshore Yacht Club, Culbreath Isles, Sunset Park, Golfview, Palma Ceia, Virginia Park, nearby Davis Islands and Harbour Island. Melanie is a Tampa Bay area Realtor with Smith & Associates. She loves Tampa Bay area area, houses, and helping clients buy and sell real estate. melanielovestampabay.com Email: matkinson@smithandassociates.com Call/text me if you are looking to buy / sell a home in the Tampa Bay area! 813.368.6084 DISCLAIMER: All content provided on melanielovestampabay.com and the Melanie Loves Tampa Bay YouTube channel/social media platforms is for informational/entertainment purposes only. The owner of Melanie Loves Tampa Bay makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site. Information provided is subject to change.

Ryan Gorman speaks to the Florida Aquarium about their conservation and education initiatives, including becoming the first organization in history to induce spawning of Atlantic coral. www.flaquarium.org

Micaela gives us the rundown on her visit to Mickey's Not-So-Scary Halloween Party. She reviews the ride overlays, treats and tips to maximize your spooky experience!  Plus, we talk about the Florida Aquarium's Brews by The Bay Beer Festival and the new adorable resident at SeaWorld Orlando.  New episodes available every Thursdays! Find more great podcasts at bPodStudios…The Place To Be For Podcast Discovery See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Florida's coral reefs are in trouble. Scientists say they've been declining for decades. But researchers have very recently come up with some exciting results that they say show promise in restoring these beautiful and important marine communities. On this week's show, host Robin Sussingham speaks with Erinn Muller, Science Director of the Mote Marine Laboratory's Elizabeth Moore International Center for Coral Reef Research and Restoration; Keri O'Neil, senior coral scientist at the Florida Aquarium; and Roger Germann, CEO of the Florida Aquarium.

Disney made some major announcements regarding the future of Epcot, and everything that's in store for the park in the next couple of years.  And researchers at one of our favorite places, The Florida Aquarium, make a major discovery that could help our coral reefs. In this Episode: Researchers at The Florida Aquarium in Tampa make a major discovery. https://cbs12.com/news/local/a-scientific-breakthrough-at-a-florida-aquarium-could-save-americas-great-barrier-reef Disney announces major changes coming to Epcot New Epcot concept art and new Epcot logo http://sunshinestatepodcast.com/new-epcot-concept-art-and-logo/ Contact Us! We want to hear your own reviews and Florida trip reports! Website: http://www.sunshinestatepodcast.com Twitter: @FloridaPodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/floridapodcast Email: Contact@sunshinestatepodcast.com How to support the show Become a Sunshine State of Mind Patron 

Florida's coral reefs are in trouble. Scientists say they've been declining for decades. But researchers have very recently come up with some exciting results that they say show promise in restoring these beautiful and important marine communities. On this week's show, host Robin Sussingham speaks with Erinn Muller, Science Director of the Mote Marine Laboratory's Elizabeth Moore International Center for Coral Reef Research and Restoration; Keri O’Neil, senior coral scientist at the Florida Aquarium; and Roger Germann, CEO of the Florida Aquarium.  

Florida's coral reefs are in trouble. Scientists say they've been declining for decades. But researchers have very recently come up with some exciting results that they say show promise in restoring these beautiful and important marine communities. On this week's show, host Robin Sussingham speaks with Erinn Muller, Science Director of the Mote Marine Laboratory's Elizabeth Moore International Center for Coral Reef Research and Restoration; Keri O’Neil, senior coral scientist at the Florida Aquarium; and Roger Germann, CEO of the Florida Aquarium.  

Coral reefs are one of the coolest living structures on the planet. As the world's oceans warm, the coral is threatened. Luckily, researches at the Florida Aquarium just had a breakthrough. Then, BNP Paribas thinks gasoline-powered vehicles are a thing of the past. But what is their proof?Every week, For Goodness' Sake brings you the good news you missed, because good stories deserve to be told.Follow us on Instagram for updates and more! Please subscribe to For Goodness' Sake! so that we can keep telling you good stories every week.

