Florida Uncut

Long before the Florida Wildlife Corridor became a statewide movement, it began as a scientific question: How do we conserve wildlife in one of the fastest-growing states in America? In this episode, Mason and Zach sit down with two of the most influential conservation scientists in Florida history, Dr. Thomas Hoctor and Dr. Reed Noss, to explore the origins, evolution, and future of the Florida W...

Today Zach and Mason are joined by Kailyn Lawson, the Community Conservation Manager at the Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation, to discuss co-managing the recent Longleaf to Lighthouse Expedition.  We dive into Kailyn’s background and focus before hearing more about the expedition and what’s next with the documentary film.  Resources mentioned during the episode:  https://floridapress.org/978168...

Thomas is a passionate wildlife conservation professional with more than 30 years of research, management, and leadership experience. He spent his childhood playing soccer and exploring the outdoors around the suburbs of Northern Virginia before earning his B.S. in Forestry and Wildlife at Virginia Tech. He later completed both his M.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife Science and his Ph. D. in Ecology f...

Melissa Hill is a Senior Project Manager for Trust for Public Land (TPL) focused on expanding the Florida Wildlife Corridor, connecting vital acreage of the Florida National Scenic Trail and protecting the special spaces that connect Floridians to the outdoors. Her work is centered on conserving land for public access by working directly with landowners and partner agencies to secure necessary fun...

Today Mason is joined by Zach Franco to talk about some of the upcoming changes to Florida Uncut and discuss how they keep a positive and hopeful outlook while working in conservation. Also, if you want to hear Zach and Mason’s adventure paddling the Suwannee River, go listen to that episode from October here .

KT Bryden is an Emmy-winning cinematographer, conservationist, and storyteller dedicated to creating compelling narratives about the natural world. Her work, featured on platforms such as Disney+, PBS, and National Geographic, bridges the gap between science and storytelling. As the Executive Producer and Film Director at Wildpath, KT partners with scientists, conservationists, and storytellers to...

In this episode we sit down with Matt Caldwell, a 7th-generation Floridian whose life and career are deeply rooted in the state’s land, history, and future. From his early days as a real estate appraiser to serving in the Florida House of Representatives and now as Lee County Property Appraiser, Caldwell brings a unique perspective on growth, property rights, and conservation. He also serves as Pr...

Senior Ranger Jerry Miller has spent most of his life in the landscapes he now helps protect. Growing up just outside what is now Duette Preserve in Manatee County, Jerry developed an early connection to Florida’s ranchlands, forests, and wildlife. Today, he serves as a Senior Ranger with Manatee County Natural Resources, helping manage the county’s largest preserve while sharing the wonders of wi...

Since its release in 1984, A Land Remembered has been described as a lightning bolt on Florida’s culture, becoming required reading in Florida classrooms for years, not just as historical fiction, but as an inheritance of a way of life that once was. The story of the MacIvey family’s rise from poverty to prominence spans 150 years of Florida history, tracing the tension between survival, ambition,...

In this episode of Florida Uncut, we’re joined by avian ecologist Mary Marine, who is part of a team leading recovery efforts for one of North America’s most endangered birds, the Florida Grasshopper Sparrow, in the Everglades Headwaters.  Mary shares how she codified her passion for this “little brown bird” and went from seasonal technician to an instrumental part of the recovery efforts with Arc...

Last month I had the incredible pleasure of not only attending the inaugural Lake Wales Ridge Fire Festival, but sitting down on stage with three leaders in local, state, and regional fire management efforts to learn more about what they do and why the role of fire is important to the story of protecting and connecting wild Florida. It was a great day of learning, engaging, great food, and being w...

In this episode of Florida Uncut, Mason sits down with Ryan Young, founder and Lead Explorer of Rising Tide Explorers, an ecotourism company based in Naples, FL. Back in 2016 Ryan and his group of biologist friends (including his future wife, Jeannine) realized that there were no certification, education, training, or experience requirements needed to conduct ecotours in the entire state of Florid...

Few names are as synonymous with wild Florida as Clyde Butcher. Known for his striking black and white large-format photography, Clyde has spent decades capturing the soul of Florida’s landscapes, from the ghostly cypress swamps of Big Cypress National Preserve to the vast wetlands of the Everglades. In this episode, I sit down with Clyde in Venice to talk about his story, beginning to end, and wh...

