Welcome to Florida
Chadd Scott
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Best selling author, award winning reporter and Florida native Craig Pittman is joined by radio personality and Florida transplant Chadd Scott to discuss the state's history, people, politics, environment, animals, current events and weirdness. You'll hear great storytelling and have great fun in each weekly episode.
Available episodes
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3 days ago
Episode 145: North Atlantic Right Whales
Runaway, reckless development in Florida not only threatens the state's beautiful land, but its sky as well.
Our guest is Julie Albert, right whale conservation program coordinator for the Marine Resources Council.
To volunteer for whale watching, contact the Marine Resources Council above, or the Blue World Research Institute here.
Information on the Right Whale Festival in Fernandina Beach, each November.
If you'd like to support "Welcome to Florida" through our Patreon page, you can do so here.
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Mar 21, 2023
Episode 144: The Daytona Beach Mastodon
A state legislator wants to take away the ability to manage water quality from local governments and give it to the state because the current law disadvantaged his nephew. Seriously.
Our guest this episode is Zach Zacharias, history curator at the Museum of Arts and Sciences in Daytona Beach. He recalls for us the story of the discovery of The Daytona Beach Mastodon. Journey with us to Ice Age Florida.
This episode of "Welcome to Florida" is brought to you by Windstorm Products. Visit windstormproducts.com to protect your home or business from hurricane wind damage.
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Mar 14, 2023
Episode 143: Martin Luther King Jr. in St. Augustine
Martin Luther King Jr.'s time in St. Augustine, and St. Augustine's central place in the Civil Rights Movement, are among the most important and least discussed aspects of Florida history and civil rights history. There are obvious and surprising reasons for that.
Flagler College history professor and civil rights author Michael Butler helps us understand what happened in St. Augustine during 1963 and 1964 and its critical role in the Civil Rights Movement. Follow Michael on Twitter @dr_mbutler.
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Mar 7, 2023
Episode 142: The Beatles in Florida (1964)
Advocates for Florida Springs had to take the state Department of Environmental Protection to court for the terrible job its been doing protecting the state's drinking water from polluters.
This week's guest Bob Kealing has joined us before to talk about Tupperware and Elvis. His latest book, "Good Day Sunshine State: How the Beatles Rocked Florida" takes us back to 1964 and the group's monumental visit to Florida and its various intersections with history.
Chadd Scott's latest "My Favorite Florida" columns include Ron Jon Surf Shop and Pelican Island National Wildlife Refuge.
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Feb 28, 2023
Episode 141: Nikki Fried
Florida's State Attorney General is a villainous political hatchet queen.
As Agriculture Commissioner, Nikki Fried was the last Democrat elected to a statewide office in Florida. We discuss the role of the state Agriculture Department from concealed carry firearm permits to state forests, invasive species, gasoline and Big Sugar.
Fried was elected on February 25, 2023, as chair of the state Democratic Party.
Thanks to Marie Selby Botanical Gardens in Sarasota for hosting Chadd Scott to record this episode of the podcast.
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Feb 21, 2023
Episode 140: Pensacola
This episode begins in Eatonville, home of Zora Neale Hurston, where, not surprisingly, developers are up to no good.
Our guest is lifelong Pensacola resident and longtime Pensacola newspaper reporter and editor Carl Wernicke. We discuss Pensacola's past, present and future, Matt Gaetz, what he loves about Pensacola, and how the city is, and isn't, changing. Craig's from Pensacola as well!
This week's episode is sponsored by WindstormProducts.com, the world's largest online retailer of hurricane hardware, as well as a retailer of the Quick Dam flood barrier, a fantastically helpful product if your home, garage or business is prone to water inundation.
You can find Chadd Scott's writing about the Environmental Learning Center in Vero Beach and the A.E. Backus Museum in Fort Pierce at Rovology.com.
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Feb 14, 2023
Episode 139: The Seminole Wars
This episode tackles one of the most confusing eras in Florida history, a critically important series of events, but one little acknowledged or studied: the Seminole Wars. There were three Seminole Wars, the first in the 18-teens and the final in the 1850s.
Our guest is Joe Knetsch, historian and author of numerous Florida history books with an emphasis on the Seminole Wars.
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Feb 7, 2023
Episode 138: Documentary filmmakers Billy Corben and Alfred Spellman
A treat today as Miami born, bred and based documentary filmmakers Billy Corben and Alfred Spellman join the show. Corben is the director and Spellman the producer for Rakontur, their company which has produced such favorites as "Cocaine Cowboys" and "The U." Their latest project, "God Forbid" begins with a pool boy at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami Beach and ends with the election of Donald Trump and the collapse of the evangelical Falwell family. Watch it on Hulu.
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Jan 31, 2023
Episode 137: Harriet Beecher Stowe and early Florida tourism
This episode begins with a rare conservation win in Florida against development. Savor the flavor.
Our guest is author, historian and professor emeritus in anthropology at Florida A&M University John Foster. Foster has written numerous books on early Florida tourism and Harriet Beecher Stowe's role in it.
We discussed Harriet Beecher Stowe at the Mandarin Museum.
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Jan 24, 2023
Episode 136: Florida from 2000-2010
This episode of "Welcome to Florida" begins in Stuart.
Our guest this week is author and historian Gary Mormino. Gary's most recent book, published in 2022, is titled "Dreams in the New Century: Instant Cities, Shattered Hopes and Florida's Turning Point."
The book covers Florida in the first decade of the new millennium where an extraordinary sequence of stories from Elian Gonzalez to the contested Bush v. Gore election, 9/11, hurricanes, the housing bubble and global economic collapse, Barak Obama's election and the state's bend toward right wing politics dramatically altered Florida, the nation and the future of both.
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Jan 17, 2023
Episode 135: '72 Miami Dolphins (NFL's only unbeaten team)
The governor is touting his environmental record again, to which Craig Pittman cries foul.
Follow Chadd Scott's travel writing at "My Favorite Florida."
Our guest this week is Marshall Jon Fisher, author of "Seventeen and Oh: Miami, 1972 and the NFL's Only Perfect Season." Fisher was a 9-year-old living in Miami in 1972 following the Dolphins success week-by-week with his father and brother. He recalls the games, and looks at the societal backdrop of Miami and America at this time which included Nixon's presidential re-election and the early phases of Watergate along with the late stages of the Vietnam War.
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Jan 10, 2023
Episode 134: Claude Pepper
Craig's dad died recently and he shares a story about his father's work which would eventually dovetail into his own.
Our guest this week is author and historian Jim Clark whose book "Red Pepper and Gorgeous George: Claude Pepper's Epic Defeat in the 1950 Democratic Primary" introduces us to a giant of 20th century Florida history. State rep, U.S. Senator and House member, Medal of Freedom winner, namesake of the FSU Library... how come Pepper is so little known today?
"Welcome to Florida" is presented by Windstorm Products a Florida family-owned business that is now the world's No. 1 online supplier of hurricane hardware. It's not hurricane season now, but it's coming, and Windstorm Products can help your home or business be secure from hurricane wind damage when it comes.
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Jan 3, 2023
Episode 133: Kayaking around Florida
"Welcome to Florida" Season 4 begins with an extraordinary Florida adventure! Warren Richey paddled a sea kayak around Florida.
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Dec 27, 2022
Episode 132: 100th anniversary of Rosewood Massacre
On January 1, 1923, dubious claims of a sexual assault from a white woman against an unidentified Black man in the small community of Rosewood between Gainesville and Cedar Key set off a sequence of events that would leave untold numbers of people killed and Rosewood burned to the ground.
The event was completely forgotten and erased, except by those who experienced it and lingering myths and rumors in the area.
Then Gary Moore visited in 1982, completely unaware of what had happened there, stumbled on the story, and began reporting for the St. Petersburg Times, reporting which eventually led to his book, "Rosewood: The Full Story."
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Dec 20, 2022
Episode 131: Villainous Ed Ball & the St. Joe Company
Our episode begins with a trip to Warm Mineral Springs.
Our guest is Kathryn Ziewitz, co-author of "Green Empire: The St. Joe Company and the Remaking of Florida's Panhandle." The St. Joe Company, a legacy of the Dupont empire, at one point possessed 5% of all the land in Florida along with banks and railroads. It was run from Jacksonville with an iron fist by a true Florida villain: Ed Ball.
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Dec 13, 2022
Episode 130: Jacksonville history and today
Craig Pittman is ON YOUR SIDE!
Our guest is Florida Times-Union columnist Mark Woods. Find Mark's book, "Lassoing the Sun: A Year in America's National Parks."
In the episode we discuss:
Jacksonville consolidation
Axe Handle Saturday
Norman Studios
Mandarin Museum
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Dec 6, 2022
Episode 129: Surfing
One of America's worst polluters resides in Escambia County in the Panhandle.
