Florida Wildlife Corridor
Stretching across nearly 18 million acres across, the Florida Wildlife Corridor is a connected network of public and private lands that supports wildlife movement, protects water resources, and sustains Florida’s natural and rural heritage. Anchored by iconic landscapes like Everglades National Park, Ocala National Forest, and working ranchlands in Central Florida, the Corridor provides essential habitat for endangered species including the Florida panther, black bear, and migratory birds. About 10 million acres are formally protected, while roughly 8 million acres remain unprotected, relying on private lands and conservation partnerships to maintain connectivity. These lands safeguard the headwaters of the Everglades, recharge aquifers that supply drinking water to millions of people and help reduce flooding and climate impacts. As development continues to fragment the state, protecting and reconnecting the Florida Wildlife Corridor is critical to ensuring that wildlife can move freely and that Florida’s ecosystems—and the communities that depend on them—can endure for generations.
The Project
In collaboration with Florida’s leading conservation organizations, the Florida Wildlife Corridor project was founded on Earth Day 2010 by Wildpath Founder Carlton Ward Jr. and Dr. Tom Hoctor, wildlife ecologist and director of the Center for Landscape and Conservation Planning at the University of Florida. Inspired by scientific research indicating that Florida black bears rely on a patchwork of public preserves and private farms and ranches in the Northern Everglades, the corridor aims to build a patchwork of protected public and private lands that are crucial for the survival of Florida’s iconic and declining wildlife.
Since the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act was passed in 2021, the state has invested over $2 billion in protecting over 317,000 acres across 84 properties, making the Florida Wildlife Corridor arguably the most ambitious landscape conservation plan of any U.S. state. For the latest on progress protecting the corridor, check out our media toolkits.
Media Toolkits
June 2026 Media Toolkit
February 2026 Media Toolkit
December 2025 Media Toolkit
September 2025 Media Toolkit
June 2025 Media Toolkit
March 2025 Media Toolkit
December 2024 Media Toolkit
June 2024 Media Toolkit
March 2024 Media Toolkit
December 2023 Media Toolkit
September 2023 Media Toolkit
March 2023 Media Toolkit
May 2023 Media Toolkit
January 2023 Media Toolkit
August 2022 Media Toolkit
March 2022 Media Toolkit