This hour the crew look forward to Grenada Divefest with a dive report from Peter at Aquanauts Grenada. Plus the Florida Aquarium announces a scientific breakthrough that may save reefs around the world! Looking for HOUR1?

The Florida Keys, a famous destination for snorkelers and divers, are home to the continental U.S.’s only living coral barrier reef. Unfortunately, since about 2014, the Florida Reef Tract has been in crisis, with numerous species of corals dying from Stony Coral Tissue Loss Disease, the cause of which is currently unknown. My guest today, Keri O’Neil, Senior Coral Scientist at the Florida Aquarium’s Center for Conservation in Apollo Beach, has been studying captive and wild corals for many years. Join us, as Keri describes her work at the Florida Aquarium and the work of hundreds of other collaborators who are trying to stop this devastating coral crisis. EPISODE NOTES: Keys in Crisis: The Florida Aquarium’s Keri O’Neil Discusses Multi-Institutional Efforts to Manage Disease Devastating Florida’s Coral Reefs with Dr. Roy Yanong

They've had to battle shark attacks, pollution, massive beach developments and confusing light sources -- but sea turtles are bouncing back. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, green sea turtle nests, which numbered less than 300 in 1989, were up to 39,000 in 2017! Other populations have experienced similar success. We're talking to two people who have been closely involved in the effort to protect sea turtles: Joe Widlansky, also known as Turtle Joe, is Vice President of Operations for the nonprofit Sea Turtle Trackers; Ari Fustukjian is Senior Staff Veterinarian for The Florida Aquarium.    

They've had to battle shark attacks, pollution, massive beach developments and confusing light sources -- but sea turtles are bouncing back. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, green sea turtle nests, which numbered less than 300 in 1989, were up to 39,000 in 2017! Other populations have experienced similar success. We're talking to two people who have been closely involved in the effort to protect sea turtles: Joe Widlansky, also known as Turtle Joe, is Vice President of Operations for the nonprofit Sea Turtle Trackers; Ari Fustukjian is Senior Staff Veterinarian for The Florida Aquarium.    

They've had to battle shark attacks, pollution, massive beach developments and confusing light sources -- but sea turtles are bouncing back. According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, green sea turtle nests, which numbered less than 300 in 1989, were up to 39,000 in 2017! Other populations have experienced similar success. We're talking to two people who have been closely involved in the effort to protect sea turtles: Joe Widlansky, also known as Turtle Joe, is Vice President of Operations for the nonprofit Sea Turtle Trackers; Ari Fustukjian is Senior Staff Veterinarian for The Florida Aquarium.    

Learn from The Florida Aquarium about lobsters and how they fare during undersea storms like the one featured in this episode of The Octonauts. For more information on how storms impact sea creatures, visit NOAA National Ocean Services' website. See this episode and its transcript on NOAA.gov.

There are a lot of interesting creatures to learn about at the Florida Aquarium! Thom is a gameshow host, a storyteller, and occasionally he sees penguins walk by his dressing room. You know, usual job stuff. From sharks and octopuses (*not octopi), to polyps and leafy sea dragons, we cover a lot of fascinating underwater creatures. Bonus! Thom wrote adorable songs for his underwater coworkers! They’re called, Aquatunes and they are super clever and catchy. Sing along! I did!

