Florida Uncut

Meredith is the Deputy Director of the Live Wildly Foundation, where she applies an entrepreneurial approach to conservation while seeking to balance smart growth, a robust economy, and connected, resilient landscapes. As the organization’s senior strategist, Meredith engages with federal, state, and local governments, institutions, and the nonprofit and private sectors to build and maintain strategic relationships and identify opportunities to deepen Live Wildly's impact.
Her passion for environmental conservation grew from a lifelong curiosity about the natural world. From the lush landscapes of Central and South America to the island nations of the South Pacific, Meredith spent nearly five years after college exploring natural wonders around the world. Upon moving back to Florida in 2012, she dedicated her career to protecting wildlife and the lands they call home. She has more than a decade of experience in the environmental field and brings expertise in imperiled species policy, habitat conservation planning, and wildlife conflict resolution.
Meredith also serves as Board President of the Friends of the Florida Panther Refuge and Audubon Western Everglades. Prior to joining Live Wildly, she worked as the Regional Policy Director with the Florida Wildlife Federation and as an Environmental Policy Specialist with the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. She enjoys spending time with her two dogs, Miss Luci and Mr. Pickles.
In this episode, we cover a lot of topics:
The value of travel
Human wildlife coexistence
Working with a diverse group of stakeholders in conservation
Local land conservation efforts
Current statewide policy issues affecting conservation and local communities
What an ‘entrepreneurial approach to conservation’ means
The relationship between a robust economy and resilient landscapes
The role that voters, local and state elected officials, and private investors play in Florida conservation

Resources mentioned:
Live Wildly: Balancing Economy and Ecology in Florida 
Water and wildlife corridors | Archbold Biological Station 
Climate and wildlife corridors | Archbold Biological Station 
Community Conservation ~ Greenprinting - North Florida Land Trust 
Land Conservation and Open Space Referenda Map - North Florida Land Trust 
Nancy Payton Preserve – Florida Hikes 

This episode was hosted and edited by Zach Franco.

For nearly 40 years, David Price dedicated his career to one of Florida's most treasured places. On his final day as president of Bok Tower Gardens, Mason and David walked the grounds and sat for an in-depth conversion of a reflection on a lifetime of conservation, leadership, and stewardship.
From the globally significant Lake Wales Ridge to the iconic Singing Tower, this conversation explores the legacy of a place, the evolution of conservation in Florida, and the enduring value of beauty in an increasingly busy world.
David joined Bok Tower Gardens in 1986 as Director of Horticulture for 20 years, and went on to serve nearly 20 years as president. During his tenure, the gardens expanded from 125 acres to more than 760 acres, doubled attendance, and strengthened their role as both a cultural destination and a conservation leader in Florida.
David shares the stories behind the growth of Bok Tower, the challenges of leading a beloved institution, and the lessons he's learned from spending four decades caring for one extraordinary landscape. We also discuss why the Lake Wales Ridge is one of North America's most important ecosystems, how conservation has changed over the past 40 years, and what gives him hope for the future of wild Florida.
This episode is a conversation about legacy, long-term stewardship, including being a founding member of Green Horizon Land Trust which has conserved over 7,000 acres. If you haven’t, please plan to visit the beautiful gardens and iconic singing Bok Tower soon.
boktowergardens.org
greenhorizon.org

Conservationist, underwater cinematographer, and impact producer Tessa Skiles has been immersed in conservation since childhood, first appearing in her father Wes Skiles' films before building her own career at the intersection of storytelling and environmental advocacy. In this conversation, Tessa shares her journey from growing up in Florida's springs to producing iconic films that inspire love and action around groundwater, land conservation, and our deep connection to wild Florida.
The conversation goes beyond filmmaking as Tessa opens up about transforming a deeply personal story into an impact documentary, one rooted in loss, legacy, healing, and the interconnectedness of land and water. She also offers insight of the feature documentary currently in development and discusses the importance of building partnerships and bringing diverse perspectives together to scale the message of land-to-water connectivity far beyond Florida.
Listeners will also hear about Tessa's involvement in the Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation's upcoming expedition film as a guide and her role in a forthcoming documentary series exploring the Southeastern United States. More to come on those films this fall!
This is one of our most personal conversations to date. We're grateful to Tessa for her openness and willingness to share experiences that are both deeply vulnerable and profoundly hopeful. 

About Tessa
Tessa Skiles is a conservationist, underwater photographer, cinematographer, and impact producer whose work reveals the beauty and vulnerability of groundwater and freshwater ecosystems. Her film credits include American Amazon (PBS Nature), The Fellowship of the Springs, Protect Our Paradise, and Day Zero. Beyond filmmaking, she develops educational programs and impact campaigns that connect communities to conservation through compelling, science-based storytelling.
Tessa is also the daughter of the late Wes Skiles, a legendary cave diver, filmmaker, and conservation pioneer whose work helped protect Florida's springs and whose legacy continues through the conservation movement today.
Learn more about Tessa, her films, and Karst Productions in the links below:
See 8-year-old Tessa advocating for Florida springs protection: here
www.karstproductions.com
FB: facebook.com/tessa.skiles
Instagram:.instagram.com/tessa.skiles

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/