We enjoy every episode of "Welcome to Florida," but enjoyed this one more than most. This story takes us to Fort George Island about midway between Jacksonville and Amelia Island by the St. John's River and Atlantic Ocean. This is the location of Kingsley Plantation, named for its owner Zephaniah Kingsley . His, however, is not the most interesting story to be told there, that story belongs to Anna Madgigine Jai . To learn more about Jai, Craig recommends the book "Anna Madgi...
Nov 14, 2023•49 min•Ep 178•Transcript available on Metacast Was it simple incompetence or something more sinister which cost Florida the chance to receive millions of dollars in federal funding to apply toward residential solar power. Our guest this week is Rebecca Renner who's new book "Gator Country: Deception, Danger, and Alligators in the Everglades" tells the story of an undercover Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission sting to catch gator poachers . Rebecca will be featured in this year's Miami Book Fair . Thanks to ...
Nov 07, 2023•33 min•Ep 177•Transcript available on Metacast Manatees in Florida could be placed back on the Endangered Species List . One of the greatest miscarriages of justice in America occurred in Port St. Joe, Florida in the case of Freddie Lee Pitts and Wilbert Lee . The two Black men were convicted of a double homicide despite no physical evidence, no credible eyewitness, confessions forced via police torture, and a subsequent confession shortly after from the actual murderer. The pair were eventually pardoned after serving 12 years. Spearheading ...
Oct 31, 2023•47 min•Ep 176•Transcript available on Metacast Valerie Vande Panne fills in again for Chadd Scott on this episode and she and Craig start off by discussing his latest Flamingo magazine article about airboats. Find Valerie and follow her work on her Substack page . This episode's guest is William McKeen, author of "Mile Marker Zero: The Moveable Feast of Key West," which details the cultural, anti-establishment peak of the city in the 1970s which featured an upstart musician, Jimmy Buffett. "Welcome to Florida," as al...
Oct 24, 2023•42 min•Ep 175•Transcript available on Metacast Valerie Vande Panne filled in for Chadd Scott on this episode of "Welcome to Florida." She and Craig began by discussing his latest Florida Phoenix column on airboats . Keep up with Valerie on Substack . This episode's guest is Craig Allen, author of "Univision, Telemundo, and the Rise of Spanish-Language Television in the United States." Both networks were headquartered mere miles from each other in Miami for decades. "Welcome to Florida," as always, is presen...
Oct 17, 2023•44 min•Ep 174•Transcript available on Metacast Why reinstituting a bear hunt , which failed ignominiously in 2015, is not the solution for increased human-bear interaction in Florida. In this episode we discuss the ghost orchid with longtime Fakahatchee Strand Preserve park biologist Mike Owen . "Welcome to Florida," as always, is presented by Windstorm Products and windstormproducts.com the No. 1 online retailer of hurricane hardware....
Oct 10, 2023•48 min•Ep 173•Transcript available on Metacast Ron DeSantis wants MORE fossil fuels and fewer regulations on fossil fuel companies. The Florida Museum of Natural History on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville possesses one of the largest, most comprehensive and finest collections natural history in the world. Heather Dewar's gorgeous coffee table book, "All Things Beautiful: Wonders from the Collections of the Florida Museum of Natural History" celebrates the collections and shares the museum's history....
Oct 03, 2023•43 min•Ep 172•Transcript available on Metacast This episode begins by remembering a legend in Florida journalism . Had a development for the Big Bend area of Florida been proposed in recent years, it would have been approved, and the recent hurricane damage there would have been much worse. Our guest is Paul George from the History Miami Museum who tells us all about the founder of Miami Beach, Carl Fisher . The biography Craig mentioned is "Castles in the Sand" and the documentary we mentioned is "Mr. Miami Beach." Here&...
Sep 26, 2023•37 min•Ep 171•Transcript available on Metacast A closed meeting in Israel resulted in Ron DeSantis allowing a foreign company to disperse its supposed miracle cure for blue green algae in waters across the state without the product previously being tested for potential negative environmental or human health effects. Our guests this episode are Vickie Oldham, president and CEO of the Sarasota African American Cultural Coalition and founder of the Newtown Alive trolley tours in Sarasota , and Brenda Watty, a member of the Marvelettes Motown gr...
Sep 19, 2023•36 min•Ep 170•Transcript available on Metacast This episode begins by paying our respects to Jimmy Buffett and his conservation work in Florida. Our guest is Florida Keys historian Brad Bertelli who tells us all about conch, the gastropod, conchs, the people, and the Conch Republic, better known as the Florida Keys. His Florida Keys history Facebook group is a wonderful resource and community for lovers of the Keys. "Welcome to Florida" is presented by WindstormProducts.com , the world's largest online retailer of hurricane ha...
