Through the voices of farmers, fishermen, ranchers and conservationists, this film offers a glimpse into one of America’s most unique and promising conservation opportunities: the Florida Wildlife Corridor.
National Geographic

2021

Produced by Wildpath and National Geographic’s Impact Story Lab, “Saving the Florida Wildlife Corridor” is a short documentary that takes viewers on a visual road trip across the state to meet the Floridians whose livelihoods depend on a healthy, connected ecosystem. This is a view of Florida seldom brought to the screen: one in which the survival of people and nature is no longer a mutually exclusive idea.

Release Date

2021

Directed By

Danny Schmidt

In Partnership With

National Geographic

Related Landscapes

Location

Florida, USA

Project Goal

The film aimed to educate Florida lawmakers and help inspire the protection of the Florida Wildlife Corridor.

Project Outcome

In addition to a public screening of the film in Tampa, it was shared directly with policymakers: In Tallahassee, special screenings were held for the Florida Legislature on an IMAX screen, and an abbreviated version of the film was shared in legislative committees. In addition, Wildpath provided framed photographs to state lawmakers representing scenes from the Florida Wildlife Corridor closest to their district. These actions collectively helped support unanimous bipartisan support for the passage of the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act in 2021.

Screened directly for Florida Legislature

Helped contribute to unanimous bipartisan passage of Florida Wildlife Corridor Act

Aired statewide on PBS

Watch The Film

Resources

National Geographic Explorer Carlton Ward Jr. to Receive 2026 Eliza Scidmore Award for Outstanding Storytelling​​​​‌‍​‍​‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌​‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‍​‍​‍​‍​​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‌​​‍‌‌‍​‌‍‌‌​​‍‍‌‍‍‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‍‌‍​‌‌‍​‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌​‍‌‍​‌‌​​‌‍‍​‌‍‍‌‌‍​​‍‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​​‍‌‍‌‌‍‌‍‌​‌‍‌‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‌​​‌‌‍​‌‌‍​‌‌‍‌‌​‌‌​‌‍​​‌​‍​​‍‌​​‌‌‍‌‍​‍‌‌‍​‌​‍‌​‌​​​‌​‍‌​‌‌​‍‌‌‍​‌‌‍‌​​​‍‌‍‌‍​‍‌​‌​‍‌‌‍​‌​‍​​​​​​​‌‌‍​‍​​‍‌‍​‍‌‍​‍‌‍​‌​‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌​​‌‍‌‌​‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‍​‌‌​‍‌‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍​‌‍​‌‍‌‌​‍‌​​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍​​‌‌‍‍​‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‌‍‌​‌‍​‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌​‌‍​‍‌‍​‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‌‌‌‌​‍‌‍​​‌‌‍‍​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‍‌‌​​‌​​‌​‍‌‌​​‍‌​‌‍​‍‌‌​​‍‌​‌‍‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‌​​‍‌‌‍​‌‍‌‌​​‍‍‌‍‍‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‍‍‌‍​‌‌‍​‌‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌​‍‌‍​‌‌​​‌‍‍​‌‍‍‌‌‍​​‍‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌​​‌​​‌‌‍​‌‌‍​‌‌‍‌‌​‌‌​‌‍​​‌​‍​​‍‌​​‌‌‍‌‍​‍‌‌‍​‌​‍‌​‌​​​‌​‍‌​‌‌​‍‌‌‍​‌‌‍‌​​​‍‌‍‌‍​‍‌​‌​‍‌‌‍​‌​‍​​​​​​​‌‌‍​‍​​‍‌‍​‍‌‍​‍‌‍​‌​‍‌‍‌‌​‌‍‌‌​​‌‍‌‌​‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌‌‌‌​‌‌‌‍​‌‌​‍‌‌​‌‍‍‌‌‍​‌‍​‌‍‌‌​‍‌‍‌​​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍​​‌‌‍‍​‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‌‍‌​‌‍​‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‌‍‌‌​‍‌‍‌​​‌‍‌‌‌​‍‌​‌​​‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌‌‌‍​‍‌‍​‌‍‍‌‌​‌‍‍​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​​‍​‍‌‌

Waters of Renewal: Betty Osceola’s Quest for a Restored Everglades Ecosystem

Betty Osceola in front of one of her favorite tree islands, chest deep in the Everglades. Photographed by Carlton Ward Jr.

Connecting the Florida Wildlife Corridor

The quest to protect the Florida wildlife corridor gains ground

Breaking Down the Florida Wildlife Corridor