National Parks Traveler Episode 138: The Florida Wildlife Corridor

Exploring the Florida Wildlife Corridor

Federal wildlife officials announced this past week that 22 animals and one plant should be declared extinct and removed from the endangered species list.  Though searched for and sought after for years, many of these species, some experts say, were probably already extinct or extremely close to extinction when the Endangered Species Act was passed in 1973.  And though it’s too late to save the 11 birds, eight freshwater mussels, two fish and one bat now classified as extinct, much work is being done to save other species on the very brink, including the Florida Panther. 

Key to the survival of the panther and many other threatened species is the designation of wildlife corridors.  This week the Traveler’s Lynn Riddick talks to Tori Linder of the Path of the Panther Project. That organization’s work has contributed to widespread efforts that have formalized the Florida Wildlife Corridor, a large and growing mosaic of protected forests and timberlands, swamps, pastures, and orchards that provide the green spaces that animals need to thrive.

:02 National Parks Traveler introduction
:12 Episode introduction with Kurt Repanshek
1:10 Shee Beg Shee Mor - Nature’s Symphony - The Sounds of Acadia
1:31 Washington’s National Park Fund
2:05 The Potrero Group
2:33 Friends of Acadia
2:59 North Cascades Institute
3:23 Lynn Riddick discusses the Florida Wildlife Corridor with Tori Linder from the Path of the Panther Project.
12:53 Flamingo - Tim Heintz - The Sounds of the Everglades
13:03 Western National Parks Association
13:24 Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation
13:46 Nova Scotia Tourism
14:17 Grand Teton National Park Foundation
14:46 Yosemite Conservancy
15:09 Interior Federal Credit Union
15:47 Lynn and Tori's discussion of the Florida Wildlife Corridor continues.
30:59 Caribbean Song - Tim Heintz - The Sounds of the Everglades
31:58 Episode Closing
32:45 Orange Tree Productions
33:17 Splitbeard Productions
33:28 National Parks Traveler footer

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National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 376 | ESA's Future

Since this past December here at the Traveler we’ve been bringing you a series of stories on the Endangered Species Act and the threatened and endangered species it’s intended to keep from going extinct.

For me, it’s been an eye-opening series because of what our editors and writers have learned about threatened and endangered species — from birds to trees and even to grasses — and the work being done to help them recover. It’s certainly not an easy task, and one that often takes decades before you can see progress.

May 31st, 2026 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 375 | Rethinking Public Lands Stewardship

Public lands stewardship has most definitely changed under the second presidential administration of Donald Trump. Land-management agencies such as the National Park Service, U.S. Forest Service, and Bureau of Land Management have lost thousands of employees, and Interior Secretary Doug Burgum is on a mission to turn the country’s public lands into a cash cow of sorts.

May 24th, 2026 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 374 | Cook Inlet's Beluga Whales

A fast-track proposal to develop a gold mine near Alaska’s Cook Inlet and Lake Clark National Park and Preserve is alarming scientists, environmental groups and local communities because of the devastating effects it is expected to have on the region’s critically endangered beluga whales.

May 17th, 2026 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 373 | Southern Campaign of the American Revolution

America’s 250th birthday is coming up this summer, festivities will be held all over the country, and history buffs will be delving into the various nooks and crannies of the National Park System to see where they can visit sites of Revolutionary War battles.

Don't overlook South Carolina and its three park sites that preserve Revolutionary War battlefields – Kings Mountain National Military Park, Cowpens National Battlefield, and Ninety-Six National Historic Site. 

May 10th, 2026 Read More

National Parks Traveler Podcast Episode 372 | Print Ain’t Dead

We’re living in somewhat tumultuous times in the print media industry. Well-familiar titles are either disappearing, shrinking drastically, or shifting over to the internet. On top of that, the advent of Artificial Intelligence has some readers wondering how much human effort and talent went into the piece they're reading.

May 3rd, 2026 Read More

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