With the gubernatorial election less than a year away, now is the time to ask the crowded field of candidates about their positions on conservation and the environment.

Three episodes ago, we discussed the impact America's lead-up to World War II had on Florida, bringing hundreds of thousands of servicemen and dozens of military installations to the state. That was the 1930s. In this episode with Florida author and historian Gary Mormino, we discussed what else was going on across the state during the 1930s - the heart of the Great Depression.

If the Jeffrey Epstein scandal interests you, here's the link to our previous episode with Julie Brown, the Miami Herald investigative journalist who would not let the story die, even after Epstein initially got away with it.

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Residents in Crystal River are worried about a sand mine disrupting their drinking water and springs.

The smalltooth sawfish is one of the most unusual looking animals in the animal kingdom. Tonya Wiley has been studying the species for more than 25 years, most recently with her Havenworth Coastal Conservation organization. Tonya joins us to discuss this endangered species, how it has hung on in Florida while being wiped out elsewhere, and the latest threat to its survival.

If you see a sawfish, call 844-472-9347 (1-844-4SAWFISH).

"Welcome to Florida" patrons receive exclusive access to our weekly Florida Conservation Newsletter for only $5 per month.

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Folks in the Panhandle are upset about a scheme to swap 200 acres of National Forest land to build a county recreation area.

Our guest this episode is Patrick Manteiga, second generation owner, publisher, and columnist at the Tampa-based La Gaceta newspaper. La Gaceta is the state's - and the nation's - only trilingual newspaper.

Filling in for Chadd Scott his episode is Florida author, podcaster, and newspaper publisher Cathy Salustri.

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The local Audubon Society chapter and residents in Sarasota took on the country's largest homebuilder - and WON!

Florida was an essential training and support location for military operations during World War II. Anthony D. Atwood is a military historian who authored "State of War: A History of World War II in Florida." He joins us to discuss how Florida shaped the War and how the War shaped Florida.

For only $5 per month, you can support "Welcome to Florida" by becoming a monthly patron. Patrons receive exclusive access to our weekly Florida Conservation Newsletter.

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Former unelected shadow president and super-villain Elon Musk wants to close public beaches and pollute an estuary near Cape Kennedy on the Space Coast so he can play astronaut.

Pulitzer Prize winning author Gilbert King is back on the show to talk about his latest book, and podcast, both focused on an outrageous miscarriage of justice in Lakeland: "Bone Valley: A True Story of Injustice and Redemption in the Heart of Florida."

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It's Halloween and "Welcome to Florida's" favorite spooky co-host, Cathy Salustri, is back, filling in for Chadd Scott. Cathy is a Halloween FANATIC and author of "It Came from Florida: The Best of Florida's Worst B-Movies."

Cathy hosts her own Florida podcast, "The Florida Spectacular."

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Fort Mose roughly 1 mile north of St. Augustine has the distinction of being the first free Black settlement in what is now America. Despite that august history, the site remains little known inside or outside of Florida. 

Kathleen Deagan and Jane Landers have spent the last 40-plus years attempting to uncover and promote the history at Fort Mose. Their book, "Fort Mose: Colonial America's Black Fortress of Freedom," combines history and archaeology to provide as accurate an account of the Fort as exists.

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Lake Okeechobee is the most polluted lake in the United States as a result of the governor's inaction on cleaning up the state's water.

Jonathan Dickinson only spent about a year in Florida, stranded here after a shipwreck on his way to Philadelphia from Jamaica, but his name lives on with the Jonathan Dickinson State Park in Martin County. Joining us to detail Dickinson's life and time in Florida is Jason Daniels, editor of "Jonathan Dickinson's Journal or God's Protecting Providence, an Early American Castaway Narrative."

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A scam of epic proportions has been perpetrated by the governor upon the people of Florida. Land conservation used an excuse to pay off political bribes.

Robert Rauschenberg is arguably the most influential American artist of the 20th century. He moved from New York to Captiva Island in 1970 and would spend the rest of his life there, more than 30 years. 2025 is the centennial of Rauschenberg's birth year with celebrations being held around the world. 

 Jade Dellinger is Director at the Bob Rauschenberg Gallery at Florida Southwestern State College in Fort Myers and joins us to discuss the artist's time in Florida.

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In little Arcadia in southwest Florida in the 1980s, two tragedies became national news: the exoneration of a Black father wrongfully convicted in 1968 for the death of his seven children, and three little white boys being ostracized from the community after contracting the AIDS virus through blood transfusions. 

Jason Vuic grew up in nearby Ponta Gorda and remembers following these events closely as they unfolded. He dug back into the stories, and the story of Arcadia, in his newly released book for fall of 2025, "A Town Without Pity: AIDS, Race, and Resistance in Florida's Deep South."

If the James Richardson portion of this episode interests you, be sure to visit our Florida Black History YouTube channel with all of our previous shows about Black History in Florida.

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