Sep 12, 2023•40 min•Ep 169•Transcript available on Metacast Jacksonville used to stink. Literally. Bad. That was a result of paper mills. What turned Jacksonville around serves as a model for how the state can solve its toxic algae bloom crisis. The Castillo de San Marcos is one of the top tourist attractions in St. Augustine. The Spanish fort at one time served an important military purpose for Spain's colonial ambitions in North America. Our guest for this episode is a historian and researcher specializing in the Colonial period in the Southeast a...
Sep 05, 2023•39 min•Ep 168•Transcript available on Metacast We begin this episode with county commissioners in Manatee County favoring sprawl over wetlands. Our guest is University of Florida professor of insect systematics and taxonomy and firefly researcher Marc Branham who tells us all about these fascinating insects. "Welcome to Florida" is presented by Windstorm Products the leading online retailer of hurricane hardware at www.windstormproducts.com . Protect your home or business from the effects of hurricane wind damage with Windstorm Pro...
Aug 29, 2023•43 min•Ep 167•Transcript available on Metacast While the world burns and Florida scorches as a result of global warming driven by carbon emissions, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection is working to prevent fossil fuel power plants from having to clean up their act . Former "Welcome to Florida" guest Diane Roberts wrote a wonderful column for the Florida Phoenix recently titled, "GOP Death Cult is holding Earth hostage to White Privilege." Roberts' article serves as a wonderful combination punch in conj...
Aug 22, 2023•46 min•Ep 166•Transcript available on Metacast This week's episode begins with Florida's connection to the Endangered Species Act . Our guest is Josh Liller, historian and collections manager at the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse . Josh edited the Florida Lighthouse Trail book and is a member of the Florida Lighthouse Association , which you can join as well. We discuss the history of lighthouses and lighthouse keepers in Florida. Thanks for Windstorm Products for helping sponsor "Welcome to Florida." Use Windstorm Products hel...
Aug 15, 2023•39 min•Ep 165•Transcript available on Metacast We begin our episode with a Florida location we've not discussed previously: Alva . Our guest is JB Miller , a Mennonite who grew up in Pinecraft next to Sarasota in the 60s and 70s. A community of Mennonite and Amish farmers started coming to the area to farm in the 1930s and has persisted ever since. No longer farming, tourism is now the top draw. "Welcome to Florida" is presented by WindstormProducts.com , a Florida company and the world's largest online retailer of hurric...
Aug 08, 2023•35 min•Ep 164•Transcript available on Metacast We begin with a follow-up to last week's episode in which we talked to legendary Florida conservationist Jack Rudloe. Our guest this episode is author and historian Robert Bucellatto whose book "Rumrunners and Moonshiners of Old Florida" recalls the Prohibition era in Florida. If you'd like to personally support the production of "Welcome to Florida," you can do so by visiting patreon.com/welcometoflorida and for as little as $5 per month receive access to exclusive...
Aug 01, 2023•40 min•Ep 163•Transcript available on Metacast What is "environmental racism?" It goes on all over Florida (BIG SUGAR). Craig Pittman explains. Jack Rudloe has been observing marine life on the Gulf of Mexico around Panacea, FL since the 1950s. He's an author . An environmental activist . And founder of the Gulf Specimen Marine Laboratory. We mention Jack's abuse at the hands of law enforcement; here's more information regarding local efforts to protect Wakulla Springs from development. Thank you PATRONS! For as litt...
Jul 25, 2023•53 min•Ep 162•Transcript available on Metacast Not only is climate change adversely impacting those of us on land, it's warming waters around Florida taking a toll on marine life. Our guest this episode is Kevin Sheilley, president and CEO of the Ocala Metro Chamber and Economic Partnership. Ocala is "the Horse Capitol of the World." Kevin explains how the city earned that moniker, when Florida became a horse destination, and we discuss the jewel in Ocala's horse crown, the World Equestrian Center . World Equestrian Cente...
Jul 18, 2023•40 min•Ep 161•Transcript available on Metacast This week's episode begins with a look at the series of disastrous bills signed into law by Ron DeSantis that will imperil Florida's environment for decades to come, if not forever. Our guest this week is author Michael Tougias whose book "Above & Beyond: John F. Kennedy and America's Most Dangerous Cold War Spy Mission" centers around the Cuban Missile Crisis. His most recent book, "Extreme Survival," shares lessons learned from individuals who survived th...
Jul 11, 2023•38 min•Ep 160•Transcript available on Metacast We begin today's show with some shady developer dealings in Captiva . Florida is as well-known as a haven for retirees as anything. Helping people make that transition is the American Association of Retired Persons - AARP. Jeff Johnson is the state director for AARP Florida and he joins us to discuss AARP's work in Florida. Thanks again to Windstorm Products for supporting the podcast. Windstorm Products is a small Florida company that has grown into the largest online retailer of hurr...
