"Oh, no — please, not again" — is a sentiment it’s fair to think that many residents of Southwest Florida have been thinking and feeling as Hurricane Idalia made its way north through the Gulf of Mexico and toward the Florida peninsula. While not on the exact same track as Hurricane Ian last September, and doesn't appear to be on a path that will severely impact Southwest Florida, Idalia is coming from the same general direction and revives memories of Hurricane Ian in September of 2022.

Found on the northern end of Marco Island in 1896 during an expedition led by a renowned archeologist named Frank Hamilton Cushing, the Key Marco Cat is considered a true gem — a once in a lifetime, or more, find — discovered during the early days of the science of archeology. Just six inches tall and carved out of some sort of hardwood, the Cat, and the many other objects that were discovered alongside it, represent the most comprehensive and spectacular collection of pre-Columbian Native American material culture ever discovered in Florida.

The Florida Wildlife Corridor Act is helping create new opportunities to help the endangered Florida panther, but the species is facing some new and emerging threats including a neurological disorder called feline leukomyelopathy and a number of proposed new developments in Lee and Collier counties. We take a closer look in a conversation with Amber Crooks from the Conservancy of Southwest Florida.

“Fort Myers Historic Hurricanes” offers a history of severe storms that have impacted southwest Florida dating all the way back to 1841, but also a dire warning about this area’s severe risk from hurricanes and storm surge in general. It opens with a hurricane in 1841 that swept across the region making landfall near Sanibel Island and bringing 14' of storm surge to the U.S. Army fort on Punta Rassa.

There is a movement underway to pass an amendment to Florida’s Constitution that would create a fundamental right to clean and healthy waters in the state. If it makes it to the ballot and is approved by 60% of voters during the 2024 Election, the ‘Right to Clean Water’ amendment could be used to sue State executive agencies for harm, or threatened harm, to Florida’s waters and aquatic ecosystems. To learn more we talk with Joseph Bonasia, he is Chair and Southwest Florida Regional Director of the Florida Rights of Nature Network, and a board member of Southwest Florida RESET.

Beginning Wednesday, August 9 WGCU will begin airing a new essay series called “Reflections of a Colored Girl” by Dr. Martha Bireda. Dr. Bireda was born in southwest Florida in 1945 but spent the first 10 years of her life in a small town in Western Virginia. Her family then moved back to Punta Gorda, where they have deep roots. We sat down with Dr. Bireda to talk about her new essay series, and what she hopes to pass along with it.

As Collier County turns 100, historians and community leaders talk about some of the key moments and interesting stories that have made Collier what it is today.

More than four thousand Southwest Floridians from all walks of life sat down together back in March to talk about the problems that are affecting our region and its residents. Spearheaded by the Collaboratory in downtown Fort Myers, in partnership with the Collier Community Foundation and Charlotte Community Foundation, this is a follow up to an On The Table event held back in 2019. People attended one of about 280 "tables" and about a quarter of them filled out a survey that asked them to rank the issues they thought were most pressing. We dig into the results.

Florida’s corals and coral reefs have been decimated over the past 40 or so years. Only a fraction of Florida’s corals remain, mostly due to diseases but also coral bleaching which is caused by warm water temperatures. The threshold for bleaching is around 86 degrees, and right now biologists are recording temperatures in the lower 90s offshore, and in the upper 90s and even over 100 in bays. Overall, south Florida water temps are about 4 to 5 degrees warmer on average right now than they were last year at this time, and this is leading to widespread bleaching events that are happening earlier than would be expected.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and the state legislature — which is dominated by Republicans who have supermajorities in both chambers — have implemented a series of policies and laws in recent years that critics say are demonstrating tendencies toward autocracy. We speak with three people who count themselves among the critics who are decrying what they see as autocratic tendencies in Tallahassee and here in Florida. They are all members of the nonprofit, Floridians for Democracy, which was formed in April, 2023 to bring together voices from across the political spectrum to push back against this rising trend.