Florida has a rich tradition of surfing which we're focusing on in this episode with Tom Warnke, a longtime Florida surfer and founding member of the Surfing Florida Museum.
"Welcome to Florida" is presented by WindstormProducts.com the world's leading online retailer of hurricane hardware. Now is the time to prepare your home or business for next year's hurricane season. WindstormProducts.com has the hardware and the knowhow to protect your property from the inevitable.
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Nov 29, 2022
Episode 128: Croquetas
Looking for (more) undeniable proof of climate change and how Florida's current approach to "resiliency" is inadequate? Look to sea turtles.
Our guest this week is the former longtime food critic at the Miami Herald, 1st generation Cuban and now host at WLRN radio in South Florida, Carlos Frias. Our subject: croquetas.
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Nov 22, 2022
Episode 127: Trapper Nelson, the Wildman of the Loxahatchee
This episode's subject is Trapper Nelson, the Wildman of the Loxahatchee, the Tarzan of Florida. Our guest is historian and author James Snyder who lives on the Loxahatchee River not far from where Trapper Nelson did. Snyder wrote a book about Nelson, "Life and Death on the Loxahatchee," which he describes as "part biography, part murder mystery."
"Welcome to Florida" is presented by Windstorm Products and no matter where you live in Florida, you are susceptible to damage caused by hurricanes. That's where windstormproducts.com comes in, the world's largest online supplier of hurricane hardware with shipping, of course, available anywhere in the state. Whatever you might need to secure your home or business from hurricane wind damage, chances are, windstormproducts.com offers it and can additionally provide the know-how to help you install it.
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Nov 15, 2022
Episode 126: Florida Land Preservation
What environmental problems would Craig Pittman like to see Ron DeSantis address in his second term as governor? These ones. Craig's not holding his breath.
Our guest this week is Clay Henderson. His new book, "Forces of Nature: A History of Florida Land Conservation" details the century-plus effort to conserve land in Florida for nature, recreation and human health.
Another hurricane just hit Florida and if you managed to elude damage from both Ian and Nicole, chances are, you're next. Preparing for the unknowable, but inevitable is a major pain in the neck, but you know it has to be done. Windstormproducts.com has the hardware and know-how to help you secure your property from hurricane wind and flood damage. Check them out online and give them a call if you have questions about how to protect your home or business from hurricane damage.
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Nov 8, 2022
Episode 125: Everglades National Park at 75
This week's episode publishes on election day so if it takes you a while to get around to listening, we understand.
Founded in 1947, Everglades National Park celebrates its 75th anniversary this year. Our guest this episode, James Kushlan, is a former Everglades researcher and author of the book, "Everglades National Park." He's also written books about birdwatching in South Florida, Key Biscayne, the Dry Tortugas and other titles of interest to anyone who loves Florida.
"Welcome to Florida" is presented by Windstorm Products, a Florida company which started small and grew into the largest online retailer of hurricane hardware in the world. Windstormproducts.com has the hardware and knowhow to help you secure your home or business from hurricane wind damage.
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Nov 1, 2022
Episode 124: Walker Evans and Anastasia Samoylova
You can't see it, but you can smell it, and the problem is becoming worse with each successive storm in Florida: wastewater and sewage discharges.
Our guest this week was born in Russia and currently lives in Miami Beach. Anastasia Samoylova is a photographer who traveled the state recording what she saw and has shared those images in a new book titled: Floridas: Anastasia Samoylova & Walker Evans.
Ana will be participating in this year's Miami Book Fair (as will Craig). An exhibition of prints from her book can be seen at Dot Fifty One Gallery in Miami.
Much of today's episode focused on flooding and if water inundation is a problem you're facing with your home or business, check out the amazing Quick Dam water barriers which do the work of dozens of sandbags without the mess, strain or hassle. Learn more about Quick Dam water barriers from our friends at windstormproducts.com.
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Oct 25, 2022
Episode 123: The Allman Brothers
Craig Pittman was recently invited by the New York Times to write an opinion column regarding Ron DeSantis' approach to combating climate change. It's a topic he has covered regularly at the Florida Phoenix.
While better known for their connections to Macon, Georgia, the Allman Brothers were a Florida band, with brothers Duane and Gregg growing up in Daytona Beach and the band forming in Jacksonville. Bob Beatty is the author of a newly published book highlighting a critical moment in the band's rise to popularity, the recording of its live album in 1971. The book is titled, "Play All Night: Duane Allman and the Journey to Fillmore East."
Find Bob on Twitter at @LongLiveTheABB
"Welcome to Florida" is presented by Windstorm Products. Visit windstormproducts.com to make sure your home or business is secured from the next hurricane.
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Oct 18, 2022
Episode 122: The Barefoot Mailmen
When it comes to homeowners in Florida and hurricane damage, it's buyer beware.
Our guest is Ralph Krugler, historian at the Hillsboro Inlet Lighthouse and Florida barefoot mailman historian. The Barefoot Mailmen operated in the late 19th century walking the mail to residents along the Florida frontier on the east and west coasts of the state.
Here's a great Sunshine State "did you know:" the official seal of the city of Hypoluxo in Palm Beach County features an image of a barefoot mailman.
"Welcome to Florida" is presented by Windstorm Products, a family business in Florida which has grown to become the largest online retailer of hurricane hardware. When the next hurricane comes, and it will, have your home protected from wind and flood damage by using the products and expertise available at windstormproducts.com.
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Oct 11, 2022
Episode 121: Mangroves
A vote for Ron DeSantis is a vote for more Hurricane Ian's. Craig explains.
This episode's guest is Samantha Chapman, a professor of biology at Villanova University and a researcher of mangroves around the world, but particularly in Florida. Craig relied on her expertise in a previous story he wrote about how climate change is increasingly allowing mangroves to migrate into areas they haven't traditionally been seen.
"Welcome to Florida" is presented by Windstorm Products. Hurricane Ian has come and gone, but if you put off your hurricane preparedness, windstormproducts.com is still there for you as the world's largest retailer of hurricane hardware to secure your home or business from hurricane wind damage. You can also purchase the amazing and convenient Quick Dam water activated flood barriers from the. This product will save you hours of dirty, sweaty, backbreaking work filling sandbags to secure your home from hurricane flooding, and it's also a great solution to water intrusion…
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Oct 4, 2022
Episode 120: A Land Remembered
Developers and road builders want to plow through a state forest in the Panhandle to bring more people to the Gulf Coast.
Patrick Smith wrote "A Land Remembered" in 1984. The historical fiction novel followed a Florida cracker family as it entered the state in the 1850s and successive generations went on to build a fortune here through ranching, citrus and land development. Countless people consider it the greatest piece of Florida fiction ever written.
Patrick Smith's son Rick joins us on this episode of the podcast to discuss his father and the timeless book. Rick mentioned a video of Patrick Smith speaking, you can find that video here.
"Welcome to Florida" is presented, as always, by Visit Sarasota. Discover Sarasota's rich literary history and community and be sure to visit Bookstore 1 in downtown Sarasota for readings, signings - including Craig Pittman - and a full selection of Florida titles.
Windstorm Products also supports the show. This small, family-owned Florida compan…
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Sep 27, 2022
Episode 119: Key Lime Pie!
How do land developers almost always get what they want in Florida even if state law or local residents don't support them? Bribes.
Our guest this episode is David Sloan, Key Lime pie researcher, author, baker and founder of the Key Lime festival in Key West. David's newest Key Lime book, "Key Lime Pie: An Intriguing History of Key West's Native Desert," was released this summer. We discuss the pie's origins, it's controversies - meringue or whipped cream - and where to find the best Key Lime pie in Key West.
This week's episode is sponsored by Windstorm Products. Homeowners, business owners, contractors, municipalities – if you are responsible for protecting a structure from hurricane wind damage, you’re going to want to visit windstormproducts.com and see what they have to offer. Windstorm Products is a family-owned Florida company that has grown to become the world's largest online retailer of hurricane hardware.
Fall in Florida is BEACH SEASON for the locals with crowds and…
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Sep 20, 2022
Episode 118: Miami's 1920s real estate boom & bust
County officials in Sarasota have amended their COMP plan to allow for greater development into rural areas.
Our guest is historian and Miami native and resident Paul S. George. George wrote the definitive account of the wild environment of land speculation which took place in Miami during the early 1920s, resulting in the first of many Florida land "busts."
George leads a variety of bus, boat and walking tours around Miami, sharing the city's history via HistoryMiami.org.
"Welcome to Florida" is presented by Visit Sarasota. Good news from Sarasota thanks to a variety of local conservation groups, Crowley Museum and Nature Center is now permanently protected! Part of a farmstead originally established in 1878, this 191-acre slice of Old Florida has served the community as a natural and cultural museum for more than 40 years. Crowley Museum invites people of all ages to discover Southwest Florida’s nature and history.
