Last month I had the incredible pleasure of not only attending the inaugural Lake Wales Ridge Fire Festival, but sitting down on stage with three leaders in local, state, and regional fire management efforts to learn more about what they do and why the role of fire is important to the story of protecting and connecting wild Florida.

It was a great day of learning, engaging, great food, and being with the conservation community in central Florida. I ended up bringing my whole family, who all had a wonderful time.

The panel included:

• Adam Peterson - Florida's Fire Manager for The Nature Conservancy
• Elysia Dytrych - Headwaters Ecosystem Management Team for Archbold Biological Station
• Joe Bruner - Wildland Fire Program Manager, Avon Park Air Force Range

I hope you enjoy this conversation! The audio quality will sound different as we recorded outside and in front of a live audience.

Thanks again, Zach Franco, and the Archbold Biological Station crew for the opportunity!

Check out the new film from Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation, Patchwork Wild.

In this episode of Florida Uncut, Mason sits down with Ryan Young, founder and Lead Explorer of Rising Tide Explorers, an ecotourism company based in Naples, FL.

Back in 2016 Ryan and his group of biologist friends (including his future wife, Jeannine) realized that there were no certification, education, training, or experience requirements needed to conduct ecotours in the entire state of Florida. This left eager travelers with no way of knowing if the guide they were following into the wilderness had any training, safety certifications, or real knowledge of this unique and complex ecosystem. Having dedicated their lives to exploring the outdoors and studying the ecology of the area, the group decided to leverage their unique backgrounds, connection to the local science community, and passion for science to raise the bar of the ecotourism industry in Southwest Florida.

In 2019, Friends of Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve partnered with Rising Tide Explorers to continue providing memorable and educational adventures in Rookery Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Proceeds support education, research and conservation.

In this chat we dig into the magic of where they guide tours in Rookery Bay, the importance of science-led tourism, and how RTE’s partnership with Friends of Rookery Bay helps fund real conservation research. It’s a conversation about curiosity, stewardship, and why getting people on the water might be one of the most powerful ways to protect the places we love.

In addition to founding RTE, and now owning Naples Outfitters, Ryan also served as the trekker guide for the 2024 Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation expedition and is the narration voice of the upcoming documentary Patchwork Wild, which will be screened at Rookery Bay Learning Center on December 2nd. Registration is limited!

Register for the December 2nd screening here.

Learn more about Ryan and team:

• Go on a Rising Tide adventure here: https://risingtidefl.com
• Learn more about Naples Outfitters: https://naplesoutfitters.com

Few names are as synonymous with wild Florida as Clyde Butcher. Known for his striking black and white large-format photography, Clyde has spent decades capturing the soul of Florida’s landscapes, from the ghostly cypress swamps of Big Cypress National Preserve to the vast wetlands of the Everglades. In this episode, I sit down with Clyde in Venice to talk about his story, beginning to end, and what it truly means to see Florida, not just look at it.

We spend quite a bit of time reflecting on his early years, his shift from architectural focus and sailing to Florida’s swamps, and how personal tragedy and rediscovery changed his relationship with the land and lens.

This conversation also explores how Clyde’s photography became a tool for conservation and education, the quiet stillness of the swamp, the changing face of Florida’s wild places, and the role of art in helping people reconnect with nature.

Whether you’ve stood in front of one of Clyde’s mural-sized prints or are just discovering his work, this episode is not only inspiration, but a reminder of why wild Florida is worth protecting and what we stand to lose if we don’t.

Links:

• Clyde Butcher Official Website
• Big Cypress Gallery
• Clyde Butcher’s Florida Gallery in Venice
• Follow Clyde Butcher on Instagram
• Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation

Join Us at the Lake Wales Ridge Fire Fest

If you’d like to learn more about prescribed fire and the experts that make them happen, join us at the Lake Wales Ridge Fire Fest on November 8th, from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM at Highlands Hammock State Park in Sebring, Florida. We’ll be hosting a live podcast recording and expert panel featuring Elysia and other leaders in fire ecology.

Learn more here: https://www.archbold-station.org/events/fire-fest-2025/