Gulf Coast

You’ve Heard of Bigfoot… What About Florida’s Skunk Ape?

I yearn to believe that even as Florida’s population crests 23 million people there still might be pockets of wilderness, deep or remote enough, to provide habitat for creatures not … Read more

Shining a Light on Conservation (Not the Beach): How Coastal Communities are Working to Save Sea Turtles

Our DaRin Butz Foundation National Wildlife Federation internship provided the opportunity to learn directly about the effects of coastal light pollution and to see those impacts firsthand. While participating in … Read more

sunset water landscape

Connecting to Wild Florida and the Gulf in an Era of Climate Change

Florida has always been a land of profound changes. Seas have naturally risen and fallen over thousands of years, greatly expanding and contracting the peninsula.  A key difference now is … Read more

On the Anniversary of the Largest Oil Spill in U.S. History, Gulf Wildlife are Again at Risk

The Gulf Coast in the late spring and early summer of 2010 was unrecognizable. Oil slicks covered miles of open water, tar balls washed on to beaches (where they’d be … Read more

Happy Manatee Appreciation Day!

Manatees have always held a special place in my heart. My love for these mammals started when my elementary school teacher and I adopted one through Save the Manatee Club … Read more

90 Years of Giving Voice to Place and Speaking for Wildlife—Happy Birthday NWF!

As we celebrate the 90th anniversary of the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) and the Florida Wildlife Federation, I’m reflecting on these two occasions for celebration and reflection—two opportunities to observe … Read more

Let Us Rejoice in Rivers that Flow Through Us All

Rivers are sacred things, all the more important and sublime in a watery land like Florida. Rivers connect our present to our past, connect our swamps and wetlands to our … Read more

‘Tis the Season to Give the Gift of Nature

As the year draws to a close and as thoughts turn to the holidays, gifts are given in the spirit of love and connection. ‘Tis the season to give the … Read more

2025 Conservation Wins in the South

From black bears and bald eagles to blue crabs and manatees, the southern United States is home to a wide range of species and offers a rest stop to millions … Read more

NWF Acts to Stop the Silence of Extinction, So Should You

The Rev. Fred Morris, then the president of the Florida Council of Churches, once observed that losing a species to extinction was akin to “tearing a page from the Book … Read more