"Welcome to Florida" is further supported by windstormproducts.…
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Sep 13, 2022
Episode 117: Lynching in Florida
Florida's history of racial violence is examined in this episode. Our guest is Tameka Hobbs, Executive Director of the A. Philip Randolph Institute at Edward Waters University. She authored the book "Democracy Abroad, Lynching at Home: Racial Violence in Florida" and lectures on this topic through the Florida Humanities.
Among the numerous critical discussion points you may want more information on are redlining, Harry T. Moore, the Ocoee Massacre and the Equal Justice Initiative.
For a full list of publications by Dr. Hobbs, visit https://tamekabradleyhobbs.com/.
To learn more about the A. Philip Randolph Institute at Edward Waters University, visit https://www.ew.edu/apri/.
You can follow Dr. Hobbs on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/tameka-bradley-hobbs-7064395.
Follow Dr. Hobbs on social media: @dr.tamekahobbs on Instagram, Dr. Tameka Bradley Hobbs on Facebook, and @tamekahobbs on Twitter.
To learn more about the South Florida People of Color, please visit https://sout…
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Sep 6, 2022
Episode 116: Cassadaga Spiritualists
Twelve years of work attempting to find common ground between developers and conservationists in southwest Florida goes down the drain because the developers cheaped out.
Our gest this week is Moni Basu who visited the Spiritualist community in Cassadaga and wrote about her experience for Flamingo Magazine. What Basu found differs greatly from advertisements popularizing Cassadaga as the "Psychic Capital of the World."
Now is the time to visit the James Museum of Western and Wildlife Art in St. Pete to see it's latest temporary exhibition, "Black Pioneers: Legacy in the American West." On view through January 8, 2023, "Black Pioneers" explores the path of Black history in the West with a timeline of original pictorial quilts. The timeline begins in 1528, which marks the arrival of Africans in the American West, and continues through the Civil Rights Movement. Dispelling the myth that Black people in the old West were mostly cowboys, the exhibition shows rich diversity in their occupa…
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Aug 30, 2022
Episode 115: The KKK in Florida
The Gas and Oil Party (GOP), wants Floridians to believe that it's possible to both promote drilling in the Gulf of Mexico AND protect Florida beaches from the inevitability of oil spills which is, of course, ridiculous.
This week's guest is Jamin Wells a professor and researcher at the University of West Florida in Pensacola. Wells is helping lead a project analyzing the deep involvement of one of Pensacola's most prominent historic citizens, T.T. Wentworth, in the Ku Klux Klan. Craig Pittman wrote about the subject in the summer of 2021 for Flamingo Magazine.
"Welcome to Florida," as always, is presented by Visit Sarasota and if you love seafood, there's no better place in the state to find it than Sarasota, particularly its seafood markets which bring in fresh Gulf seafood daily. Across Sarasota County you'll find fresh catch seafood to take home and prepare yourself at these exceptional seafood markets.
Windstormproducts.com is a Florida-owned small business that has turned itse…
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Aug 23, 2022
Episode 114: Flamingos!
Craig Pittman is taking after Ron DeSantis and "firing" people in state government he doesn't think are getting the job done.
Our guest this week is flamingo researcher Tony Pernas. Pernas recently helped found the Florida Flamingos Working Group to help determine if flamingos are a native bird to Florida, or purely an exotic escapee and occasional migrant.
"Welcome to Florida" is presented by the James Museum of Western and Wildlife Art in St. Petersburg which debuts its newest temporary exhibition, "Black Pioneers: Legacy in the American West," on September 3, 2022. The first of its kind exhibition explores the path of Black history in the West with a timeline of original pictorial quilts beginning in 1528 which marks the arrival of Africans in the American West and continues through the Civil Rights Movement.
The show is also supported by Windstorm Products, the largest online supplier of hurricane hardware in the world. This Florida-owned business not only helps home and busines…
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Aug 16, 2022
Episode 113: The Columbia, Florida's oldest restaurant
The annual state python hunt which is open to the public wrapped up recently; Craig took a look at the efficacy of these contests for his latest "Florida Phoenix" column.
This week's guest is Richard Gonzmart, fourth generation owner of the Columbia Restaurant with its original location in Ybor City. Richard explains how the two sides of his family - one from Cuba, one from Spain - came to America and opened the restaurant which has survived Prohibition, the Great Depression, World Wars and, most recently, COVID.
From the original, the Columbia Restaurant has branched out to open locations across the state including St. Armond's Circle in Sarasota. The Columbia Restaurant is the oldest eatery on St. Armand's and is part of a perfect day spent exploring this unique shopping, dining, history attraction.
Welcome once again to our newest partner windstormproducts.com, the world's largest online retailer of hurricane hardware. Windstormproducts.com sells the screws, bolts, wingnuts and s…
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Aug 9, 2022
Episode 112: Florida's monkey colonies
Our episode begins with Craig's latest Florida Phoenix column on how state Republicans are trying to connect fighting climate change and transitioning to clean energy with the culture wars in order to delay action.
Our guest is Florida woman Deb Rogers, author of the book "Florida Woman." The novel uses the escaped monkeys of Central Florida as a plot device. Rogers researched the monkeys, how they got here, how they escaped, and what is being done to control them.
We welcome new sponsor Windstormproducts.com to the podcast. Windstorm Products is a Florida small business which has become the world's largest online retailer of hurricane hardware. Hurricane hardware is the bolts and anchors and products you need to secure your home or business from hurricane wind damage. Learn more by visiting their website, windstormproducts.com.
"Welcome to Florida," as always, is sponsored by Visit Sarasota which has a surprisingly robust mid-century modern architecture history. "Garden & Gun" maga…
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Aug 2, 2022
Episode 111: Ringling and Sarasota's Circus History
Florida isn't serious about water quality, if it were, it wouldn't keep allowing developers to install septic tanks.
Our guest this week is Jennifer Lemmer-Posey, an author of two books about the circus as well as a curator at the Circus Museum at The Ringling in Sarasota. Jennifer tells us how the circus came to Sarasota for its winter quarters and what the future of the circus is.
This episode of "Welcome to Florida" is presented by Visit Sarasota, home to The Ringling. John Ringling's presence and incredible wealth are a big reason why Sarasota has such an outsized arts community for a city its size from performing arts, to visual arts and museums. Explore Sarasota's cultural offerings and begin making plans for your next visit.
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Jul 26, 2022
Episode 110: Florida memorabilia
Every see that "King Ranch" decal on the side of a Ford pickup truck? King Ranch is a real thing and up to no good in Florida.
Our guest this week is a longtime collector of Florida related memorabilia and material culture and promoter of the annual Floridania Fest - which celebrates such things - Ken Breslauer. The Floridania Fest just passed its 30th anniversary and Ken joins us to discuss the event and the ongoing interest in collecting Florida.
"Welcome to Florida" is presented by Visit Sarasota where St. Armond's Circle offers circus history, art, dining and shopping in a world class gorgeous setting all overlooking the Gulf.
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Jul 19, 2022
Episode 109: Mary Brickell and Miami's founding mothers
This week's episode begins with a look at how the U.S. Supreme Court's recent decision prohibiting the Environmental Protection Agency from regulating greenhouse gas emissions from coal plants will impact Florida.
Our guest is historian and author Cesar Becerra who published an historical novel, "Orange Blossom 2.0," about Mary Brickell and the founding of Miami in the summer of 2021 to coincide with the city's 125th anniversary. Becerra's research has led him to believe that Brickell deserves at least as much credit as does Miami's more well-known founding mother, Julia Tuttle, when it comes to establishing the city. Why has Brickell been overlooked? What about the Tuttle-Flagler Orange Blossom myth? Cesar introduces us to a fascinating female Floridian.
"Welcome to Florida" is presented by Visit Sarasota where Discover Sarasota Tours offers a variety of trolly excursions around town highlighting the area's circus history, Amish influence and arts, as well as ghost tours, psychic to…
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Jul 12, 2022
Episode 108: St. Pete Pier
This week's episode is all about the St. Petersburg Pier where Craig Pittman was married! That was 30 years ago and took place at the "old" Pier, the inverted pyramid pier. This week, we're talking to Raul Quintana, St. Pete's city architect, who was instrumental in overseeing the planning, design and project management for the fabulous new St. Pete Pier which opened in summer of 2020.
The all-new attraction features 26 acres of park, playground, beach and market on the city's picturesque waterfront. Visitors will find endless adventures and experiences from walking and biking to sunbathing and swimming at Spa Beach, shopping, dining (Doc Ford's Rum Bar and Grille!), enjoying native plants in the Coastal Thicket and educational opportunities at the Tampa Bay Watch Discovery Center and St. Petersburg Museum of History.
