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Tag: Florida wildlife

  • Live Wildly Teams Up With Discovery Channel’s Misty Wells to Explore the Sights, Sounds and Unique Species of the Florida Keys

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    Watch the Discovery Channel’s “Let’s Take It Outside” program this Sunday, Oct. 26, and discover what makes Florida wild


    SAINT AUGUSTINE, Fla., October 23, 2025 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Live Wildly – the Florida non-profit working to help people fall in love with nature – will be featured in the upcoming episode of the Discovery Channel’s “Let’s Take It Outside” program, starring angler and outdoor enthusiast Misty Wells.

    The episode will air at 5:30 a.m. Sunday, Oct. 26, on the Discovery Channel, and viewers will get the chance to meet two of Live Wildly’s dedicated team members – Senior Director of Conservation Dr. Thomas Eason and Events Producer Michelle Yepez – as they boat across the Florida Keys, catch lobster and discuss what makes Florida’s lands and waters so special. It is also available to watch on demand starting Oct. 26 on Discovery GO and shortly thereafter on Discovery Plus.

    “What a blast to explore Florida’s natural areas with Misty Wells,” said Eason. “We not only got the chance to see the amazing and diverse species that call Florida home, but we experienced firsthand why Florida is known as one of the greatest outdoor recreational spots in the world.”

    Live Wildly is the official sponsor of the sixth season of “Let’s Take It Outside.” Live Wildly’s work to protect Florida’s lands and waters will be highlighted throughout the season, and viewers will be invited to “Join the Movement” to explore, connect with and protect wild Florida.

    “Partnering with the Live Wildly Foundation and its mission is the perfect partnership as we share the same goal to keep Florida wild,” said Wells. “Given the growth and development pressures in Florida, every acre saved for Florida’s future is a win. I am proud to be part of the Live Wildly team and future.”

    Along with hosting “Let’s Take It Outside,” Wells also is a Live Wildly Outdoor Adventurist and will be working with Live Wildly to encourage people to get outside and connect with nature.

    “Misty’s passion for Florida’s lands and waters makes her the ideal ambassador for this movement to protect nature, bringing new audiences into the fold and inspiring them to care about conservation,” said Live Wildly’s CEO Lisa Shipley. “People protect what they love, and working together, we are helping people fall in love with nature.”

    Live Wildly’s mission is the long-term protection of Florida’s lands and waters, starting with a permanently conserved Florida Wildlife Corridor. The Corridor, established in 2021, is an 18-million-acre network of lands and waters stretching from the Everglades to the Panhandle. It not only provides habitat for almost 2,000 different species – including the iconic Florida panther, manatees, and the Gopher tortoise – but also supports more than 100,000 jobs and generates $30 billion in annual revenue through recreation, tourism, agriculture and other industries.

    To learn more, visit www.LiveWildly.com

    Source: Live Wildly Foundation

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  • Music Fans Raise Over $160,000 to Protect Florida Lands and Wildlife

    Music Fans Raise Over $160,000 to Protect Florida Lands and Wildlife

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    Live Wildly Inspires Floridians to Protect the Places They Love at Sing Out Loud Festival


    TAMPA, Fla., October 3, 2024 (Newswire.com)
    –
    Live Wildly Foundation, in partnership with Sing Out Loud Festival, and with the help of over 27,000 music fans, raised over $160,000 last weekend for land conservation across St. Johns County, FL.  

    The funding was raised through a portion of ticket sales from Sing Out Loud Festival’s Live Wildly Showcase, a two-day music concert held Sept. 21-22 in historic downtown St. Augustine, FL.

    The funds raised from ticket sales will be distributed evenly between the City of St. Augustine’s Conservation Program and St. Johns County’s Land Acquisition Management Program. Funds are specifically earmarked for the purchase of conserved lands within St. Johns County. 

    Along with enjoying music from headliners Noah Kahan, Eric Church, Norah Jones, Ryan Bingham, JJ Grey & Mofro, and others, festival attendees had the opportunity to explore Live Wildly’s immersive showcase tent that surrounded concertgoers with the sights and sounds of wild Florida. 