In this episode, we talk about Memorial Day Weekend Deals at the Florida Aquarium, Busch Gardens and SeaWorld! Plus, Halloween Horror Nights releases a new house description, Walt Disney World's has a new ticket deal and Micaela's foodie trip around the Magic Kingdom. New episodes available every Thursdays! Find more great podcasts at bPodStudios…The Place To Be For Podcast Discovery See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Moving to Tampa / St. Petersburg? Sharing lots of helpful information from things to do, where to live, cost of living, job opportunities, and more. WHERE TO LIVE Primary counties are Hillsborough (Tampa) and Pinellas (St. Petersburg / beaches). If you're considering a move here and prefer urban areas - you can choose between downtown Tampa and downtown St. Petersburg. Housing ranges from luxury high rise condos to historic bungalows. Other communities throughout the area include Tarpon Springs, Dunedin, Safety Harbor, Hyde Park Village, Seminole Heights, and Ybor City. JOB OPPORTUNITIES The Tampa Bay area is home to the headquarters of Fortune 500 companies such as: Tech Data, Publix, Jabil, WellCare, and Raymond James. Other companies with a presence here include: Bloomin' Brands, Citigroup, Humana, USAA, JP Morgan Chase, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Progressive Insurance, and Mosaic. There are endless opportunities here for anyone in healthcare, education, and the service industry. YEAR ROUND ACTIVITIES From beaches to water activities including boating, fishing, kite surfing, kayaking, paddle boarding, and scuba diving. Museums - The Salvador Dalí Museum, Tampa Art Museum, Glazer Children's Museum, Museum of Science and Industry. Aquariums & Zoos - Clearwater Marine Aquarium, Florida Aquarium, ZooTampa at Lowry Park Amusement Parks - Busch Gardens, Adventure Island We have festivals for just about everything and everyone. Breweries - the Tampa Bay area is very quickly becoming a destination for those who enjoy a great craft beer. Music - Amalie Arena, Raymond James Stadium - these two host many of the most popular tours. https://www.visittampabay.com/things-to-do/ SPORTS Home to three major sports teams: Tampa Bay Buccaneers (football), Tampa Bay Lightning (hockey), Tampa Bay Rays (baseball). TAMPA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT - consistently ranked one of the top in the nation. https://www.tampaairport.com/ COST OF LIVING The Tampa Bay area is very affordable in comparison with other cities in Florida. Our average housing costs are lower, and transportation is reasonable. Florida in general is an expensive state for all types of insurance, but at least you're not paying state income tax here! Melanie is a Tampa Bay area Realtor with Smith & Associates. She loves Tampa Bay area area, houses, and helping clients buy and sell real estate. melanielovestampabay.com Email: matkinson@smithandassociates.com Call/text me if you are looking to buy / sell a home in the Tampa Bay area! 813.368.6084 DISCLAIMER: All content provided on melanielovestampabay.com and the Melanie Loves Tampa Bay YouTube channel/social media platforms is for informational/entertainment purposes only. The owner of Melanie Loves Tampa Bay makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site. Information provided is subject to change.

Bryce is a funny, mechanical, HAPPY little guy who was diagnosed with autism at age two and now five years old. His pure joy makes this world a much better place! This episode is about goals we have set for Bryce and ourselves for 2019. We also recap our January highlights which include a visit to Glazer Children's Museum and The Florida Aquarium, both in Tampa, Florida. In this episode, we mentioned a book that Sandy is reading that has been very enlightening. "Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism" by Barry M. Prizant, PhDYou can follow us on our Facebook pages, Parenting Autism, to see stories, pictures, and videos of our autism journey.You can also contact us through our email: parentingautism@att.netSupport the show (https://www.parentingautismshow.com/resources)