Elysia wears many hats, but in short she’s an all-around badass. She recently stepped into the role of Team Leader for the Headwaters Ecosystem Management Team, Archbold Biological Station’s in-house prescribed fire strike team. In this position, she leads regional fire management efforts to restore and maintain critical ecosystems while reducing wildfire risk across the Everglades Headwaters and...

Today we’re sitting down with Zach Franco, Conservation Partnership Coordinator at Archbold Biological Station, to talk about the recent 242-mile canoe trip of the Suwannee River, from source to sea, without stopping. A lot of folks have asked for more details and the “why” of this adventure. I’m not sure if we actually answered that question, but here’s a great conversation to enjoy! If you’re lo...

In part three of our deep dive into Archbold Biological Station and its 10,500-acre working cattle operation, Buck Island Ranch, we sit down with assistant ranch manager, Mary Margaret Hardee, a lifelong Floridian whose path winds through ranching, conservation, and the cultural fabric of wild Florida. Growing up on a family ranch in Chiefland, Mary is no stranger to early morning saddling horses....

On this episode of Florida Uncut , we sit down with Gene Lollis, Ranch Manager for the past 30 years at Buck Island Ranch, one of Florida’s most unique places where cattle ranching meets conservation science.  Raised in St. Cloud, Florida, Gene’s journey began hoeing orange trees as a kid and working cattle, carrying forward a philosophy summed up in the phrase: “Open gates, open minds.” His deep...

Since 1995, Dr. Hilary Swain has served as the Executive Director of Archbold Biological Station in Venus, Florida, leading one of the nation’s premier field stations dedicated to science, conservation, and education. In her role she oversees two flagship properties: the 8,800-acre Archbold Biological Station on the ancient Lake Wales Ridge, and the 10,500-acre Buck Island Ranch, a fully working c...

Trails are one of the most powerful tools we have for connecting people to nature and fostering a lasting sense of place. By providing direct, immersive access to the outdoors, trails invite us to build personal relationships with the landscapes around us. Whether it’s a shaded stretch of pine flatwood on a rail trail, a sandy path along a coastal estuary or a boardwalk hovering above a cypress sw...

In this special episode of Florida Uncut , we’re bringing you our first-ever live recording, captured this past weekend at the Wild Space Gallery in St. Pete. The conversation centers around the behind-the-scenes efforts that brought the Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation’s 2024 expedition film to life. Every two years, the Foundation leads a week-long journey, on foot, bike, and water, through...

Would you like to attend a live recording of Florida Uncut? Be sure to save the date of July 12, 5–9 PM for a new exhibition "Blazing the Trail: From Strand to Slough" and a live recording of "Wild Takes: Florida Uncut Podcast Live" from 5-8pm at the Wild Space Gallery in St. Pete! I’ll be there interviewing the folks behind the scenes of the Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation’s...

Alex Freeze has been part of the movement to connect and protect wild Florida for well over a decade and now works as the Corridor Connect Director at the Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation. Alex brings a wealth of experience as a conservation photographer, environmental educator, and advocate for Florida's natural landscapes. Did I mention she was a field producer for the Emmy award-winning...

In this episode of Florida Uncut, we sit down with Brent Setchell, Drainage Design Engineer with the Florida Department of Transportation’s District 1, to talk about something most drivers rarely see—but Florida’s wildlife depends on: wildlife crossings. Brent grew up immersed in the outdoors, and now he’s helping ensure Florida’s wild places remain connected. From panthers and bears to otters and...

Damon is a restoration ecologist and practitioner with 20 years of experience designing and implementing habitat restoration projects in southwest Florida. He played an instrumental role in local large-scale habitat restoration projects including the restoration of Perico and Robinson Preserve, among many other habitat improvement projects across Manatee County. In late 2022 Damon founded the nonp...

For this episode I'm sitting down with Mike Elfenbein, an incredibly dedicated advocate for wild Florida. You might find Mike hunting pythons barefoot in the Everglades, or dressed in a suit and tie (shoes optional) on Capitol Hill pushing for further focus and protection for Florida's wildlands. Mike now resides on Florida's southwest coast where he serves as the executive director fo...