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Imagine a contiguous chain of properties – public and
private – that together form a corridor reaching from the Everglades in South
Florida to the Okeefenokee National Wildlife Refuge in South Georgia. Now imagine this land to be forever protected for wildlife to be able to move freely along the
entire corridor. That was the vision of
photojournalist Carlton Ward Jr who began acting on it several years ago.
After making connections and promoting the idea (at least for consideration)
to many private landholders and ranchers, the corridor began to move from dream
to reality.
Today, Carlton -- along
with conservationist Mallory Dimmitt, bear
biologist, Joe Guthrie, and videographer, Elam Stoltzfus -- is two-thirds of the
way through an ambitious expedition – walking, paddling, and bicycling 1000
miles in 100 days, -- following what will hopefully become the Florida Forever Wildlife Corridor. Learn more at the link http://www.floridawildlifecorridor.org/.
I am one of a cadre
of photographers participating in the project by documenting parts of the
journey and photographing key properties along the way. My assigned property is the Kissimmee St
Johns River Connector a bit north of
Lake Okeechobee where I spent 3 days shooting earlier this month. Here are a few images from my
mini-expedition (including photos above).
Later that week, using coordinates forwarded to me by
Carlton, I drove further north in search of the expedition team. My phone gps led me onto a working cattle
ranch west of Melbourne, along a maze of private dirt roads, and through four gates before it
declared that I had arrived. Hmmm… I was
still in a cow pasture. I switched to
compass and chose additional (and deteriorating) roads that moved me closer to
Lake Winder where the group was supposed to be camping that night. Passing through one last primitive
barbed-wire gate and down a narrow lane bordering a wetland, I was thrilled
(astonished really) to see kayaks, tents, and trekkers under a big live oak
near the lake right in front of me. Here
are some photos I made while visiting with the expedition that afternoon and
the next morning.
Florida Wildlife Corridor Pathfinders: may your journey succeed in every way!