Dr. Karla Stevenson Mastracchio joins us to discuss the Green and Gold Gala on this edition of the Bulluminati Podcast! Collin, Nate, and Vito return to the #podloft in Collin's home in South Tampa in this edition. Karla is the co-chair of the 2019 Green and Gold Gala at the Florida Aquarium, a USF grad who has been an adjunct professor at her alma mater, and an excellent podcast contributor. If you were thinking about going, stop thinking and starting doing! Tickets are going fast and are limited. We'll all be there. 0:00: Intro! 2:05: Collin welcomes Karla to the podcast. 3:40: Karla pitches the Green and Gold Gala to Vito who's contemplating on attending; the mission statement, who's involved, what to expect. [Spoilers: She convinced Vito to get a ticket.] #ThereWillBePenguins 17:39: Collin and Karla reminisce about funny stories between them. 24:40: Karla talks about the Green & Gold attire partners for the Gala. [Get a Green & Gold Bowtie at Ella Bing Haberdashery] 25:42: Outro with Karla, and #onbrand off-the-rails conversations on weddings, Disney, pyro-technics, etc. 30:19: Nate talks National Signing Day and Coach Strong's press conference. There's a lot to unpack here. [The transfer portal is rush!] 44:32: Karla and Collin talk sorority rush historically coinciding with the first home football game and if future changes are plausible. 46:50: Charlie Strong states changes needed to be made, and they were. So Nate asks the question, is it time to retire “were we not 7-0?” 55:34: Way-too-early look at spring practice and the roster. 1:00:15: Basketball! And we bid Karla farewell. Nate describes his excitement for the scheduled game vs. NAIA Florida College and why it's important to reschedule any game to replace the lost game at Charlotte. 1:10:10: USF MBB's game vs. SMU on Thursday, USF WBB's game vs Tulane (happening as we record) and their loss to C. 1:16:04: Laquincy Rideau, soon to be USF single season steals king. [#TakinPeoplesCookies] 1:22:15: We take your #AskTDS Twitter questions! Green & Gold Gala Event Information: Saturday February 23, 2019 at The Florida Aquarium. Doors open at 7pm. Penguins arriving shortly thereafter. Tickets are $70 for young alumni; $85 for Association Members; $90 for Non-Members/Friends Attire: Cocktail with a Touch of Green and Gold. Website: www.usfalumni.org/g3 Don't forget to subscribe and listen to the podcast on our host site Soundcloud, one of these apps: Apple Podcasts, Google Play, Stitcher, TuneIn, Castbox, or your favorite podcast provider. You can also listen in the embed player below. While you're listening, take a moment to rate us five stars, leave a positive review, and tell your friends! If you sub, you'll be the first to know when there's a new upload so it pays to subscribe.

We were recently invited by the great folks at the Florida Aquarium in Tampa to come check out their new exhibit "Waves of Wonder", have a penguin encounter, and go out on a wild dolphin sightseeing boat tour.  We also interviewed Kari Goetz, the Florida Aquarium's VP of Marketing, who told us all about the Florida Aquarium's mission and the idea behind "Waves of Wonder" that focuses the aquariums efforts on conservation and animal welfare. In this Episode: Florida Aquarium penguin encounter Wild dolphin boat tour Interview with Kari Goetz, the VP of Marketing at the Florida Aquarium We walk through and review the Florida Aquarium https://www.flaquarium.org Contact Us! We want to hear your own reviews and Florida trip reports! Website: http://www.sunshinestatepodcast.com Twitter: @FloridaPodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/floridapodcast Email: Contact@sunshinestatepodcast.com How to support the show Become a Sunshine State of Mind Patron

The Florida Aquarium – an inspiring and signature tourist destination in Tampa - highlights Florida native species and other aquatic animals from around the world. My guest today, Dr. Ari Fustukjian, oversees the health and welfare of this very diverse collection of organisms. Join us, as Dr. Ari shares his career path and discusses his role there as well as other amazing goings-on at the Florida Aquarium. More details on this episode MP3 Podcast - Dr. Ari Fustukjian: The Florida Aquarium’s Wet Vet with Dr. Roy Yanong

11-02-2018-Best Of Tampa - Armature Works - The Florida Aquarium - 100 Things To Do In Tampa Bay Before You Die Listen as we interview - Kristen Hare Author of 100 Things To Do In Tampa Bay Before You Die Eric Hovland is an associate curator and all-around ‘Shark Guy' at The Florida Aquarium Lauren Mooser -  Director Of Marketing Armature Works

