Welcome to Florida

This week's episode begins with good news on the conservation front and increasing numbers of a once critically endangered Florida butterfly . Our guest this week is Tom Portuallo, founder and CEO of Iguana Control . Tom has spent more than a decade removing invasive iguana from South Florida homes and yards. The best action you can take for Florida today is raising your voice in support of r...

This week's episode is devoted to Craig Pittman's new non-fiction book, "The State You're In: Florida Men, Florida Women, and other Wildlife." Joining Chadd Scott this week to talk to Craig about the book is environmental journalist and author of The Sound of the Sea: Seashells and the Fate of the Oceans . Also: Mirage; Blue Revolution; and Rain: A Natural and Cultural His...

These week's episode begins with an update on efforts to save the Florida Reef - North America's only coral reef - and how the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has habitually damaged the resource. Our topic this week is sinkholes and we're joined by USF researcher Philip van Beynan to learn all about them.

This week's episode begins with a familiar topic: the dangers of phosphate mining in Florida. Our guest is gopher tortoise biologist George Heinrich . If you'd like to do more to support gopher tortoise, look into the Gopher Tortoise Council . 

This week's episode begins with a recent conversation Craig had with a former Florida governor. Our guest is Dr. Kate Mansfield who runs the UCF Marine Turtle Research Group . We discuss the five species of sea turtles found nesting in Florida. In Florida, if you find a dead or stranded sea turtle, here's the number to call for the Fish and Wildlife Commission hotline: 1-888-404-FWCC (1-...

This week's episode begins along the Tamiami Trail and a discussion of Craig's latest Florida Phoenix story . Our guest today is Holly Shaffer who's going to tell us all about the Thomas Edison and Henry Ford winter estates in Fort Myers.

This week's episode is all about the Florida Manatee. We start the show discussing how Craig came to write his second book, "Manatee Insanity," and are then joined by Florida Manatee researcher, Bob Bonde, who along with his wife, Cathy Beck, studied the animals for 40 years. Bob co-authored the most authoritative book on the subject of Florida Manatee, "The Florida Manatee: Bi...

This week's episode begins with a discussion of Craig's latest Florida Phoenix column investigation the damage the state's latest red tide outbreak has had on seagrass . Our guest is Andrew Huse, author of "From Saloons to Steak Houses: A History of Tampa," and an upcoming title about the history of the Cuban Sandwich. Andrew's recommendations for a great Cuban sandwi...

This week's episode begins with some budgetary chicanery linked to the Florida Wildlife Corridor that could mean more trouble to the state's diminishing wetlands. Our guest is filmmaker Oscar Corral who's new documentary, "The Fellowship of the Springs," examines Florida's best in the world freshwater springs resource and the various threats they face. Visit the film&...

This week's episode begins with a tale of governmental treachery - at the behest of developers - from Santa Rosa County. Our guest is Helen Hartley, the former business reporter at the St. Petersburg Times. She uncovered a massive insurance and investment scam orchestrated by Lou Pearlman in the mid-2000s. Pearlman was the driving force behind the development of boy bands Backstreet Boys and...

This week's episode begins with Craig's latest article for the Washington Post looking at the history of Seminole oversight of gaming in Florida . With a new gambling compact agreed to between the tribe and the state, the Seminole are expect to reap an even greater financial windfall due to the introduction of sports gambling in Florida. Our guest this week is Florida author Bob Kealing....

Turkey hunting, off road vehicles and drones in the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge? Maybe. This week's guest, Carlton Ward Jr., has been instrumental in casting a vision for the Florida Wildlife Corridor. The Florida Wildlife Corridor imagines a contiguous linkage of undeveloped land from the Everglades to the Okefenokee Swamp. As a nature photographer, Carlton helped promote the id...

This week's episode begins with Craig Pittman and his wife encountering red tide near their home in St. Petersburg. Our guest is Cynthia Barnett , author of the newly published book, "The Sound of the Sea: Seashells and the Fate of the Oceans." Cynthia has written numerous books about Florida's freshwater, but dives into the salt for the first time here. She is also an environm...

