This week's episode begins with a success in the battle of conservation vs. development in Florida and a blueprint for how to do the same in your area . Our guest this week is Raquel V. Reyes, author of the Miami-based cozy mystery "Mango, Mambo and Murder (A Caribbean Kitchen Mystery)." We talk to Raquel about the popularity of the "cozy" genre, how her writing is shaking up the genre, and what she loves most about Miami. This week's episode of "Welcome to Flo...
Mar 08, 2022•46 min•Ep 89•Transcript available on Metacast The most dangerous time of the year in Florida is whenever the state legislature is meeting. More proof of this came recently with a bomb tossed into years of careful planning for Everglades restoration by the Senate president who is bought and paid for by Big Sugar. Craig Pittman explains. Our guest this week is Jack Davis who joined the show about a year ago to discuss his Pulitzer Prize winning book about the Gulf of Mexico. Look through the archives for that one which is a favorite. His new ...
Mar 01, 2022•42 min•Ep 88•Transcript available on Metacast This week's episode begins with the disturbing news that the United States Fish and Wildlife Service has marked a Florida panther for death or capture after the complaint of one rancher. Our guest is Sam Carr, president of the Bartram Society of Florida . William Bartram was a British naturalist who explored northeast Florida, and much of what became the southeastern United States, in the late 1700s. The Bartram Society of Florida is working to establish "Bartram Trails" throughou...
Feb 22, 2022•44 min•Ep 87•Transcript available on Metacast The humanitarians in the Florida legislature are again providing more relief to the state's struggling and needy developers - sarcasm intended - now seeking to make it easier for developers to displace gopher tortoises. That's where we begin this week's show. Search the "Welcome to Florida" for an entire episode devoted to gopher tortoise. Our guest is Peggy Bulger, author of "Stetson Kennedy: Applied Folklore and Cultural Advocacy," a biography of one of Flori...
Feb 15, 2022•58 min•Ep 86•Transcript available on Metacast This week's episode begins with threats to Florida's most famous and mysterious flower, the ghost orchid. Our guest is Berlynna Heres, statewide coordinator for the Florida Horseshoe Crab Watch. We learn all about this prehistoric creature and its essential role to human health during this conversation. If you'd like to volunteer with the Florida Horseshoe Crab Watch, click here. "Welcome to Florida" is presented by Visit Sarasota and on this episode we discuss just a co...
Feb 08, 2022•37 min•Ep 85•Transcript available on Metacast Disaster was predicted when the Florida Department of Environmental Protection was given oversight of wetland development permits in state, taking that responsibility from the federal Environmental Protection Agency. Disaster has occurred . That's where we begin this week's episode. Our guest is Matthew Frick, curator at the St. Augustine Pirate and Treasure Museum . Matthew is a pirate historian who tells us all about piracy off the coast of Florida, with an emphasis on St. Augustine....
Feb 01, 2022•56 min•Ep 84•Transcript available on Metacast Manatees in Florida are dying in record numbers from starvation due to a decrease in the seagrass beds on which they feed. Republicans in the state legislature want to make it easier for developers to destroy those beds . That's where we begin the show. This week's guest is Florida wildflower expert Craig Huegel. In this episode we mention: Craig Huegel's wildflower books which you can find here. Craig Huegel's wildflower blog . Criag Huegel's landscaping blog . Florida ...
Jan 25, 2022•58 min•Ep 83•Transcript available on Metacast This week's episode begins with a multi-hundred million dollar theft committed by the Florida state legislature . Our guest is recently retired director of the Florida State Parks Eric Draper. Craig Pittman recently featured Draper in his Florida Phoenix column and the threat climate change presents the parks. We discuss our favorite parks, other challenges facing the system and how the parks are funded. If you're interested in helping out at a state park in your area, there are numero...
Jan 18, 2022•52 min•Ep 82•Transcript available on Metacast This week's episode begins with a chilling disaster from Florida's environmental history and hopes for long overdue resolution. Our guest is John Capouya, author of "Florida Soul: From Ray Charles to KC and the Sunshine Band." Florida has a surprisingly robust history of Soul Music which we discuss. "Welcome to Florida" is presented by Visit Sarasota . For Soul Music in Sarasota, check out the calendar of events at the Van Wezel performing arts hall . Congratulation...
Jan 11, 2022•44 min•Ep 81•Transcript available on Metacast This week's episode begins with a hippo, and Craig's recent column on the outgoing head of Florida's State Parks. Our guest is Jack Coffey who leads the tours and educational programming for Florida Southern College's Frank Lloyd Wright Visitor Center in Lakeland. How did the famed architect end up in Central Florida? Let's find out. Made in Spain Whether you’re an expat chasing the dream, a traveller inspired by European elegance... Listen on: Apple Podcasts Spot...