It's that time of year again...Shark Week!  In this episode we share some recent sharky news from our shark surrounded state, and then list off some great places around Florida to experience sharks; either through glass, on a boat, in the water, or just with a cocktail in your hand on the beach.   This show includes: Florida researchers discover new shark species, name it for founder of Sarasota's MOTE Marine Labratory & Aquarium https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/environment/2018/07/17/new-shark-species-genies-dogfish-squalus-clarkae/788109002/ Giant goliath grouper eats shark in one gulp (video) https://www.miamiherald.com/news/state/florida/article215224205.html Texas woman arrested for taking 40 live conch shells in Key West. https://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/florida-keys/article215027715.html It's Shark Week!  Our best places in Florida to experience and see sharks in the Sunshine State. Sharkys on the Pier in Venice, FL - voted best beach bar in Florida. https://www.floridabeachbar.com/sharkys-on-the-pier Caspersen Beach in Venice, FL - "Shark Tooth Capital of the World" https://www.visitsarasota.com/parks/caspersen-beach-park New Smyrna Beach in Volusia County - "Shark Attack Capital of the World" http://www.news-journalonline.com/news/20180206/volusia-county-remains-world-shark-bite-capital Shark-Con - yearly shark, scuba, and ocean conservation event http://shark-con.com/ Florida Aquarium in Tampa, FL https://www.flaquarium.org/ MOTE Marine Labratory & Aquarium in Sarasota, FL https://mote.org Florida Shark Diving in Jupiter, FL http://floridasharkdiving.com Contact us! Website: www.SunshineStatePodcast.com Twitter: @FloridaPodcast Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/floridapodcast Email: Contact@sunshinestatepodcast.com

On this episode, Jaime and Glenn preview their trip to find hidden treasures along the Tampa Bay Riverwalk. They get ready to discover everything from ocean creatures and a pirate ship to a war ship and water bikes. They learn about the history of Tampa Bay--a cornerstone of Florida's port-related industries, revisit with Kevin Wiatrowski of Visit Tampa Bay, and then get into a whole bunch of other fun Florida stuff, including a Mystery Sound and segments for FML and Flori-DUH. Listen in... Finding Florida Podcast Episode 7a: We are excited to be able to start incorporating the voting element for planning these trips soon. So, keep a lookout for details on that! Tour Guide:  Jaime "Jemmy" Legagneur, Co-Host and Chief Enthusiasm officer: Jaime@FloridaPodcastNetwork.com Tour Guide: Glenn the Geek, Co-Host and Chief Fun Officer: Glenn@FloridaPodcastNetwork.com Link to Sound File for Sight Impaired: Click Here Featured Pic Credit:  Visit Tampa Bay Guest: Kevin Wiatrowski, Public Relations at Visit Tampa Bay Link: Visit Tampa Bay Mystery Sound: Email your answer to Jaime@FloridaPodcastNetwork.com for a chance at some FFP swag! FML Segment: "Swamp Ass" from That's Inappropriate Flori-duh Link #1: Vero Man Tries to Rob Church Drop Box and Arm Gets Stuck Flori-duh Link #2: Woman Claims Dentist Gave Her a Foot Massage and Infection Flori-duh Link #3: Cocaine in Purse? Woman Blames it on a Windy Day, Police Say Special Thanks to: Kevin Wiatrowski, Public Relations at Visit Tampa Bay Special Thanks to: Le Meridien Tampa Additional Support Provided by: Le’Anns Cheesecakes 'N More For full show notes and links, including the Agenda for Episode 7b (out TOMORROW, 5/01), head to: http://findingfloridapodcast.com/episodes/episode-7a-10-in-1-riverwalking-tampa-bay-preview/ Our Adventure Agenda for Episode 7b (out TOMORROW, 5/01): Jaime and Glenn find hidden treasures along the Tampa Bay Riverwalk, discovering everything from ocean creatures and a pirate ship to podcasting friends and some cool cocktails. Here was what they got into: Saturday Schedule (04-14-2018): Time | Stop 8:30 a.m. - Start day recording at our hotel: Le Meridien Tampa - 601 N. Florida Ave. Tampa, Florida 33602 10:00 a.m. - America Victory Ship 10:45 a.m. - The Florida Aquarium 12:00 p.m. - Tampa Bay History Center and lunch at the Columbia Cafe 1:00 p.m. - The Sail Pavallion 2:00 p.m. - Tampa Bay Water Bike Company 2:45 p.m. - eboats Tampa 4:00 p.m. - Henry B. Plant Museum 5:30 p.m. - Armature Works 6:20 p.m. - Pirate Water Taxi Want to join us at one of our stops on a future adventure? Email glenn@floridapodcastnetwork.com!    FPN:  Check out the other shows on the Florida Podcast Network

Ocean Science Radio explores the world of coral, what is affecting them, and what some possible solutions are to their problems. Guests include Dr. Rebecca Albright of the California Academy of Science Dr. Madhavi Colton of the Coral Reef Alliance John Than of the Florida Aquarium

This week host Greg Martin has a fascinating conversation with Florida Aquarium's Director of Hubandry, Mike Terrill about the aquariums on-going programs to support our oceans.