    Nearly 1,500 concertgoers signed Live Wildly’s “Join the Movement” pledge to be a guardian of Florida’s wild soul. For every pledge signed, Live Wildly is donating $1 toward land and water conservation. Since the pledge launched on May 1st, 11,377 people have signed, including musician and NE Florida native JJ Grey, who encouraged his fanbase to “join the movement to protect wild Florida.” 

    “Florida holds a special place in my heart, and I am deeply passionate about protecting its wild spaces for future generations,” Grey stated on social media. “Through this partnership with Live Wildly, I am honored to join forces with like-minded individuals and organizations to ensure that our state’s natural heritage remains intact in the face of rapid growth and development.” 

    “It was amazing to tap into the passion and energy of music lovers, to help them learn more about wild Florida, and to inspire them to take action to save it,” said Lisa Shipley, Live Wildly’s CEO. “Music and nature are so compatible. They feed our souls and inspire us to see ourselves within a bigger picture. The more you immerse yourself in them, the more you love them and understand how important they are in your daily life.” 

    Live Wildly’s partnership with Sing Out Loud Festival is part of the non-profit’s ongoing work to engage communities and support on-the-ground conservation action. 

    “There are hundreds of music festivals, but only one that pairs a stellar lineup with the message of protecting Florida’s natural lands,” said Gabe Pellicer, CEO & President of SJC Cultural Events, Inc., the 501c3 organization behind Sing Out Loud Festival. “Hosting more than 25,000 music fans while raising awareness and funds for land conservation in our community is what makes Sing Out Loud Festival truly unique. It’s a testament to the power of live music. I’m still beaming from the incredible sense of unity we felt, and we’re truly honored to be a part of it.” 

    Live Wildly’s first priority is ensuring the ongoing protection of the Florida Wildlife Corridor, an 18-million-acre network of connected lands and waters stretching from the Everglades to the Panhandle. Created in 2021, the Florida Wildlife Corridor is the nation’s largest statewide conservation effort of its kind, providing habitat for almost 2,000 different species including the iconic Florida panther, manatees, and the Gopher tortoise. The Corridor’s lands and waters also support more than 100,000 jobs and contribute $30 billion in annual revenue to the state through recreation, tourism, agriculture, forestry, and other industries. But only about half of the Corridor is currently under legal protection, leaving the rest open to threats of subdivision or unsustainable development. 

    “Thriving communities and economies go hand-in-hand with healthy lands and waters,” said Shipley. “People protect the places they love. That’s why Live Wildly is dedicated to helping people fall in love with the wild places around them.” 

    Over the past year, Live Wildly has partnered with such organizations as the Florida State Parks Foundation, Florida Bicycle Association, and the Florida Trails Association to organize events that drive people outside, connect them to nature, and inspire them to take action to save it. 

    In addition to Sing Out Loud’s Live Wildly Showcase, Live Wildly partnered with Flagler College students on a river cleanup along the San Sebastian River and hosted a screening and panel discussion of the award-winning film Path of the Panther at Ringhaver Student Center at Flagler College. 

    Elsewhere in St. Augustine, Live Wildly sponsored the creation of a massive outdoor mural painted by local artist Brook Page in St. Augustine Beach that will feature species from the Florida Wildlife Corridor. 

    ABOUT SING OUT LOUD FESTIVAL 

    Sing Out Loud Festival is the annual, epic celebration of live music in historic St. Augustine, Florida. Since 2016, Sing Out Loud has featured more than 1,400 national, regional, and local musicians, and welcomed more than 300,000 live music enthusiasts. The festival features ticketed concerts, free local artist showcases, artist development workshops, and specialty programming like the St. Augustine Songwriters Festival, and more. Entering its 8th year, Sing Out Loud Festival’s marquee weekend was the two-day Live Wildly Showcase at Francis Field on Sept. 21 and 22. For more information, please visit www.singoutloudfestival.com.  

