A Shoot for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

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Babcock-Webb WMA

For nearly a decade now, I have been a staff photographer for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, aka FWC. In the Public Access and Wildlife Viewing Office  we promote a wide range of recreational uses of our vast FWC-managed public lands throughout Florida. We want to get Floridians and visitors off their duffs and outdoors: hiking, wildlife viewing, paddling, fishing, enjoying photography, picnicking, studying nature, bicycling, horseback riding, camping, and hunting. Our Wildlife Management Areas and Wildlife and Environmental Areas are places that welcome visitors, but lots of people don't know about them.  But the animals do. These lands are managed for and used by wild turkeys, gopher tortoises, deer, and thousands of other animal species, not to mention the natural Florida flora.  So you may want to join the other critters out there at an FWC site near you, once you see what you're missing.  Find out about properties near you here: http://myfwc.com/

A month ago I made a loop around the state photographing a selection of areas where brochures, signs,  educational kiosks, and/or websites need updating.  What a great assignment, eh?  Here's a sampling of some of the sites I visited, as well as a few from other FWC shoots.

Let's start with Chassahowitzka WMA:

Then there is the jewel of Babcock-Webb WMA in Charlotte County.

Chinsegut Conservation Center and Big Pine Tract are not far from Brooksville.

Jones-Hungryland WEA is near Jupiter:

Guana River WMA is a gorgeous tract between St. Augustine and Jacksonville.

And back near my home, the Aucilla WMA.  This is only a tiny taste since I've written about it in other blogs, but I've included a couple shots from a family program at Goose Pasture.

So that's a sample of beautiful places that belong to all Floridians and managed by FWC.  So let's get off our duffs and get out into nature.   Ahhh... my next outing is this evening... a full moon rising at sunset.