There's a splash pad for kids along with a "destination" playground completed at a cost of $1 million, family park and picnic area. Fishing. Public Art. Concerts. Guest…
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Jul 5, 2022
Episode 107: Florida's historic mineral springs
An innocent mistake or a devious plot to sell 18,000 acres of conservation land from under the nose of Florida residents without anyone noticing? You be the judge.
Our guest this week is Florida author Rick Kilby whose latest book, "Florida's Healing Waters: Gilded Age Mineral Springs, Seaside Resorts and Health Spas," details an era from the state's history where wealthy northerners would visit seeking the restorative powers of our springs.
"Welcome to Florida," as always, is presented by Visit Sarasota where 99 Bottles Tap Room and Bottle Shop serves real deal New York bagels - from NYC - every Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning!
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Jun 28, 2022
Episode 106: Elvis in Florida
This week's episode begins with details regarding the capture of the largest ever Burmese python found in Florida. To learn more about Florida's efforts to eradicate - or control - invasive pythons, search the archives for our pythons episode.
A new movie about Elvis Presley hit theatres this weekend. Our guest is Bob Kealing, author of "Elvis Ignited: The Rise of an Icon in Florida" which details Elvis' time in Florida including the critical period between 1955 and 1956 where a young Elvis was transforming from nobody to the biggest start in the world.
Visit Sarasota presents "Welcome to Florida" and if you're looking for great seafood in Florida, try Walt's Fish Market Seafood Restaurant!
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Jun 21, 2022
Episode 105: John Muir in Florida
The focus of this week's episode, John Muir, was well-known for getting outside. Taking long walks. Communing with nature. In a recent column, Craig Pittman encouraged state education officials and teachers to get kids in Florida outside, introduce them to the natural places around this state so they can better understand them, more deeply care about them, and, ultimately, more passionately protect them.
One of the fathers of the conservation movement, John Muir, set out on a nearly 1,000 mile trek across the South in 1867. He started in Indiana, entered Florida at Fernandina Beach, and concluded his adventure in Cedar Key.
Dan Chapman has lived in Atlanta since 2000, covering environmental issues for the "Atlanta Journal-Constitution." He decided to follow in Muir's footsteps to personally experience the ravaged ecological condition of the region. His book detailing the experience is titled, "A Road Running Southward: Following John Muir's Journey Through an Endangered Land."
"Welc…
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Jun 14, 2022
Episode 104: Florida's literary history
Fitting for this week's episode, Craig's latest article for Flamingo Magazine centers on a fiction writer highlighting Apalachicola.
Our guest is Florida historian and author Jim Clark whose latest book details Florida's astonishing literary history which dates back to the 1500s and includes Earnest Hemmingway, Robert Frost, Tennessee Williams, Zora Neale Hurston, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, Hunter S. Thompson, Jack Kerouac, John Grisham, Michael Patterson, Carl Hiasson and countless others. The book is called "Florida Literary Luminaries: Writing in Paradise" and was published in May of 2022.
Thanks as always to Visit Sarasota for sponsoring this week's episode. Summer in Sarasota means beaches and the Visit Sarasota website can help you find your favorite Sarasota beach.
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Jun 14, 2022
Episode 103: Watergate's surprising connections to Florida
With the 50th anniversary of the Watergate break-in upon us - an event which would lead to a fundamental change in American politics, society and media - we take a look at the numerous and surprising ways in which the Watergate scandal connects to Florida.
Helping us do so is Garrett M. Graff, author of a new book released in 2022 sharing the full story of Watergate which goes back much further than the break-in.
"Welcome to Florida," as always, is presented by Visit Sarasota. Start planning your perfect beach getaway in Sarasota at www.visitsarasota.com, and be sure to follow Visit Sarasota on social media @visitsarasota / @visitsarasotacounty.
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Jun 7, 2022
Episode 102: Tarpon Springs Greek culture
What "resiliency" and Florida's fight against rising sea levels and climate change means to you and what it means to Ron DeSantis are likely two very different things. Craig examined the governor's narrow, contractor-first approach to "resiliency" in a recent column.
Our guest today is Panayotis (Paddy) League, Assistant Professor of Musicology and Director of the Center for Music of the Americas at the Florida State University School of Music. He specializes in the traditional music of the Greek islands and spent part of his boyhood with the Greek community at Tarpon Springs.
in 2019 was named a Master Artist by the Florida Folklife Program for his work performing and teaching the traditional music and oral poetry of Kalymnos in the Greek immigrant community of Tarpon Springs.
He is a performer, composer, recording artist and has written numerous papers, books and commentaries about Greek culture and history, including its connection to the American South and Florida.
This week's…
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May 31, 2022
Episode 101: The 1928 Hurricane
Yes, Florida has black bears, and yes, people are the greatest threat to their survival. We begin this week's episode with Craig Pittman's latest column which digs into bears, and bear poaching, in Florida.
With hurricane season starting June 1, our guest this week is Eliot Kleinberg, author of "Black Cloud: The Great Florida Hurricane of 1928." The 1928 "Okeechobee Hurricane" remains the deadliest storm in Florida history... and little known about.
"Welcome to Florida" is presented by Visit Sarasota. For fine dining at an affordable price, visit Sarasota for Savor Sarasota June 1-14.
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May 26, 2022
BONUS EPISODE: Welcome to Sarasota! (Summer Preview)
Summer may be the off season for tourists in Sarasota, but that doesn't mean there isn't a great deal to see and do. The Summer season in Sarasota begins with Savor Sarasota restaurant week were the county's best restaurants showcase their most adventurous items at deeply discounted prices.
All of the restaurants, attractions, activities and events mentioned in this episode can be found at VisitSarasota.com, the best place to start planning your next getaway.
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May 24, 2022
Episode 100: Weeki Wachee Springs mermaids
For our 100th episode of "Welcome to Florida" we finally discuss perhaps the most Florida thing of all, the Weeki Wachee Springs mermaids. Now a state park, Weeki Wachee Springs has a colorful history we learn all about from one of the very first class of mermaids at the park, Mary Fletcher, and mermaid historian and author, Lu Vickers.
This week's episode is presented by Visit Sarasota where Marie Selby Gardens is making history with an upcoming Patti Smith artist in residency.
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May 17, 2022
Episode 99: Florida's lost communities
As much as Florida is recognized nationally and internationally for our tourist attractions and cities - Disney, Universal, Miami, Orlando - an equally important, and increasingly imperiled part of the state is rural, natural, farmland and small towns. That part of Florida is our focus this week.
Our guests are Bridget Bihm-Manuel, Collections Coordinator for Florida History, and Hank Young, Principal Cataloger, at the Smathers Libraries at the University of Florida. The two recently wrapped up an exhibition at the library focused on Florida's lost communities which can now be found online. Their research continues and they join us today to discuss what they've found.
"Welcome to Florida" is presented by Visit Sarasota which offers Florida's sweetest attraction just 13 miles from downtown, Mixon Fruit Farms. Welcoming visitors and locals alike for 80 years, Mixon Fruit Farms has citrus groves, Florida wine, homemade fudge and much more to satisfy your cravings, plus a wildlife care a…
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May 10, 2022
Episode 98: Musician Del Suggs and the Florida Folk Festival
This week's episode begins with the love/hate relationship present day Florida inspires.
The 70th annual Florida Folk Festival takes place this Memorial Day at the Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park in White Springs. Panama City Beach native Del Suggs has been performing at the Festival for almost 40 years and visiting longer than that. We discuss Florida folk music, Jimmy Buffett the festival and how it's changed over the years.
"Welcome to Florida" is sponsored by Visit Sarasota which reminds you May through October is sea turtle nesting season in state and offers these tips for beachgoers to help protect the turtles during this time.
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May 3, 2022
Episode 97: Tampa Bay Skyway Bridge disaster
The 2022 season of "Welcome to Florida" has been about uncovering forgotten stories. We continue today as the anniversary of the Tampa Bay Skyway Bridge collapses approaches. On May 9, 1980, a container ship was blown off course by a freak weather system and into a piling of the Tampa Skyway Bridge. The collision caused a span of the bridge to collapse, sending 35 travelers over the edge and to their death below.
Bill DeYoung wrote the definitive book on the tragedy, "Skyway: The True Story of Tampa Bay's Signature Bridge and the Man Who Brought it Down." Bill, a St. Pete native who now works at the St. Petersburg Catalyst, a local news source, joins us to discuss the accident and the ship's pilot.
This week's episode is brought to you by Visit Sarasota where polo season has just wrapped up! That's right, Sarasota has polo. Sunday matches are open to the public mid-December through April. Learn more at www.sarastoapolo.com and begin planning your next getaway at VisitSarasota.com.
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Apr 26, 2022
Episode 96: Early Cuban Exiles
Craig got into with the governor and his press secretary on Twitter over Ron DeSantis' refusal to appoint African American candidates to the state's Water Management District Boards.