    ABOUT LIVE WILDLY FOUNDATION 

    Founded in 2022, the Live Wildly Foundation applies an entrepreneurial approach to protecting wild Florida while seeking to balance smart growth, a robust economy, and a connected, resilient landscape. Through creating diverse coalitions, fostering collaboration, and empowering stakeholders to advance conservation efforts, Live Wildly strives to achieve a harmonious and sustainable future in which economic prosperity coexists with a thriving and resilient ecological landscape. Their first priority is the Florida Wildlife Corridor. This 18-million-acre wildlife superhighway is a model for public-private partnership, citizen advocacy, and grassroots support. Live Wildly encourages people to ‘Join the Movement’ to protect wild Florida. For more information, please visit www.livewildly.com.  

    Source: Live Wildly Foundation

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  • Federal judge refuses to toss lawsuit alleging Florida failed to prevent sewage dumps that led to manatee deaths

    Federal judge refuses to toss lawsuit alleging Florida failed to prevent sewage dumps that led to manatee deaths

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    A federal judge this week refused to dismiss a lawsuit alleging that Florida has violated the Endangered Species Act because of sewage discharges into the Indian River Lagoon that have helped lead to manatee deaths.

    U.S. District Judge Carlos Mendoza issued a 30-page ruling that rejected a motion by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to toss out the lawsuit filed in 2022 by the environmental group Bear Warriors United.

    Bear Warriors United contends that the department has not adequately regulated sewage-treatment plants and septic systems, leading to discharges that killed seagrass — a vital food source for manatees — in a northern stretch of the Indian River Lagoon. Manatees have died in recent years because of starvation.

    The state raised a series of arguments in seeking dismissal, including that Bear Warriors United did not have legal standing to pursue the case. But Mendoza wrote, for example, that the group is seeking a series of steps to curb manatee deaths and that he can “easily conclude that if this court were to find in favor of plaintiff, it is likely that fewer protected manatees would be harmed by pollutive sewage.”

    “FDEP (the department) is responsible for regulating, permitting, and revoking (septic systems) and wastewater treatment facilities,” Mendoza wrote. “FDEP has designed and implemented remediation plans to address the nutrient pollution problem in the North IRL (Indian River Lagoon). The (lawsuit) alleged that FDEP’s ongoing failure to use its authority to regulate the sewage more efficiently continues to harm manatees, and thus constitutes an unlawful taking. Therefore, plaintiff has met its causation requirement for standing purposes because its alleged injury is fairly traceable to defendant’s action or inaction.”

    The ruling does not resolve the underlying issues in the lawsuit. Bear Warriors United and the state in June filed competing motions for summary judgment. If Mendoza grants summary judgment to either side, it would short-circuit the need for a trial.

    In its motion for summary judgment, Bear Warriors United said the department “has known for decades that the septic tanks and wastewater plants it authorizes release human nitrogen” that causes such problems as algae blooms in the lagoon.

    “DEP thus authorizes the destruction of the lagoon’s ability to sustain seagrass and other macroalgae which are essential food sources for the manatees’ survival,” the group’s attorneys wrote. “As such, DEP’s regulatory regime for septic tanks and wastewater plants directly and indirectly results in the ongoing unlawful ‘take’ of manatees, in violation of (a section of the Endangered Species Act), and this court must issue an injunction requiring compliance with the ESA (Endangered Species Act) to prevent further take of manatees.”

    But in the department’s motion for summary judgment, attorneys wrote that the state has taken steps in recent years to try to reduce discharges into the lagoon and disputed that it has violated the Endangered Species Act. The motion said the department’s “actions are not the proximate cause of any harm” to manatees, which are classified as a threatened species.

    “The record shows that DEP has not authorized or entitled any party to cause a violation of water quality standards,” the state’s motion said. “It has, instead, worked diligently to restore an impaired water. There is no proximate cause. DEP is entitled to judgment as a matter of law because with no dispute of material fact, it has not violated the ESA.”

    The lawsuit involves part of the Indian River Lagoon from the Melbourne Causeway in Brevard County to Turnbull Creek in southern Volusia County.

    Florida had a record 1,100 manatee deaths in 2021, with the largest number, 358, in Brevard County, the focus of the lawsuit.

    The state had 800 manatee deaths in 2022, before the number dropped to 555 in 2023, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission data. As of last week, the state had totaled 451 manatee deaths this year, with the most, 76, in Brevard County.

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    Jim Saunders, News Service of Florida

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