MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – Every Sunday afternoon, Wildlife Nation airs right here on Local 10 News.
Conservationist and host Jeff Corwin travels around the world reporting on the plight of our planet, working to protect endangered species and their habitats.
Well, for two months the spotlight will be on the Sunshine State.
Local 10 News’ Animal Advocate Jacey Birch got an exclusive interview with Corwin about the upcoming special season.
Riding on an airboat for an Everglades tour with the Miccosukee Tribe, hunting for pythons with scent specialist dogs, and rehabilitating injured owls are all South Florida staples that will be featured on week one of “Wildlife Nation: Expedition Florida.”
“This season ‘Wildlife Nation: Expedition Florida’ is dedicated to the wild wonders that you can only find from the Panhandle to the Florida Keys, from the sawgrass to the sea grass, and a big part of our story is the Everglades,” said Corwin.
Corwin is a rock star in the animal world, working tirelessly on countless shows over the years to save species and restore animal environments.
“We were collaring black bears, reintroducing Osceola turkeys, studying strange amphibians that I have waited my whole life to see, putting microchips in alligators and taking all this data to see how we protect this wild legacy for the next generation,” he said.
Working with the Miccosukee Tribe leaders, the goal is to understand that we are experiencing a massive loss of habitat due to over-development, our native species are being gobbled up by animals that are not supposed to be here while pollution and dumping is destroying our waterways and coral reefs.
“Florida is just the ultimate wild treasure of the United States, but we face so many incredible challenges,” said Corwin.
Challenges that need change, immediately.
We can no longer take for granted our ocean and bays being clean, when 97% of our coral reefs in Florida are now gone, and our beautiful swamps that used to be filled with furry animals have now suffered a 90% loss of those animals.
It’s devastating destruction that demands not only ground level adjustments by one person at a time, but also full transformations at a leadership level in protections for our beautiful southern state full of so much natural beauty.
“I think that sense of hope, pro-action and urgency will be the catalyst that maybe will wake us all up, because if we don’t figure it out today, there will be no wild Everglades for tomorrow,” Corwin said.
So what can you do? How do you help? Be aware of what you throw away, what products you use, and what chemicals are in your yard and home that will end up in our waterways.
Also write to your Florida politicians. We need laws and protections for the unique and special environment that is our backyard here in South Florida.
And remember, everyone wants to live here and visit here because of our beaches and our swamps, so it really is our responsibility to keep them clean.