Most people think of aquaculture as farming fish for food. Some may even realize that many aquarium fish are cultured for the hobby. So what is ‘restoration aquaculture’ and what role does it play in conservation efforts? My guest today is Josh Patterson, Assistant Professor of Restoration Aquaculture at the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, based at the Florida Aquarium’s Center for Conservation, in Apollo Beach. Josh studies the use of aquacultured species, ranging from fish to corals to seagrass, as a tool for restoring threatened populations and habitat. Join us, as we discuss his work in this fascinating area. Questions or Comments? Send them to: DrRoy@petliferadio.com. More details on this episode MP3 Podcast - Josh Patterson: Corals and Restoration Aquaculture with Dr. Roy Yanong

This week's Travel Today with Peter Greenberg comes from the Epicurean Hotel in Tampa Bay, Florida. Tampa, Florida’s third largest city, is a great mix of historic architecture and modern cultural landmarks, Everywhere you look there’s Cuban and Spanish culture-infused flavor and accessible waterways. Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn stops by to talk about how getting turned down from Navy pilot school brought him to Tampa—and how and why he’s never left. Curator of History at Tampa Bay History Center Rodney Kite will provide a short course on Florida’s history. Eric Hovland, Curator at The Florida Aquarium talks about his love of sharks; Editor at Tampa Bay Times Ernest Hooper reveals some of his Tampa secrets, including going to The Bunker for amazing coffee and a Cuban tostada. And, speaking of food, Andrea Gonzmart, fifth generation Owner of Columbia Restaurant in Ybor city, shares her secret culinary stops. There’s all this and more as Travel Today with Peter Greenberg comes from the Epicurean Hotel in Tampa Bay, Florida.

This week's Travel Today with Peter Greenberg comes from the Epicurean Hotel in Tampa Bay, Florida. Tampa, Florida’s third largest city, is a great mix of historic architecture and modern cultural landmarks, Everywhere you look there’s Cuban and Spanish culture-infused flavor and accessible waterways. Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn stops by to talk about how getting turned down from Navy pilot school brought him to Tampa—and how and why he’s never left. Curator of History at Tampa Bay History Center Rodney Kite will provide a short course on Florida’s history. Eric Hovland, Curator at The Florida Aquarium talks about his love of sharks; Editor at Tampa Bay Times Ernest Hooper reveals some of his Tampa secrets, including going to The Bunker for amazing coffee and a Cuban tostada. And, speaking of food, Andrea Gonzmart, fifth generation Owner of Columbia Restaurant in Ybor city, shares her secret culinary stops. There’s all this and more as Travel Today with Peter Greenberg comes from the Epicurean Hotel in Tampa Bay, Florida.

In our intro this week, we get into some aquarium and arcade fun, take a look at some new movies that are out, and talk about the brand new Samsung Galaxy S8. At 36:05 we move on to sports to discuss the tense Stanley Cup Finals, Bob Stoops' sudden retirement and the Cavs getting run out of the building in the NBA Finals. Music credit: Ice Flow, Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

In this episode, host David Gordon visits the Florida Aquarium in Tampa Bay and nearby historic Ybor City. He also finds out about Lakeridge Winery in Clermont and FunSpot USA in Orlando.  Finally, David finds out about American Holidays and the packages available to travellers. Find us on twitter at @trvlbitesradio and visit our travel blog site at www.fourmonkeysmedia.com

Create an iMovie of a class field trip.

Roush Fenway driver Greg Biffle visited the Florida Aquarium in Tampa to swim with the aquatic wildlife and take in a backstage penguin encounter.