Before the famous Mariel Boat Lift, 600,000 Cuban exiles immigrated to Florida following Fidel Castro's rise to power in Cuba in 1959. David Powell sought out these immigrants and allowed them to tell their stories in their own words. The result is his fascinating book "Ninety Miles and a Lifetime Away: Memories of Early Cuban Exiles."
"Welcome to Florida" is presented by Visit Sarasota, home to Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium, a cutting edge marine research facility and public aquarium offering education and experiences with manatees, sharks, sea turtles and more. Mote Marine is one of the top attractions in all of Florida and a must-see in Sarasota. Visit Mote Marine online and start planning your next getaway at VisitSarasota.com.
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Apr 19, 2022
Episode 95: The Ashley Gang (Florida's Bonnie & Clyde)
Another week, another proposal for a new toll road tearing through a protected natural area to service a new housing development.
This week's guest is Steve Carr an authority on The Ashley Gang which operated in the Palm Beach County area during the 1910s and early 20s. The Elliott Museum in Stuart recently opened a permanent exhibition detailing the exploits of The Ashley Gang with the help of Carr's collection of materials related to the group.
"Welcome to Florida" is presented by VisitSarasota.com where Marie Selby Botanical Gardens welcomes an encore performance by Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member Patti Smith as part of its ongoing exhibition devoted to Smith and her dear friend and collaborator, Robert Mapplethorpe.
The show is also supported by the James Museum of Western and Wildlife Art in St. Petersburg which presents the landscape photography of Ansel Adams and Florida's Clyde Butcher side-by-side through July 31, 2022.
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Apr 12, 2022
Episode 94: Florida's Houses of Refuge
We start this week's episode exposing a developer with close ties to Ron DeSantis - uncomfortably close - wanting to use his political connections to force new roads and houses in Volusia Country, right over top of a protected wetland.
Our guest this week is Michael Phillips, Keeper of the House at the House of Refuge in Stuart, the last House of Refuge still standing in Florida.
This week's episode is presented by Visit Sarasota where a surprising diversity of wildlife experiences await visitors, including one with elephants! Start planning your next weekend getaway or week's vacation at VisitSarasota.com.
"Welcome to Florida" is additionally presented by the James Museum of Western and Wildlife Art in St. Petersburg which presents two exhibitions of landscape photography by Ansel Adams and Florida's own Clyde Butcher now through July 31, 2022. Learn more about this remarkable presentation.
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Apr 5, 2022
Episode 93: Timucua, Mocama and rediscovering Sarabay
When developers in northeast Florida couldn't buy their candidate onto a conservation board, they conspired to do away with the boards all together, statewide. Another remarkable example of democracy rolling back in Florida.
Our guest this week is University of North Florida in Jacksonville archaeologist Keith Ashley who is leading an effort to "rediscover" the Timucua/Mocama community of Sarabay on Big Talbot Island halfway between Jacksonville and Amelia Island on the Atlantic Coast.
This week's episode of "Welcome to Florida" is presented by VisitSarasota.com which boasts the first authentic Neapolitan pizza restaurant in the state and The James Museum of Western and Wildlife Art in St. Petersburg which is debuting a new photography exhibition featuring Ansel Adams and Florida's Clyde Butcher.
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Mar 29, 2022
Episode 92: Growing up gay in Florida
This week's episode begins with Craig discussing a failure on behalf of the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to do its job and protect our springs.
Our guest is Florida author Tyler Gillespie who's 2021 book, "The Thing About Florida," attempts to answer that unanswerable question: "What's with Florida?" Gillespie is gay and grew up in the Southern Baptist Church in Pinellas County; we discuss his writing, "don't say gay," and growing up gay in Florida.
"Welcome to Florida" is presented by Visit Sarasota. Begin planning your next weekend getaway for outdoor recreation, shopping, dining or relaxing on the most beautiful beaches in the world at VisitSarasota.com.
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Mar 22, 2022
Episode 91: Florida Supreme Court (Scandal to Bush v. Gore)
Our episode begins with a takedown by Craig Pittman of the Governor and state legislature for their inaction on protecting manatee.
Our guest is recently retired Florida Supreme Court Director of Communications Craig Waters. Waters was the public spokesperson for the Court during its most high profile cases including the recount of 2000 presidential election.
Follow the Florida Supreme Court on Facebook and Twitter.
This week's show is presented by Visit Sarasota. Soak up the sun along Sarasota's white sand beaches. Treat yourself to diverse dining, enriching arts and culture, shopping districts of all sorts and natural Florida fun. Begin your exploration at VisitSarasota.com.
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Mar 15, 2022
Episode 90: May Mann Jennings (How Royal Palm State Park became Everglades Nat'l Park)
This week's episode begins with a look at the political forces manipulating the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and how Trump Administration minions nearly cost the Key Deer its protection under the Endangered Species Act.
Our guest this week is Mary Powell, former president of the General Federation of Women's Clubs, a national organization, and currently an official with General Federation of Women's Clubs - Florida Federation of Women's Clubs. Mary will tell us all about May Mann Jennings, a key figure in Florida's early conservation movement who was responsible for Everglades protection by the way of Royal Palm State Park which eventually became Everglades National Park.
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Mar 8, 2022
Episode 89: Cozy Florida Mysteries
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 Florida" is presented by Visit Sarasota. Begin planning for your next weekend getaway or family vacation at www.visitsarasota.com and remember to include Sarasota Jungle Gardens and the Celery Fields in your activities.
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Mar 1, 2022
Episode 88: Bald eagles
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 book discusses the successful efforts to restore the bald eagle population to North America and the critical role Florida played in this project. "The Bald Eagle: The Improbable Journey of America's Bird" is available everywhere for purchase.
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Feb 22, 2022
Episode 87: William Bartram and the St. John's River
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" throughout the state and region to interpret and protect sites Bartram visited. Much of the group's work has been focused in Putnam County around Palatka.
This week's episode is sponsored by Visit Sarasota. Start planning your next weekend getaway or family vacation by checking out all the wonderful things to do at VisitSarasota.com.
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Feb 15, 2022
Episode 86: The Amazing Life of Stetson Kennedy
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 Florida's most interesting, if little known, characters. His obituary shares stories of a life fully lived.
Mentioned in the show: Billy Bragg and Wilco's cover of the Woody Guthrie song about Stetson Kennedy.
Beluthahatchee Park.
Braver Angels.
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Feb 8, 2022
Episode 85: Horseshoe Crabs
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 couple of the more popular beaches you can visit throughout Sarasota County. Check them out online and start making plans to visit at VisitSarasota.com.
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Feb 1, 2022
Episode 84: Pirates!
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.
This week's show is sponsored by the James Museum of Western and Wildlife Art in St. Petersburg which hosts the special exhibition "Away from Home: American Indian Boarding School Stories" through March 16 and by Visit Sarasota.
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Jan 25, 2022
Episode 83: Wildflowers
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 Wildflower Cooperative.
Florida Wildflower Foundation.
Florida Association of Native Nurseries.
Florida Native Plant Society.
Florida friendly wildlife habitat certification for homeowners.
"Welcome to Florida" is presented by Visit Sarasota which features endless activities and attractions including the Circus Arts Conservatory.
We'd like to welcome a new sponsor to the podcast, The James Museum of Western and Wildlife Art in St. Petersburg which presents the special exhibition "Away from Home: American Indian…
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Jan 18, 2022
Episode 82: Florida's state parks
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 numerous "friends" groups you can contact. The Florida State Parks Foundation is another citizen-run organization dedicated to helping the parks.
Exciting news for "Welcome to Florida" as the James Museum of Western and Wildlife Art in St. Petersburg will be coming on as a sponsor this year. Additional thanks go out to Indian River County which hosted Chadd Scott on his first visit to the area last week. Check back through the archives for our Spring of 2021 Indian River County BONUS episode.
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Jan 11, 2022
Episode 81: Florida Soul music
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.
Congratulations to Sarasota County's Siesta Key which has been named the #1 beach in the United States for 2021 by TravelAwaits.com.
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Jan 4, 2022
Episode 80: Architect Frank Lloyd Wright in Lakeland
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.
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Dec 28, 2021
Episode 79: Dolphins
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 presented by Visit Sarasota. For ecotours and dolphin watching out on Sarasota Bay, head to visitsarasota.com and check out the "sports and outdoors" section under "things to do." Here you'll find information about eco-tours, outdoor adventure, wildlife viewing and all of the wonderful outdoor activities available to visitors in the area.
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Dec 21, 2021
Episode 78: Oranges!
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.
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Dec 14, 2021
Episode 77: Florida's Sunshine Law
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, and a story from Sebastian you can read more about here.
This week's episode of "Welcome to Florida" is sponsored by Visit Sarasota. Be sure to follow Visit Sarasota on Twitter and Facebook at @visitsarasota and on Instagram @visitsarasotacounty for inspiration ahead of your next trip to Sarasota.
