Thanks to the generosity of Virtual Business Services, the 2021 Florida Python Challenge now has a $10,000 Ultimate Grand Prize! The award will be presented to the participant who removes the most pythons as part of the competition. Virtual Business Services offers free business development services for businesses of all
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Environmental Advocacy Through Art
Artist Geoffrey C. Smith is a sculptor, painter, and photographer who grew up in northern California surrounded by the art of nature. He fished for salmon in the Pacific Ocean, hunted ducks in San Pablo Bay, and constantly kept an eye peeled for the wildlife surrounding him. He also learned the nature
A Unique Home for Tampa Bay Birds
By: Kyle Grammatica Chris Cooley’s job is for the birds, literally! As the Director of Environmental Affairs for Port Tampa Bay, Cooley works to ensure the port and its tenants do not harm the Bay’s ecosystem, with a special focus on protecting migratory birds and their nesting habitat. With Cooley’s
Florida Gators Study Florida Crocodiles
By: Kyle Grammatica A recent study by the University of Florida examined how Florida’s crocodiles have responded to changes in the Everglades ecosystem over the last 40 years. American crocodiles, and their relatives, American alligators, are keystone species that reflect the health of the entire ecosystem. “Crocodiles may look burly
Shark GPS?
By: Kyle Grammatica Thanks to research from Florida State University, we now know more about how sharks navigate our oceans. Biologists exposed bonnethead sharks to magnetic conditions that simulated locations hundreds of miles south from where they were caught. The sharks responded to these conditions by swimming north in an
Funding the Next Generation of Florida Conservationists
By: Kyle Grammatica Youth from Columbia County, Florida are getting involved in wildlife conservation thanks to a $4,500 grant from the Foundation. To foster the exploration of Florida’s wetlands, the grant helped establish a Suwannee River Ducks Unlimited Youth Chapter and a wood duck breeding program. As part of the
Investigating Florida’s Warming Waters
By: Kyle Grammatica A team of Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) researchers have been investigating the reef communities found on hard-bottom ledges in the Gulf of Mexico thanks to a grant from the Foundation. These ledges were once the ancient limestone shorelines of Florida. Now, they are vertical
We Have Some Big News
By: Kyle Grammatica We are thrilled to share our redesigned Conserve Wildlife license plate with you! The plate, affectionately called the “bear plate,” has generated over $9,500,000 for conservation since 2000. With the new design, we hope to fund even more innovative projects! Defenders of Wildlife was instrumental in the
Living with Alligators
By: Kyle Grammatica Alligators have inhabited Florida's marshes, swamps, rivers, and lakes for many centuries, and are found in all 67 counties. As Florida’s population has grown, so has the desire for waterfront homes and water-related activities. All result in more frequent interactions between humans and alligators, and increase the