Welcome to Florida

This week's episode begins with Craig's ongoing reporting of the environmental disaster at the Piney Point phosphate plant where hundreds of millions of gallons of toxic wastewater has been diverted into the Tampa Bay estuary to avoid a collapse of the gypsum stack there. Craig has reported on this coming apocalypse for decades, highlighting how the Florida Department of Environmental &q...

This week's episode begins with Craig Pittman's latest Florida Phoenix column highlighting the disastrous environmental impacts of the widely used herbicide/poison glyphosate , commonly known as Roundup. Our guest is author, veterinarian and professor Mark Jerome Walters whose latest book, "Florida Scrub-Jay: Field Notes on a Vanishing Bird" was released in March of 2021. Mark...

This week's episode begins with more "bigfooting" by the state legislature , once again in the pocket of developers, attempting to curtail the amount of impact fees local municipalities have accessed homebuilders in order for them to build the infrastructure necessary for all the new residents. Craig Pittman and Chadd Scott are joined this week by Jeff and Ann VanderMeer. The marrie...

This week's episode begins with a look at why Florida's manatees are dying this winter at a rate which threatens the survival of the species. Craig Pittman's latest column for the Florida Phoenix digs in deep on the reasons , which are preventable. Craig's 2010 book "Manatee Insanity" goes even further in detailing the decades-long conservation effort in Florida to pr...

This week's episode starts with Craig Pittman sharing some of his favorite Florida Women from the state's history in recognition of Women's History Month. Follow Craig on Twitter and Facebook @CraigTimes and on Instagram @CraigPittman78 for more. Our guest this week is Amy Green, author of "Moving Water: The Everglades and Big Sugar." Amy's book, which published in Ma...

This week's episode begins with an update on the disastrous "Roads to Ruin" M-CORES toll road proposal and efforts in the state legislature to adjust it. Our guest this week is historical reenactor Ersula K Odom who has been portraying Mary McLeod Bethune at events across Florida for many years. Odom's performances see her dress in period appropriate costumes and take on the pe...

This week's episode begins with Craig Pittman and Chadd Scott discussing the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's unanimous ruling to ban the possession of a large number of non-native snakes and lizards in the hopes of avoiding their introduction into the state's ecosystem like as happened with the Burmese python and tegu lizard. Our guest is Jack Davis who won the P...

This week's episode begins with a song from Zora Neale Hurston, "Shove it Over." Throughout this week's show we'll be hearing songs from Hurston which can be found in the State Archives of Florida . Up next: cruise ships. Craig Pittman wrote recently how Republican state legislators are contradicting their so-called principles of "home rule" and "small gover...

This week's episode begins with Craig Pittman's latest story for the Florida Phoenix about the remarkable discovery of a new whale species in the Gulf of Mexico. The whale was washed up on a beach near the Florida Everglades allowing scientists to study the animal. In doing so, they determined it had died as the result of a piece of plastic cutting through its stomach. Single use plastic...

This week's episode begins with Craig Pittman putting Ron DeSantis in the crosshairs over the governor's big talk and small action on protecting the state's water. If you'd like to learn more about the state's water quality problems, what causes them, what can be done to fix them, a previous episode all about the Floridan Aquifer does so in depth . This week's guest i...

This week's episode focuses on two of Florida's - and the nation's - most endangered species. First up, Craig Pittman tells us about recovery efforts for the Florida grasshopper sparrow which he detailed in a recently released story for "National Geographic." From the very small to the very big, Craig and Chadd Scott are then joined by Florida panther biologist Deborah Jan...

Craig Pittman and Chadd Scott begin this week's episode discussing Craig's hope for a modern-day Richard Nixon (???) to save Florida from the disastrous M-CORES project , better known as the "Roads to Ruin." He explains the connection. Chadd highlights a project working to secure American Beach's historic character and how you can help. This week's guest is Neal Thomp...

In what is sure to be the grossest episode of "Welcome to Florida" yet, Craig Pittman and Chadd Scott begin by discussing Craig's latest story for the Florida Phoenix which focuses on a toxic sludge disposal facility in Lakeland , aptly called the BS Ranch, that has neighbors upset and is looking to renew its permit to handle 5,000 tons of sludge PER DAY! From there, Dr. Roberto M....