This week's episode begins with Craig's investigation of the MURDER of a Florida river . Our guest for this episode is Punta Gorda native Jason Vuic, author of the recently released book, "Swamp Peddlers: How Lot Sellers, Land Scammers, and Retirees Built Modern Florida and Transformed the American Dream." Jason tells a Florida origin story of sorts about how land speculation,...

This episode marks the one year anniversary of the "Welcome to Florida" podcast. Craig Pittman and Chadd Scott look back at the first 52 episodes, highlighting some of the most memorable. All previous episodes, and the "Preview" episode which explains how "Welcome to Florida" came to be can be found in the archives. This week's guest is Miccosukee tribal elder Be...

This week's episode begins with good news for conservationists in Florida from a most unlikely place: the Florida state legislature . Craig also updates on a scary development regarding Florida's coral reef . Our guest this week is Dr. Cynthia Heil , Director of the Red Tide Institute at Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota. In the episode, Heil mentions resources available for Florida res...

With the Indian River Lagoon - North America's most biodiverse estuary - two National Wildlife Refuges and miles of critical sea turtle habitat along the Atlantic Ocean, Indian River County boasts remarkable natural beauty, even for Florida. This bonus episode of "Welcome to Florida" focuses on Indian River County's ecotourism opportunities from sea turtle and manatee experienc...

This week's episode begins with Craig throwing his hat in the ring for a new job ! Don't worry about him leaving the podcast, the chances of him landing this job are low. Our guest is Calvin Branche, a leading historian on Florida author John D. MacDonald whose 21 Travis McGee novels captivated readers for decades. His novels have been turned into successful movies including "A Flas...

This week's episode begins by discussing a puzzling decision by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to recommend opening a fishing season on goliath grouper . Our guest is Jono Miller, author of "The Palmetto Book: Histories and Mysteries of the Cabbage Palm." The Cabbage Palm is Florida's state tree and essential to understanding its history. What makes this...

This week's episode features  Buck Island Ranch manager Gene Lollis. Buck Island Ranch is unlike any cattle ranch you've heard of. Buck Island Ranch is working in part to protect the environment and wildlife. Take a look for yourself . Ranching and agriculture are both major causes of and solutions for climate change, biodiversity collapse, clean water and clean air. If you'd like t...

This week's episode begins with Craig's latest "Washington Post" article where he writes about Miami making history in hiring the nation's first Chief Heat Officer. Our guests are Susan Fernandez and Bob Ingalls, authors of "Sunshine in the Dark: Florida in the Movies." We'll trace Florida's history in film from the silent area when Jacksonville was Hol...

This week's episode begins with a takedown of the Florida Legislature (both parties), Ron DeSantis and Agriculture Secretary Nikki Fried, all of who bowed down to BIG SUGAR in allowing them to continue poisoning residents of western Palm County through pre-harvest sugar cane field burning. Our guest is New College of Florida anthropologist and archaeologist Uzi Baram . We discuss Florida&apos...

This week's episode begins with Craig's concerns Florida could be facing another "Summer of Slime" due to blue green algae and red tide (cow tide) outbreaks. We also talk about corruption in the state legislature and the death - mostly - of M-CORES (Roads to Ruin). Our guest is author Mike Grunwald who wrote "The Swamp: The Everglades, Florida and the Politics of Paradise....

This week's episode started with BIG news from the Everglades and a look at a VERY important Florida woman whose job it will be to protect the state's environment. Our guest is author Ann McCutchan who has written a new biography of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, a Florida transplant and author of "The Yearling." The book is titled "The Life She Wished to Lead" and details...

This week's episode begins with discussion of Craig's latest Florida Phoenix column and the "solution" for what to do with all of the toxic waste from the Piney Point phosphorus plant. Our guest is Nancy Klingener , Florida Keys reporter for WLRN - South Florida's Public Radio - and a 30 year Key West resident. We dig into the history, culture and weirdness that is Key Wes...