Florida Uncut

Long before the Florida Wildlife Corridor became a statewide movement, it began as a scientific question: How do we conserve wildlife in one of the fastest-growing states in America?
In this episode, Mason and Zach sit down with two of the most influential conservation scientists in Florida history, Dr. Thomas Hoctor and Dr. Reed Noss, to explore the origins, evolution, and future of the Florida Wildlife Corridor. 
Together, they trace the roots of corridor science from the emerging fields of conservation biology and landscape ecology in the 1970s and 1980s to the development of the Florida Ecological Greenways Network (FEGN), the scientific foundation of today's Florida Wildlife Corridor. The conversation examines how ideas from island biogeography, regional planning, road ecology, and wildlife connectivity shaped a vision that ultimately influenced conservation efforts far beyond Florida.
Tom and Reed discuss the mentors, thinkers, and movements that inspired their work, including Larry Harris, and the emergence of conservation biology as a discipline. They also reflect on how Florida's approach to large landscape conservation helped inspire connectivity initiatives around the world, from Yellowstone to Yukon to wildlife corridor efforts in Bhutan and beyond.
The episode also celebrates the release of their new book, Regional Landscape Conservation Planning: Wildlife, Connectivity, and the Florida Model, which chronicles decades of science, planning, policy, and partnerships that helped shape one of North America's most ambitious conservation networks. The book explores how Florida combined scientific research, land acquisition programs, growth planning, and public engagement to create a model for regional conservation in the 21st century.
Whether you're a conservation professional, student, landowner, or simply someone who cares about the future of wild Florida, this episode offers a rare opportunity to hear directly from two of the architects behind the science that continues to guide conservation across the state.
Dr. Thomas Hoctor
Director of the Center for Landscape Conservation Planning at the University of Florida, architect of the Florida Ecological Greenways Network, and co-founder of the Florida Wildlife Corridor. Tom has spent decades developing spatial conservation planning tools that guide land protection efforts throughout Florida.
Dr. Reed Noss
One of the world's leading conservation biologists and a pioneer in landscape-scale conservation. Reed's research on habitat fragmentation, biodiversity conservation, and ecological connectivity helped establish many of the scientific principles that underpin modern wildlife corridor planning.
Buy their new book!
Regional Landscape Conservation Planning: Wildlife, Connectivity, and the Florida Model

Resources mentioned in the episode:
The History of Florida Wildlife Corridor Science and Planning Efforts
The Fragmented Forest by Larry Harris
Benton MacKaye's 1921 proposal for the Appalachian Trail
Richard Forman's foundational work in landscape ecology
Michael Soulé and the emergence of conservation biology
Orlando Sentinel story about wildlife Corridors - 1984
1000 Friends of Florida Greenways Program
Yellowstone to Yukon Conservation Initiative
EPA’s National Ecological Framework
Bhutan Biological Corridors Program
California Essential Habitat Connectivity Project
Forgotten Grasslands of the South: Natural History and Conservation by Reed Noss & E.O. Wilson

Today Zach and Mason are joined by Kailyn Lawson, the Community Conservation Manager at the Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation, to discuss co-managing the recent Longleaf to Lighthouse Expedition. 
We dive into Kailyn’s background and focus before hearing more about the expedition and what’s next with the documentary film. 
Resources mentioned during the episode: 
https://floridapress.org/9781683406549/regional-landscape-conservation-planning/
https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/0cdea7371c874357a9307ac8ea701568
https://www.usf.edu/pcgs/academics/global-sustainability/climate-mitigation-and-adaptation.aspx
https://floridawildlifecorridor.org/films/

Thomas is a passionate wildlife conservation professional with more than 30 years of research, management, and leadership experience. He spent his childhood playing soccer and exploring the outdoors around the suburbs of Northern Virginia before earning his B.S. in Forestry and Wildlife at Virginia Tech. He later completed both his M.S. in Fisheries and Wildlife Science and his Ph.D. in Ecology from the University of Tennessee.
After completing his thesis and dissertation work focused on black bear population dynamics in the Southeastern United States, Thomas came to Florida in 1999 to serve as the Statewide Bear Biologist for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). Over nearly 25 years with the agency, he advanced through leadership roles, ultimately serving as Director of the Division of Habitat and Species Conservation and later as Assistant Executive Director.
Following his retirement from state government, Thomas continued his conservation work through new ventures, most recently serving as the Senior Director of Conservation for the Live Wildly Foundation. Throughout his career, he has taken a strategic approach to conservation centered on long-term outcomes. He helped envision and lead the development of Florida’s Wildlife Action Plan, played an instrumental role in creating Landscape Conservation Cooperatives in Florida, and helped establish the Southeast Conservation Adaptation Strategy (SECAS), where he served on the Executive Steering Committee for many years, among numerous other initiatives, committees, and boards, including currently serving on the Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation Board.
Thomas also serves as Board President for Unity Eastside Church in Tallahassee, where we recorded this conversation, and more importantly, where he met and married his wife, Angel.
Together, Thomas and Angel enjoy tinkering in the yard at their certified monarch butterfly waystation, hiking, camping, kayaking, and raising their daughter, Lakshmi, to love the outdoors.

Melissa Hill is a Senior Project Manager for Trust for Public Land (TPL) focused on expanding the Florida Wildlife Corridor, connecting vital acreage of the Florida National Scenic Trail and protecting the special spaces that connect Floridians to the outdoors. Her work is centered on conserving land for public access by working directly with landowners and partner agencies to secure necessary funding and close complex real estate transactions. 
Prior to joining TPL, Melissa spent three years at the National Wildlife Federation’s (NWF) Gulf Program addressing resilience issues, habitat protection, and water quality needs along Florida’s Gulf Coast. She received her master’s degree in Ecology from the University of Florida while researching opportunities for nature-based solutions at the intersection of private property rights and nesting sea turtles. Based in Tallahassee with her husband, she is a mediocre birder, enthusiastically bad at drumming, and deeply smitten with her favorite state.  
Learn more about the projects and work of Melissa and TPL below:
Shoal River Headwaters State Park - Our Work in FL
Florida - Our Work in Florida: Trust for Public Land
Home | Florida National Scenic Trail | Forest Service
Land Conservation and Open Space Referenda Map - North Florida Land Trust
This episode was hosted and edited by Zach Franco.

Today Mason is joined by Zach Franco to talk about some of the upcoming changes to Florida Uncut and discuss how they keep a positive and hopeful outlook while working in conservation.
Also, if you want to hear Zach and Mason’s adventure paddling the Suwannee River, go listen to that episode from October here.