Jan 04, 2022•41 min•Ep 80•Transcript available on Metacast This week's episode begins with our annual holiday tradition: Craig Pittman's favorite wacky headlines from the year gone by across Florida. Our guest this week is dolphin researcher Randy Wells who works for the Chicago Zoological Society out of offices in Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota . Randy has been studying dolphins in and around Sarasota for over 50 years! Craig and Randy go way back as he has written about Randy's work previously. "Welcome to Florida" is pres...
Dec 28, 2021•44 min•Ep 79•Transcript available on Metacast This week's episode begins with foolishness from the governor in the state's efforts to combat climate change where he's more concerned about "left wing stuff." Our guest this week is Erin Thursby, author of "Florida Oranges: A Colorful History." From the Spanish colonizers through the Harriet Beecher Stowe, the Ku Klux Klan, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Bing Crosby and citrus greening, we discuss the enormous impact oranges have had on Florida....
Dec 21, 2021•50 min•Ep 78•Transcript available on Metacast This week's episode begins with Craig Pittman telling us how the CIA took over Sanibel Island! Our guest this week is Pamela Marsh, executive director of the First Amendment Foundation in Tallahassee, a non-profit group working to secure and enforce open government in the state of Florida. Our topic this week is the state's Sunshine Law which requires official government meetings be open to the public. In the episode, we mention a story from Madeira Beach you can read more about here ,...
Dec 14, 2021•52 min•Ep 77•Transcript available on Metacast This week's episode begins with discussion on a potentially unprecedented effort to sustain manatee populations through Florida's winter months. Our guest is civil rights activist Desmond Meade. Meade spearheaded the effort to restore voting rights to felons in Florida, an effort which resulted in the passage of Amendment 4 in 2018, restoring voting rights to some 1.5 million Florida residents. Meade is the author of "Let My People Vote: My Battle to Restore the Civil Rights of Re...
Dec 07, 2021•37 min•Ep 76•Transcript available on Metacast Nate Sweetman from VisitSarasota.com rejoins us to discuss the top winter and holiday events and activities to enjoy in Sarasota County. We discussed: St. Armond's Circle Van Wezel Performing Arts Hall Selby Gardens The Ringling The Celery Fields MLB Spring Training Sarasota's architectural history Sarasota Trolly Tours...
Nov 30, 2021•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast If you thought the "Roads to Ruin" were dead, think again. This week's episode begins with Craig's fabulous column from the Florida Phoenix which alerts us to how the Florida Department of Transportation, at the behest of developers and the road construction industry, wants to force another unwanted, unneeded, expensive turnpike extension in north Florida. As background to this story, an explanation of how roads can be racist . This week's guest is Scott Satterwhite, aut...
Nov 23, 2021•53 min•Ep 75•Transcript available on Metacast This week's episode begins by discussing how Florida's lack of a clean energy plan is costing the state federal infrastructure dollars. Our guest is Dr. Jaret Daniels who leads the lepidoptera (butterfly and moth) research efforts at the University of Florida. Daniels' team can be found working at the world's most prestigious lepidoptera research facility in the world, the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity inside the Florida Museum of Natural History on the UF c...
Nov 16, 2021•59 min•Ep 74•Transcript available on Metacast This week's episode begins with a conversation about a state law little-known to the public that further stacks the deck against conservation and sustainable growth in Florida in favor of developers. Meet Bert Harris . Our guest this week is Florida author Tim Dorsey . Tim will soon have his 25th novel in a series of wacky crime thrillers about a Florida-obsessed serial killer, Serge A. Storms, that use outlandish humor to pass along tidbits about the state's history and culture. Tim w...
Nov 09, 2021•48 min•Ep 73•Transcript available on Metacast This week's episode begins with cowboy Craig telling us about a recent trip to a Florida ranch he took as well as introducing us to a new Florida acronym: earwig . This week's guest is part of the annual Miami Book Fair , author James Grippando whose written almost 30 novels, 17 of which focus on the adventures Miami criminal defense lawyer Jack Swyteck. Grippando is a practicing attorney and professor at the University of Miami. "Welcome to Florida" is presented by VisitSara...
Nov 02, 2021•41 min•Ep 72•Transcript available on Metacast This week's episode begins with some Florida myth-busting from Craig Pittman. Our guest is author and Miami Herald investigative reporter Julie Brown. Brown's book "Perversion of Justice: The Jeffrey Epstein Story" helped bring some measure of accountability to Palm Beach resident Jeffrey Epstein following his years' long, worldwide sex trafficking ring which saw him rape dozens of underage girls. Brown continues to report on the case and ongoing legal proceedings for th...
