Welcome to Florida

The most dangerous time of the year in Florida is whenever the state legislature is meeting. More proof of this came recently with a bomb tossed into years of careful planning for Everglades restoration by the Senate president who is bought and paid for by Big Sugar. Craig Pittman explains. 

Our guest this week is Jack Davis who joined the show about a year ago to discuss his Pulitzer Prize winning book about the Gulf of Mexico. Look through the archives for that one which is a favorite. His new book discusses the successful efforts to restore the bald eagle population to North America and the critical role Florida played in this project. "The Bald Eagle: The Improbable Journey of America's Bird" is available everywhere for purchase.

This week's episode begins with the disturbing news that the United States Fish and Wildlife Service has marked a Florida panther for death or capture after the complaint of one rancher.

Our guest is Sam Carr, president of the Bartram Society of Florida. William Bartram was a British naturalist who explored northeast Florida, and much of what became the southeastern United States, in the late 1700s. The Bartram Society of Florida is working to establish "Bartram Trails" throughout the state and region to interpret and protect sites Bartram visited. Much of the group's work has been focused in Putnam County around Palatka.

This week's episode is sponsored by Visit Sarasota. Start planning your next weekend getaway or family vacation by checking out all the wonderful things to do at VisitSarasota.com.

The humanitarians in the Florida legislature are again providing more relief to the state's struggling and needy developers - sarcasm intended - now seeking to make it easier for developers to displace gopher tortoises. That's where we begin this week's show. Search the "Welcome to Florida" for an entire episode devoted to gopher tortoise.

Our guest is Peggy Bulger, author of "Stetson Kennedy: Applied Folklore and Cultural Advocacy," a biography of one of Florida's most interesting, if little known, characters. His obituary shares stories of a life fully lived.

Mentioned in the show: Billy Bragg and Wilco's cover of the Woody Guthrie song about Stetson Kennedy.

Beluthahatchee Park.

Braver Angels.

This week's episode begins with threats to Florida's most famous and mysterious flower, the ghost orchid. 

Our guest is Berlynna Heres, statewide coordinator for the Florida Horseshoe Crab Watch. We learn all about this prehistoric creature and its essential role to human health during this conversation. If you'd like to volunteer with the Florida Horseshoe Crab Watch, click here.

"Welcome to Florida" is presented by Visit Sarasota and on this episode we discuss just a couple of the more popular beaches you can visit throughout Sarasota County. Check them out online and start making plans to visit at VisitSarasota.com. 

Disaster was predicted when the Florida Department of Environmental Protection was given oversight of wetland development permits in state, taking that responsibility from the federal Environmental Protection Agency. Disaster has occurred. That's where we begin this week's episode.

Our guest is Matthew Frick, curator at the St. Augustine Pirate and Treasure Museum. Matthew is a pirate historian who tells us all about piracy off the coast of Florida, with an emphasis on St. Augustine.

This week's show is sponsored by the James Museum of Western and Wildlife Art in St. Petersburg which hosts the special exhibition "Away from Home: American Indian Boarding School Stories" through March 16 and by Visit Sarasota.

Manatees in Florida are dying in record numbers from starvation due to a decrease in the seagrass beds on which they feed. Republicans in the state legislature want to make it easier for developers to destroy those beds. That's where we begin the show.

This week's guest is Florida wildflower expert Craig Huegel. In this episode we mention:

Craig Huegel's wildflower books which you can find here.

Craig Huegel's wildflower blog.

Criag Huegel's landscaping blog.

Florida Wildflower Cooperative.

Florida Wildflower Foundation.

Florida Association of Native Nurseries.

Florida Native Plant Society.

Florida friendly wildlife habitat certification for homeowners.

"Welcome to Florida" is presented by Visit Sarasota which features endless activities and attractions including the Circus Arts Conservatory.

We'd like to welcome a new sponsor to the podcast, The James Museum of Western and Wildlife Art in St. Petersburg which presents the special exhibition "Away from Home: American Indian Boarding School Stories" from January 28 through March 16, 2022.

This week's episode begins with a multi-hundred million dollar theft committed by the Florida state legislature.

Our guest is recently retired director of the Florida State Parks Eric Draper. Craig Pittman recently featured Draper in his Florida Phoenix column and the threat climate change presents the parks. We discuss our favorite parks, other challenges facing the system and how the parks are funded.

If you're interested in helping out at a state park in your area, there are numerous "friends" groups you can contact. The Florida State Parks Foundation is another citizen-run organization dedicated to helping the parks.

Exciting news for "Welcome to Florida" as the James Museum of Western and Wildlife Art in St. Petersburg will be coming on as a sponsor this year. Additional thanks go out to Indian River County which hosted Chadd Scott on his first visit to the area last week. Check back through the archives for our Spring of 2021 Indian River County BONUS episode.

This week's episode begins with a chilling disaster from Florida's environmental history and hopes for long overdue resolution.

Our guest is John Capouya, author of "Florida Soul: From Ray Charles to KC and the Sunshine Band." Florida has a surprisingly robust history of Soul Music which we discuss.

"Welcome to Florida" is presented by Visit Sarasota. For Soul Music in Sarasota, check out the calendar of events at the Van Wezel performing arts hall.

Congratulations to Sarasota County's Siesta Key which has been named the #1 beach in the United States for 2021 by TravelAwaits.com. 

This week's episode begins with a hippo, and Craig's recent column on the outgoing head of Florida's State Parks. 

Our guest is Jack Coffey who leads the tours and educational programming for Florida Southern College's Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor Center in Lakeland. How did the famed architect end up in Central Florida? Let's find out.

This week's episode begins with our annual holiday tradition: Craig Pittman's favorite wacky headlines from the year gone by across Florida.

Our guest this week is dolphin researcher Randy Wells who works for the Chicago Zoological Society out of offices in Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota. Randy has been studying dolphins in and around Sarasota for over 50 years! Craig and Randy go way back as he has written about Randy's work previously.

"Welcome to Florida" is presented by Visit Sarasota. For ecotours and dolphin watching out on Sarasota Bay, head to visitsarasota.com and check out the "sports and outdoors" section under "things to do." Here you'll find information about eco-tours, outdoor adventure, wildlife viewing and all of the wonderful outdoor activities available to visitors in the area.