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 last expedition, and upcoming film. 

In this episode, we catch up with Joe Howard, one of the original trekkers on the O2O: Path to Connection expedition. Joe reflects on his journey across the Ocala to Osceola Wildlife Corridor, an ambitious, 57-mile boots-on-the-ground adventure aimed at raising awareness for one of the most critical wildlife linkages in Florida.

We’re speaking with Joe, a career Florida state parks manager, nearly two years after the trek because the story didn’t end on the trail. Just last week, the Florida Cabinet approved a major land acquisition in the O2O region, securing nearly 78,000 acres of high-priority conservation land. It’s a huge victory for Florida’s Wildlife Corridor, and for the vision Joe and the O2O team helped bring to life.

Tune in as we talk with Joe about the power of storytelling, what it meant to be part of the expedition, and how it feels to see real policy action happen in a place he walked to protect.

Watch O2O: Path to Connection here

Read more about the approved funding for the 77,877 acres of land here.