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
Public Lands Support American Families, Including Mine
When my wife and I adopted our son and daughter, it was not amusement parks that bonded us as a family in those early fragile days. It was public land—parks, … 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
The Nature of Fishing
One of the things I admire about the National Wildlife Federation (NWF) is their commitment to working with sportsmen’s groups to achieve their conservation goals. NWF recognizes, through programs like … 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
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
A Quest for the Elusive and the Common: Birding in Wild Florida
Birding is indeed a fascinating endeavor. One can simply observe birds in their backyard… or they can search to the ends of the Earth. Birders can range from almost deity-like … Read more
The Gulf, Grandparents, and Generational Bonds Woven In Nature
The older we get, the more our thoughts turn to family, tradition, and legacy. My oldest granddaughter turned four recently, and my younger granddaughter turned three. I am deeply and … Read more
Engaging the next generation in conservation: Florida’s Gulf Specimen Aquarium
When I was 18 years old, recently graduated from high school and moving to Tampa from my family home in Brooksville, Florida, on the southern Nature Coast, I was ready … Read more
Hidden Treasures of the Nature Coast
When ancient cartographers decided to avoid exploring and mapping places that looked particularly foreboding, they simply inscribed “Here be dragons” on the blank map. I imagine, many years ago, those … Read more