Oct 26, 2021•43 min•Ep 71•Transcript available on Metacast With Halloween around the corner, we begin with a truly scary story: Giant African Land Snails. Our guest this week is Richard Foglesong, author of the definitive history on Disney coming to Florida, "Married to the Mouse: Walt Disney World and Orlando." If Disney World isn't your particular cup of tea, how about Sarasota? With one of Florida's largest and oldest state parks, a pair of wonderful art museums, leading research facilities open to the public for botany and marine...
Oct 19, 2021•51 min•Ep 70•Transcript available on Metacast This week's episode begins with more reasons to support the removal of Kirkpatrick Dam and a return to a free-flowing Ocklawaha River. Time is running out for you to voice your opinion to the St. John's Water Management District in favor of removing the dam and supporting the river. The comment period closes October 22, 2021. CLICK THIS LINK TO SUPPORT THE RIVER . Our guest this week is Andrew Ross who's followed up his 1999 book about Celebration, Florida, "The Celebration C...
Oct 12, 2021•49 min•Ep 69•Transcript available on Metacast This week's episode begins with Craig taking us to South Florida where Ron DeSantis has contradicted himself on the subject of Everglades restoration. Our guest this week is Jennifer Carr, president of Florida Defenders of the Environment , and granddaughter of Marjorie Harris Carr and Archie Carr, two of Florida's greatest conservationists. Marjorie stopped the Cross Florida Barge Canal while Archie was a powerful advocate for sea turtles. Jennifer joins us to discuss the movement to ...
Oct 05, 2021•40 min•Ep 68•Transcript available on Metacast During this BONUS EPISODE of "Welcome to Florida" we learn all about the various activities available to visitors of Sarasota this fall from arts markets and eco-tours, to dining, art exhibitions and water sports. One of Florida's largest state parks, great apple pie, and the state's only Amish community welcome guests to Sarasota County for outdoor recreation, shopping, history, culture and more. You can learn about what Sarasota area has to offer by visiting its tourism web...
Sep 30, 2021•27 min•Transcript available on Metacast This week's episode begins with good news on the conservation front and increasing numbers of a once critically endangered Florida butterfly . Our guest this week is Tom Portuallo, founder and CEO of Iguana Control . Tom has spent more than a decade removing invasive iguana from South Florida homes and yards. The best action you can take for Florida today is raising your voice in support of removing the Kirkpatrick Dam and allowing the Ocklawaha River to again flow freely, restoring thousan...
Sep 28, 2021•40 min•Ep 67•Transcript available on Metacast This week's episode is devoted to Craig Pittman's new non-fiction book, "The State You're In: Florida Men, Florida Women, and other Wildlife." Joining Chadd Scott this week to talk to Craig about the book is environmental journalist and author of The Sound of the Sea: Seashells and the Fate of the Oceans . Also: Mirage; Blue Revolution; and Rain: A Natural and Cultural History, long-listed for the National Book Award . Cynthia was our guest on "Welcome to Florida&qu...
Sep 21, 2021•43 min•Ep 66•Transcript available on Metacast These week's episode begins with an update on efforts to save the Florida Reef - North America's only coral reef - and how the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has habitually damaged the resource. Our topic this week is sinkholes and we're joined by USF researcher Philip van Beynan to learn all about them....
Sep 14, 2021•33 min•Ep 65•Transcript available on Metacast This week's episode begins with a familiar topic: the dangers of phosphate mining in Florida. Our guest is gopher tortoise biologist George Heinrich . If you'd like to do more to support gopher tortoise, look into the Gopher Tortoise Council .
Sep 07, 2021•45 min•Ep 64•Transcript available on Metacast This week's episode begins with a recent conversation Craig had with a former Florida governor. Our guest is Dr. Kate Mansfield who runs the UCF Marine Turtle Research Group . We discuss the five species of sea turtles found nesting in Florida. In Florida, if you find a dead or stranded sea turtle, here's the number to call for the Fish and Wildlife Commission hotline: 1-888-404-FWCC (1-888-404-3922). Coastal Connections was the sea turtle experience group in Vero Beach we mentioned. Y...
Aug 31, 2021•50 min•Ep 63•Transcript available on Metacast This week's episode begins along the Tamiami Trail and a discussion of Craig's latest Florida Phoenix story . Our guest today is Holly Shaffer who's going to tell us all about the Thomas Edison and Henry Ford winter estates in Fort Myers.
Aug 24, 2021•34 min•Ep 62•Transcript available on Metacast 