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Dec 7, 2021
Episode 76: Voting Rights with Desmond Meade
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 Returning Citizens."
He has been the subject of a documentary.
He serves as executive director for the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition.
You can follow him on Twitter @desmondmeade and he has recently been awarded the MacArthur Fellowship for 2021.
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Nov 30, 2021
BONUS EPISODE: Welcome to Sarasota! (Winter Preview)
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
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Nov 23, 2021
Episode 75: Pensacola Punkhouse
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, author of "A Punkhouse in the Deep South: An Oral History of 309." Satterwhite, who now teaches at the University of West Florida, didn't just write the book on the 309 Punkhouse, he is a former resident. Learn more about the 309 Punkhouse here and follow them on Instagram and Facebook @309PunkProject.
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Nov 16, 2021
Episode 74: Butterflies
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 campus in Gainesville. The McGuire Center houses 12 million butterfly and moth specimens from around the world.
We discuss collapsing monarch populations, butterfly rescue efforts in Florida, and what you can do to help sustain butterfly numbers in state.
Helpful links to learn more:
Florida Native Plant Society.
Xerces Society, the world's foremost conservation group working to save butterfly and pollinator populations.
Why you should NOT use tropical milkweed to attract monarchs to your landscape.
Discover…
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Nov 9, 2021
Episode 73: Florida novelist Tim Dorsey
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 will be appearing at this year's Miami Book Fair.
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Nov 2, 2021
Episode 72: Florida legal thrillers with James Grippando
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 VisitSarasota.com. From camping at Miakka River State Park to beach combing along Longboat or Siesta Keys, Sarasota is a nature lover's paradise. It also has an artsy side with the Ringling Museum, Sarasota Art Museum, an opera, Marie Selby Botanic Gardens and much more. Start planning your next getaway to Sarasota today at www.visitsarasota.com.
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Oct 26, 2021
Episode 71: Perversion of Justice - the Jeffrey Epstein story
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 the Herald. Find her writing and insights on Twitter at @jkbjournalist.
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Oct 19, 2021
Episode 70: Disney World
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 life, plus shopping, dining and fabulous hotels - AND THE BEACH - VisitSarasota.com will help you explore and plan for your next weekend getaway or week long vacation.
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Oct 12, 2021
Episode 69: Celebration, Disney and Florida's Housing Crisis
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 Chronicles: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Property Value in Disney's New Town," with a look at central Florida's homelessness crisis, "Sunbelt Blues: Failure of American Housing."
Andrew will be participating in this year's Miami International Book Fair; this is the first of two episodes we'll be producing to coincide with the 50th anniversary of Disney World in Florida.
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Oct 5, 2021
Episode 68: Free the Ocklawaha!
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 remove the Kirkpatrick Dam and free the Ocklawaha River, an effort her grandmother led for many years. Now is a critical time in this quest as the St. John's River Water Management District which controls the dam has opened a brief public comment period through October 22, 2021, where citizens can voice their opinion in support of removing the dam and freeing the river.
The Free the Ocklawaha coalition has put together this simple, step-by-step set of instructions which allows you to tell the state to r…
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Sep 30, 2021
BONUS EPISODE: Welcome to Sarasota! (Fall Preview)
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 website.
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Sep 28, 2021
Episode 67: Iguana Invasion!
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 thousands of acres of critical plant, animal and fish habitat in northeast Florida. The St. John's River Water Management District is taking public comments from Florida residents about the future of the dam and Ocklawaha River and the advocacy group Free the Ocklawaha has put together this simple link for you to make your voice heard in support of removing the dam and restoring the river.
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Sep 21, 2021
Episode 66: Craig Pittman 'The State You're In'
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" episode #55 all about her seashell book.
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Sep 14, 2021
Episode 65: Sinkholes!
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.
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Sep 7, 2021
Episode 64: Gopher tortoise
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.
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Aug 31, 2021
Episode 63: Sea Turtles
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. You can learn more about Coastal Connections by listening to our Vero Beach BONUS episode in the archives.
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Aug 24, 2021
Episode 62: Thomas Edison and Henry Ford winter estates in Ft. Myers
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.
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Aug 17, 2021
Episode 61: The Florida Manatee
This week's episode is all about the Florida Manatee. We start the show discussing how Craig came to write his second book, "Manatee Insanity," and are then joined by Florida Manatee researcher, Bob Bonde, who along with his wife, Cathy Beck, studied the animals for 40 years.
Bob co-authored the most authoritative book on the subject of Florida Manatee, "The Florida Manatee: Biology and Conservation," which was updated with a second edition in the summer of 2021.
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Aug 10, 2021
Episode 60: The Cuban Sandwich controversy
This week's episode begins with a discussion of Craig's latest Florida Phoenix column investigation the damage the state's latest red tide outbreak has had on seagrass.
Our guest is Andrew Huse, author of "From Saloons to Steak Houses: A History of Tampa," and an upcoming title about the history of the Cuban Sandwich.
Andrew's recommendations for a great Cuban sandwich: The Boozy Pig in Tampa and Sanguich in Miami.
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Aug 3, 2021
Episode 59: Florida's freshwater springs
This week's episode begins with some budgetary chicanery linked to the Florida Wildlife Corridor that could mean more trouble to the state's diminishing wetlands.
Our guest is filmmaker Oscar Corral who's new documentary, "The Fellowship of the Springs," examines Florida's best in the world freshwater springs resource and the various threats they face. Visit the film's website to find out when you can watch it on your local PBS station.
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Jul 27, 2021
Episode 58: Orlando boy band scam artist Lou Pearlman
This week's episode begins with a tale of governmental treachery - at the behest of developers - from Santa Rosa County.
Our guest is Helen Hartley, the former business reporter at the St. Petersburg Times. She uncovered a massive insurance and investment scam orchestrated by Lou Pearlman in the mid-2000s. Pearlman was the driving force behind the development of boy bands Backstreet Boys and NSYNC which, for a brief period, turned Orlando into one of the music industry's hotbeds.
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Jul 20, 2021
Episode 57: Brownie Wise and Tupperware's move to Florida
This week's episode begins with Craig's latest article for the Washington Post looking at the history of Seminole oversight of gaming in Florida. With a new gambling compact agreed to between the tribe and the state, the Seminole are expect to reap an even greater financial windfall due to the introduction of sports gambling in Florida.
Our guest this week is Florida author Bob Kealing. Bob wrote a book all about one of Florida's most underappreciated entrepreneurs, Brownie Wise, who in the 1950s helped the Tupperware company build an empire by staging in-home Tupperware sales parties. Tupperware moved its corporate headquarters to the Orlando area in the 1950s and continues to be located there today.
The book is titled, "Life of the Party: The Remarkable Story of How Brownie Wise Built, and Lost, a Tupperware Party Empire."
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Jul 13, 2021
Episode 56: The Florida Wildlife Corridor with Carlton Ward Jr.
Turkey hunting, off road vehicles and drones in the Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge? Maybe.
This week's guest, Carlton Ward Jr., has been instrumental in casting a vision for the Florida Wildlife Corridor. The Florida Wildlife Corridor imagines a contiguous linkage of undeveloped land from the Everglades to the Okefenokee Swamp. As a nature photographer, Carlton helped promote the idea by traversing the entire route and sharing his stories with politicians and in the media. In late June 2021, as a result of his efforts and those of many others, the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act was signed into law.
Follow Carlton on line at carltonward.com and floridawild.com. Learn more about the Florida Wildlife Corridor at floridawildlifecorridor.org. Find him on Twitter and Instagram at @carltonward.
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Jul 6, 2021
Episode 55: Seashells!
This week's episode begins with Craig Pittman and his wife encountering red tide near their home in St. Petersburg.
Our guest is Cynthia Barnett, author of the newly published book, "The Sound of the Sea: Seashells and the Fate of the Oceans." Cynthia has written numerous books about Florida's freshwater, but dives into the salt for the first time here. She is also an environmental journalism professor at the University of Florida living in Gainesville.
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Jun 29, 2021
Episode 54: The Swamp Peddlers (Florida's land giant communities)
This week's episode begins with Craig's investigation of the MURDER of a Florida river.
Our guest for this episode is Punta Gorda native Jason Vuic, author of the recently released book, "Swamp Peddlers: How Lot Sellers, Land Scammers, and Retirees Built Modern Florida and Transformed the American Dream." Jason tells a Florida origin story of sorts about how land speculation, unethical developers and lack of regulation wrought upon the state the numerous environmental disasters we're currently facing.
Why is Florida so screwed up? This book has A LOT of the answers. Find it at your local bookstore or anywhere online.
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Jun 22, 2021
Episode 53: Betty Osceola and the Miccosukee Tribe
This episode marks the one year anniversary of the "Welcome to Florida" podcast. Craig Pittman and Chadd Scott look back at the first 52 episodes, highlighting some of the most memorable. All previous episodes, and the "Preview" episode which explains how "Welcome to Florida" came to be can be found in the archives.