Craig Pittman and Chadd Scott begin this week's episode talking briefly about the history of con men in Florida, the attempted overthrow of the federal government last week by white nationalists which prominently featured a Florida Man, and Craig's latest Florida Phoenix article about ecological catastrophe caused by a paper mill on the Fenholloway River in Perry. This week's guest...

This episode begins with exciting news about "Welcome to Florida's" first sponsor, Hipcamp. Hipcamp is a growing community of respectful people looking to get outside for camping, glamping, and RV stays on private land.  Anyone with a property that helps people connect with nature can be a Hipcamp Host. Landowners across Florida are earning up to $1,000 a month.  It’s free to list a...

This week's episode of "Welcome to Florida" begins with great news for Florida's critically endangered grasshopper sparrow . Being Florida, the story of course involves a long and twisty road with no shortage of "colorful" characters who Craig Pittman introduces us to. Craig and Chadd Scott's guest this week is Les Standiford, author of "Last Train to Paradi...

Merry Christmas everyone. Craig Pittman and Chadd Scott begin this week's episode of "Welcome to Florida" with unusual ways in which the holiday has been celebrated around the state. 20 years ago, a multi-billion dollar, bipartisan, multi-agency, decades-long plan to restore the Everglades to a more natural water flow and ecology was signed by President Bill Clinton and hailed as a...

This week's episode begins with Craig Pittman offering advice to Governor Ron DeSantis . Craig and Chadd Scott are joined by Nicholas Griffin, author of, "The Year of Dangerous Days: Riots, Refugees and Cocaine in Miami 1980." Griffin's book shares the remarkable, harrowing and history-altering interconnected stories of Cuba's Marielitos, the largest mass migration event i...

Craig Pittman and Chadd Scott begin this week's episode talking about the return of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to public view following a month in hiding. Craig and Chadd discuss the governor's handling of the Coronavirus pandemic. This week's guest is renowned Florida landscape photographer Clyde Butcher , Clyde has been photographing the state for 30 years and shares his favori...

Craig Pittman shares good environmental news  with Chadd Scott to begin this episode and the two discuss a quirky feature of Fernandina Beach's local government. This week's guest is best-selling author Monte Burke whose latest book, "Lords of the Fly: Madness, Obsession, and the Hunt for the World Record Tarpon," dives into the tarpon fly fishing craze around Homosassa in the...

Craig Pittman and Chadd Scott begin this Thanksgiving Week episode discussing their favorite holiday traditions before engaging in a conversation with historian and author Gary Mormino about the influence immigrants have had, and continue to have, on Florida. Mormino is the author of "The Immigrant World of Ybor City: Italians and their Latin Neighbors in tampa, 1885-1985."

Craig Pittman and Chadd Scott take a break from the anxiety of 2020 to discuss their favorite Florida TV shows and the shows which have shaped the state's image . NPR TV critic Eric Deggans joins to discuss everything from "I Dream of Jeannie" to "Miami Vice," "Golden Girls," "Dexter" and "Siesta Key." Remember to follow Craig on Twitter and F...

Craig Pittman and Chadd Scott begin this episode of "Welcome to Florida" discussing the 2020 election in Florida, why Trump took the state, where the Democrats failed and what it means moving forward. This week's guest is Mitchell Kaplan , co-founder of the Miami Book Fair which begins November 15, the most prestigious litterary event in the country. Mitchell is a long-time Miami re...

This week's episode of "Welcome to Florida" releases on Super Tuesday! As Floridans go the the polls and await the outcome, Craig Pittman and Chadd Scott share their voting experiences from this year and years previous. This week's guest is UCF historian Jim Clark. Jim has authored several books on Florida history, including "Presidents in Florida." That's what w...

On this week's Halloween-themed episode, Craig Pittman shares Florida ghost stories before Craig and Chadd Scott talk with Tampa Bay Times reporter Paul Guzzo who has done outstanding work finding lost cemeteries in the Bay Area. The episode wraps up with a discussion of Craig's recent " National Geographic" article surrounding the end of greyhound racing in Florida.