Jul 04, 2023•43 min•Ep 159•Transcript available on Metacast We have hit the 3rd anniversary of the "Welcome to Florida" podcast and we want to thank you for listening. If you'd like to take your support of the show further, you can do so by becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/welcometoflorida . For as little as $5 a month you'll help us continue producing the show and have access to exclusive bonus episodes. Our guest this week is Laura Goodhue, executive director of the Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates. We discuss t...
Jun 27, 2023•38 min•Ep 158•Transcript available on Metacast What's weird? A Florida city council suing its citizens over the topic of clean water. Eliot Kleinberg is the father of "weird Florida." In 1998, he published "Weird Florida," a compilation of Florida oddities which would eventually spawn the weird Florida and Florida man genres. Eliot joins us this week, his second appearance on the show . Thank you "Welcome to Florida" patrons! Another exclusive bonus episode of the show will be coming your way soon. If you&a...
Jun 20, 2023•38 min•Ep 157•Transcript available on Metacast "What the f*uck happened here!?!" If you're a nature lover in Florida, chances are you've said - or screamed - these words upon discovering a beloved tree or beach or meadow destroyed without warning by your city or county, a developer or a resident. We begin the episode exploring "what the f*uck happened here" in Port St. Lucie. Our guest is writer John Birdsall who joins us to discuss one-time America's sweetheart and Florida orange juice spokeswoman turned a...
Jun 13, 2023•44 min•Ep 156•Transcript available on Metacast You can't tell the story of Florida without the story of Hurricane Andrew. That's what we're doing on this episode with the help of longtime University of Miami professor, Hurricane Andrew survivor, and author of "In the Eye of Hurricane Andrew," Eugene Provenzo. "Welcome to Florida" is presented by Windstorm Products , a Florida small business and the world's No. 1 online retailer of hurricane hardware products....
Jun 06, 2023•50 min•Ep 155•Transcript available on Metacast We start the episode discussing the "Path of the Panther" documentary which you can see now on Disney+. Our guests are authors Anders and Beverly Gyllenhaal whose book "A Wing and a Prayer: The Race to Save our Vanishing Birds" takes special interest in the Florida Seaside Sparrow. Follow the Gyllenhaal's on their blog, flyinglessons.us . On this episode, we mentioned White Oak Conservation in Yulee , Project Principalis and the Ivory Billed woodpecker and the Recovering...
May 30, 2023•53 min•Ep 154•Transcript available on Metacast At "Welcome to Florida" we love celebrating Florida's ecology and wild animals as well as educating and introducing people to the same. That is much the same mission as the Florida Master Naturalist program . If you love this podcast, chances are, you'd be interested in taking one or more of their courses. Jeanne Murphy from Sensing Nature ecotours in Pinellas County is a long time Florida Master Naturalist instructor and tells us all about the program. Thank you to everyone ...
May 23, 2023•40 min•Ep 153•Transcript available on Metacast Lawn "care" giant TruGreen used its bought and paid for Florida legislators to sneak through a provision in the state budget forbidding cities and counties from regulating the use of fertilizer in summer months, fertilizer often spread by TruGreen, fertilizer which contains phosphorous and leads to blue-green algae blooms and the poisoning of Florida's water. Our guest this week is Roben Farzad, Miami native and author of "Hotel Scarface: Where Cocaine Cowboys Partied and Plo...
May 16, 2023•43 min•Ep 152•Transcript available on Metacast Another episode, another example of trouble with the water in Florida . Our guest is Florida native, author, historian and professor Sara McNamara whose recently published book, "Ybor City: Crucible of the Latina South," details how the enclave of Cuban migrants evolved through the years and how it is distinguished from Cuban communities in Miami. If this subject interests you, previous episodes on early Cuban exiles to Miami and the Columbia Restaurant will be worth your while. Thank ...
May 09, 2023•51 min•Ep 151•Transcript available on Metacast This week's episode takes us back to 1998 when wildfires ravaged Florida . Our guest is Florida State professor, journalist, author and 8th generation Tallahassee resident Diane Roberts. Her book, "Dream State: Eight Generations of Swamp Lawyers, Conquistadors, Confederate Daughters and other Wildlife" details her family's history across the backdrop of the state capital. She is also the author of a book about college football based on her experience as a lifelong Seminole fa...
May 02, 2023•41 min•Ep 150•Transcript available on Metacast The state's elected officials continue ignoring the causes of climate change to the peril of everyone living in Florida. This week's episode focuses on oysters and a new documentary from a pair of native Floridians about the collapse of oyster reefs globally, Apalachicola Bay in particular. We mentioned the Chiles Hospitality Group's conservation efforts including its oyster shell reuse program. Oyster Brewing Company in Apalachicola, FL....
Apr 25, 2023•38 min•Ep 149•Transcript available on Metacast 