This week's guest is Miccosukee tribal elder Betty Osceola. Osceola works as an environmental advocate on behalf of her tribe and the Everglades and owns Buffalo Tiger Airboat Tours in the Glades. You can find Betty Osceola on Facebook as well as her Walk For Mother Earth project.
This week's episode is sponsored by Eco-Pathways. Eco-Pathways is a Florida company working with property owners building better dune walkovers, beach boardwalks, docks, piers and other water access. Eco-Pathways' engineered product has a 50+ year guarantee, won't fade or crack like wood, requires almost no maintenance, is easy to install and isn't full of chemicals like pressure-treated lumber.
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Jun 15, 2021
Episode 52: Red Tide
This week's episode begins with good news for conservationists in Florida from a most unlikely place: the Florida state legislature.
Craig also updates on a scary development regarding Florida's coral reef.
Our guest this week is Dr. Cynthia Heil, Director of the Red Tide Institute at Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota.
In the episode, Heil mentions resources available for Florida residents and tourists regarding the health of our beaches including:
visitbeaches.org (updated twice daily with current beach conditions)
myfwc.com/redtidestatus (current sample/cell concentrations of Karenia)
ore info on the Mote Marine website: mote.org/redtidefaq
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Jun 10, 2021
BONUS EPISODE: Indian River County!
With the Indian River Lagoon - North America's most biodiverse estuary - two National Wildlife Refuges and miles of critical sea turtle habitat along the Atlantic Ocean, Indian River County boasts remarkable natural beauty, even for Florida.
This bonus episode of "Welcome to Florida" focuses on Indian River County's ecotourism opportunities from sea turtle and manatee experiences, to hiking, biking, kayaking, birdwatching and much more.
Our guests are Barbara Schlitt Ford, Executive Director of the Environmental Learning Center in Vero Beach, and Kendra Cope, founder of Coastal Connections.
We'll learn about what there is to see and do for nature lovers in Indian River County. To begin planning your next long weekend or family vacation in Indian River County, check out VisitIndianRiverCounty.com.
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Jun 8, 2021
Episode 51: John D. MacDonald (America's first environmental novelist)
This week's episode begins with Craig throwing his hat in the ring for a new job! Don't worry about him leaving the podcast, the chances of him landing this job are low.
Our guest is Calvin Branche, a leading historian on Florida author John D. MacDonald whose 21 Travis McGee novels captivated readers for decades. His novels have been turned into successful movies including "A Flash of Green" and "Cape Fear." MacDonald is also likely America's first environmental novelist, incorporating conservation themes into his work as far back as the 1960s.
"Welcome to Florida" is presented by Eco-Pathways, a Florida company which has developed a long-lasting, environmentally friendly, engineered material to replace wood and pressurized lumber in dune walkovers, boardwalks, docks and piers. Learn more at Eco-Pathways.com.
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Jun 1, 2021
Episode 50: The Cabbage Palm (Florida's state tree)
This week's episode begins by discussing a puzzling decision by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to recommend opening a fishing season on goliath grouper.
Our guest is Jono Miller, author of "The Palmetto Book: Histories and Mysteries of the Cabbage Palm." The Cabbage Palm is Florida's state tree and essential to understanding its history. What makes this tree unique? How has it influenced Florida history? What does it have to do with Elvis and gangsters? We get the lowdown from Jono who you can find online, here.
At the end of the episode, Craig mentioned the Gizella Kopsick Arboretum in St. Petersburg which has examples of every palm species growing on Earth. You can learn more about them here.
This week's episode is presented by Eco-Pathways.com, a Florida company that has developed an engineered material for use in dune walkovers, boardwalks, docks and piers that will stand up to our harsh conditions for decades longer than plain wood or pressurized lumber.…
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May 25, 2021
Episode 49: Florida ranching and cattlemen
This week's episode features Buck Island Ranch manager Gene Lollis. Buck Island Ranch is unlike any cattle ranch you've heard of. Buck Island Ranch is working in part to protect the environment and wildlife.
Take a look for yourself.
Ranching and agriculture are both major causes of and solutions for climate change, biodiversity collapse, clean water and clean air. If you'd like to learn more about this connection, regenerative agriculture and our national food production system, listen to "The Doctor's Farmacy Podcast" with Dr. Mark Hyman.
Want to buy more sustainably and ethically raised beef? Look into the Audubon Society's conservation ranching and certified beef program.
This episode is again brought to you by Eco-Pathways. Eco-Pathways creates dune and beach walkovers, boardwalks, docks and piers that are longer lasting than pressurized lumber, require a fraction of the maintenance and don't contain any of the many toxic chemicals pressurized wood does. Learn more at Eco-Path…
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May 18, 2021
Episode 48: Florida in the Movies
This week's episode begins with Craig's latest "Washington Post" article where he writes about Miami making history in hiring the nation's first Chief Heat Officer.
Our guests are Susan Fernandez and Bob Ingalls, authors of "Sunshine in the Dark: Florida in the Movies." We'll trace Florida's history in film from the silent area when Jacksonville was Hollywood, all the way through 2016's "Moonlight" which won the Academy Award for best picture.
We'd like to welcome Eco-Pathways as our latest sponsor. Eco-Pathways is a Florida company that designs and constructs beach walkovers, boardwalks, trail bridges, docks and piers out of a proprietary engineered material which lasts longer and requires none of the maintenance of wood while not containing any of the chemicals found in pressurized lumber. Visit eco-pathways.com to learn more.
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May 11, 2021
Episode 47: Florida's ancient inhabitants + Angola
This week's episode begins with a takedown of the Florida Legislature (both parties), Ron DeSantis and Agriculture Secretary Nikki Fried, all of who bowed down to BIG SUGAR in allowing them to continue poisoning residents of western Palm County through pre-harvest sugar cane field burning.
Our guest is New College of Florida anthropologist and archaeologist Uzi Baram. We discuss Florida's surprisingly robust history of ancient inhabitants along with the emerging researching shining more light on the maroons of Angola and Florida's connection to the Underground Railroad.
If you find these conversations interesting, our previous episodes on the Everglades and BIG Sugar, along with our episode on Florida's forgotten cemeteries should be on your play list.
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May 4, 2021
Episode 46: Florida's worst idea (the Everglades Jetport)
This week's episode begins with Craig's concerns Florida could be facing another "Summer of Slime" due to blue green algae and red tide (cow tide) outbreaks. We also talk about corruption in the state legislature and the death - mostly - of M-CORES (Roads to Ruin).
Our guest is author Mike Grunwald who wrote "The Swamp: The Everglades, Florida and the Politics of Paradise." Our conversation focuses on the worst idea ever in Florida: the Everglades Jetport.
If these topics interest you, be sure to listen to back episodes on the Floridan Aquifer, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Everglades and Big Sugar.
To order a signed copy of "Cat Tale" in paperback from Tombolo Books in St. Pete, go here.
"Welcome to Florida" thanks Hipcamp for its ongoing support. Hipcamp is a growing community of outdoor enthusiasts looking for authentic connections to Florida's natural environment. That's where you come in. If you own property anywhere around Florida that connects people to nature, Hipcamp would l…
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Apr 27, 2021
Episode 45: Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
This week's episode started with BIG news from the Everglades and a look at a VERY important Florida woman whose job it will be to protect the state's environment.
Our guest is author Ann McCutchan who has written a new biography of Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, a Florida transplant and author of "The Yearling." The book is titled "The Life She Wished to Lead" and details Rawlings' time spent in Cross Creek, Florida.
This week's show also mentioned Bok Tower Gardens conservation efforts, Craig's book "The Scent of Scandal," and Marie Selby Gardens.
"Welcome to Florida" is presented by Amelia Island. Learn more about the four state parks in the Amelia Island area and the world class outdoor recreation, dune system, tree canopy, the boutiques along Centre Street, bed and breakfasts, Southern cuisine and why Amelia Island is the perfect destination for your next long weekend or family vacation by visiting AmeliaIsland.com.
And by Hipcamp. Hipcamp is a growing community of respectful peopl…
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Apr 20, 2021
Episode 44: Key West
This week's episode begins with discussion of Craig's latest Florida Phoenix column and the "solution" for what to do with all of the toxic waste from the Piney Point phosphorus plant.
Our guest is Nancy Klingener, Florida Keys reporter for WLRN - South Florida's Public Radio - and a 30 year Key West resident. We dig into the history, culture and weirdness that is Key West with stops along the way talking about Conchs, Earnest Hemmingway, Bum Farto, Jimmy Buffett, cats, chickens and Fantasy Fest.
