A Step Beyond the Fire

Cully travels to Putnam County Florida to visit with Ben and Louanne Williams on their beautiful property that they manage for stewardship and educational purposes. Cully and Ben discuss the establishment of the local Prescribed Burn Association and some of the important lessons they have learned as private landowners.

Join Cully and his old college buddy Cynthia Balboni along the hiking trail to discuss what her life is like managing native ecosystems on a military installation. Cynthia describes her experiences in the field working with endangered species, managing prescribed fires, wildfire suppression and the many unique challenges she faces along the way.

In this Episode, Cully meets with Jason Houck, an engineer in the Orlando area that specializes in the construction of wildlife road crossings. Jason talks about some of the important projects that he has been in involved with over the years, and the critical steps that are needed to preserve biodiversity in Florida's changing landscapes.

Warning - technical issues arose with the audio during the episode. Please excuse the sound quality!

Cully heads over to visit with Scott Sager, the manager for the University of Florida's Austin Cary Forest. The property is a unique area dedicated to research, teaching opportunities and active land management. Cully and Scott talk about how areas like this play such a vital role for future generations.

Join Cully and Predator-Prey Biologist Joe Guthire along the hiking trail at Paynes Prairie Preserve State Park to discuss the history of the Florida Wildlife Corridor. Joe recounts some of his early experiences in life that led him to becoming a wildlife biologist, and how his life became intertwined in the mission of the Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation. Joe tells his story of perseverence and the joys and sorrows along his path, and how he was able to help turn a trajedy into something much bigger than himself.

This episode is dedicated to the memory of Dr. Dave Maehr and Mason Smoak.

On a Friday afternoon, Cully heads over the headquarters of the Florida Trail Association in Gainesville to talk with Jeff Glenn, a trail manager for the Northern Region. Jeff describes the incredible work that is being done to maintain the Florida Trail's connected network of hiking trails, and how they provide such a great free opportunity to experience our native landscapes that is available to people from all walks of life.

To learn more about the Florida Trail Association, you can visit https://floridatrail.org/.

Cully sits down with a good friend and mentor of his named Jeff McGrady to talk about some of his experiences in the field during his 37 year career as a wildlife biologist with the State of Florida. Join them under pines as Jeff recounts some of his experiences with Florida's wildlife over the years, and how eventually becoming a Regional Biologist impacted his life. Their conversation leads them ultimately to discuss the all important question - What makes a great wildlife manager?

In this episode, we get a special invite to join a basic prescribed fire training class with a veteran prescribed burner named Barry Coulliette. Barry talks us through some of the details of the class and why its a vital step for this new class of recruits in the local county fire rescue organization. Join us on the training grounds as Barry shares some of his life experiences and his passion for the art and science of prescribed fire.

In this episode, Cully invites you to join him on a live prescribed burn in North Florida. He will bring you into the actual preparations, the decisions on the fireline, and finally into the completion of the burn for the day. You can expect to hear what really happens in the field on a fire including the sounds, emotions, and actions taken. Let your imagination do the rest!

In this episode, Cully catches up with a good friend of his named Liz Ramirez. Liz is a wildlife biologist and an avid student of fire. She shares her life experiences, her love of fire, and some memorable experiences along the way. Join Cully and Liz as they take a hike through a recently burned area just south of Salt Springs, Florida in the heart of the Ocala National Forest.