Consider Amelia Island for your next long weekend or family vacation. The picturesque barrier island in the northeast corner of Florida with the state's best protected natural dune system, miles of uncrowded beaches and a historic Victorian downtown welcomes you for beachcombing, fishing, camping at Fort Clinch State Park (one of four state parks in the area), birdwatching, Southern food and hospitality and relaxation from the mania often associated with Florida vacations. Learn more at www.…
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Apr 13, 2021
Episode 43: Florida's state climatologist
This week's episode begins with Craig's ongoing reporting of the environmental disaster at the Piney Point phosphate plant where hundreds of millions of gallons of toxic wastewater has been diverted into the Tampa Bay estuary to avoid a collapse of the gypsum stack there. Craig has reported on this coming apocalypse for decades, highlighting how the Florida Department of Environmental "Protection's" history of favoring industry over the environment and its lack of serious regulation put us here.
This week's guest is Florida's state climatologist David Zierden. We talk about our state's climate, how it's changing, what can be done to protect the state from climate change, hurricanes and... machetes?
"Welcome to Florida" welcomes our newest sponsor, Amelia Island! Located in the very northeast corner of the state, Amelia Island and Fernandina Beach is a nature lover's paradise with miles of beaches, four easily accessible state parks, the state's best protected natural dune system and…
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Apr 6, 2021
Episode 42: Florida Scrub-Jay
This week's episode begins with Craig Pittman's latest Florida Phoenix column highlighting the disastrous environmental impacts of the widely used herbicide/poison glyphosate, commonly known as Roundup.
Our guest is author, veterinarian and professor Mark Jerome Walters whose latest book, "Florida Scrub-Jay: Field Notes on a Vanishing Bird" was released in March of 2021. Mark has also authored "Six Modern Plagues and How We Are Causing Them" and "A Shadow and a Song: The Struggle to Save an Endangered Species," both of which are referenced in the episode.
For more information about the effort to save birds in Florida and what you can do to help, visit Audubon Florida.
"Welcome to Florida" is presented by Hipcamp. Consider Hipcamp Airbnb for campers. If you have a piece of land in Florida that would be good for pitching a tent or parking an RV, then Hipcamp wants to hear from you. They take care of all the details, you collect side income. Learn more by visiting Hipcamp.com/land.
If…
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Mar 30, 2021
Episode 41: Rewilding your yard with Jeff and Ann VanderMeer
This week's episode begins with more "bigfooting" by the state legislature, once again in the pocket of developers, attempting to curtail the amount of impact fees local municipalities have accessed homebuilders in order for them to build the infrastructure necessary for all the new residents.
Craig Pittman and Chadd Scott are joined this week by Jeff and Ann VanderMeer. The married couple live in Tallahassee. Jeff is the best selling author of the Southern Reach Trilogy (Annihilation, Authority and Acceptance). His new book is a thriller, "Hummingbird Salamander."
In a wide ranging conversation, we discuss:
St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge
VanderMeer Creative and the couple's philanthropic efforts
How to rewild your yard
Florida Native Plants
Keep Tallahassee Wild Facebook Page
Jeff's virtual book tour for "Hummingbird Salamander"
Follow Jeff and Ann on Twitter.
"Welcome to Florida" is presented by Hipcamp. Start using your property in Florida to generate side income by listing…
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Mar 23, 2021
Episode 40: Dr. Beach
This week's episode begins with a look at why Florida's manatees are dying this winter at a rate which threatens the survival of the species. Craig Pittman's latest column for the Florida Phoenix digs in deep on the reasons, which are preventable.
Craig's 2010 book "Manatee Insanity" goes even further in detailing the decades-long conservation effort in Florida to protect manatees, as well as calling out the people working against manatee protection.
Our guest is Stephen Leatherman who you probably know as Dr. Beach. Each year he compiles a list of the 10 Best Beaches in the U.S. which leads to a tremendous amount of pride for those named, jealousy for those not named, and arguments among everyone.
"Welcome to Florida" is presented by HipCamp. If you are a landowner in Florida with a flat spot large enough to pitch a tent or park an RV, HipCamp needs you to help host its growing community of nature-lovers looking to find quiet spots across the state. You can begin earning side incom…
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Mar 16, 2021
Episode 39: The Everglades and BIG SUGAR
This week's episode starts with Craig Pittman sharing some of his favorite Florida Women from the state's history in recognition of Women's History Month. Follow Craig on Twitter and Facebook @CraigTimes and on Instagram @CraigPittman78 for more.
Our guest this week is Amy Green, author of "Moving Water: The Everglades and Big Sugar." Amy's book, which published in March of 2021, takes a look at Big Sugar's influence on Everglades pollution and degradation, as well as Big Sugar's influence on Florida and national politics and efforts to repair the Everglades.
If this topic interests, you, Craig suggests further reading of Michael Grunwald's "The Swamp," and, of course, Marjory Stoneman Douglas,' "Everglades: River of Grass."
To keep up to date with conservation efforts for the Everglades, visit the Everglades Trust and the Friends of the Everglades. Florida Conservation Voters works to hold state politicians accountable for our environment. Additional information about pre-harvest s…
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Mar 9, 2021
Episode 38: Mary McLeod Bethune
This week's episode begins with an update on the disastrous "Roads to Ruin" M-CORES toll road proposal and efforts in the state legislature to adjust it.
Our guest this week is historical reenactor Ersula K Odom who has been portraying Mary McLeod Bethune at events across Florida for many years. Odom's performances see her dress in period appropriate costumes and take on the personality of the famed educator, voting rights advocate, civil rights activist, feminist, stateswoman and humanitarian, Mary McLeod Bethune.
To book Odom to perform for your group or event, contact her at this link.
This week's episode is presented by Hipcamp. Hipcamp has members across the country looking to visit Florida to experience our natural beauty. That's where you come in. Hipcamp needs landowners in Florida willing to open up their property to welcome visitors to camp, glamp or RV. All you need is a flat spot where someone can pitch a tent or park an RV. Hipcamp takes care of the rest. Reach out toda…
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Mar 2, 2021
Episode 37: The Gulf of Mexico
This week's episode begins with Craig Pittman and Chadd Scott discussing the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's unanimous ruling to ban the possession of a large number of non-native snakes and lizards in the hopes of avoiding their introduction into the state's ecosystem like as happened with the Burmese python and tegu lizard.
Our guest is Jack Davis who won the Pulitzer Prize in 2017 for nonfiction with his book, "The Gulf: The Making of an American Sea." Craig and Chadd discuss Jack's time on the Gulf, his perspectives on the uses and abuses of the Gulf, what causes the Gulf Dead Zone, why he's optimistic about the Gulf's future, his favorite Gulfside restaurant and much more.
If you're interested in this topic, be sure to listen to previous "Welcome to Florida" episodes on Tarpon Fishing in Homosassa Bay and how industrial agriculture is destroying Florida's water supply.
If you'd like to help support Gulf of Mexico conservation, the Audubon Society's Gulf Rest…
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Feb 21, 2021
Episode 36: Zora Neale Hurston
This week's episode begins with a song from Zora Neale Hurston, "Shove it Over." Throughout this week's show we'll be hearing songs from Hurston which can be found in the State Archives of Florida.
Up next: cruise ships. Craig Pittman wrote recently how Republican state legislators are contradicting their so-called principles of "home rule" and "small government," trying to take away Key West's ability to limit the number of cruise ship passengers it receives in the future. In their haste to bow to the cruise ship industry's big money, however, they forgot one key point.
To learn more about Zora Neale Hurston, Craig and Chadd Scott talk to Kristy Anderson, writer and director of the documentary film, "Zora Neale Hurston: Jump at the Sun," which you can watch on Amazon. Zora Neale Hurston was a Florida author and anthropologist. While a key figure in the Harlem Renaissance, she spent little time there, Her novels explored the lives of ex-slaves living in the Deep South.
Although she…
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Feb 16, 2021
Episode 35: SHARKS!
This week's episode begins with Craig Pittman's latest story for the Florida Phoenix about the remarkable discovery of a new whale species in the Gulf of Mexico. The whale was washed up on a beach near the Florida Everglades allowing scientists to study the animal. In doing so, they determined it had died as the result of a piece of plastic cutting through its stomach.
Single use plastics have become one of the greatest threats to the environment and animals globally, particularly fish and marine mammals. Learn more about the growing epidemic of plastic pollution and what is being proposed at a federal level to combat it. Make your voice heard. Amazon.com is increasingly coming under fire and being pressured to reduce the amount of plastic it uses.
Oceana is a conservation group doing good work globally to protect our oceans.
This week's guest is Gavin Naylor, director of the Florida Program for Shark Research at the University of Florida.
"Welcome to Florida" is presented by Hipca…
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Feb 9, 2021
Episode 34: Kelvin Hair and the Florida Highwaymen
This week's episode begins with Craig Pittman putting Ron DeSantis in the crosshairs over the governor's big talk and small action on protecting the state's water. If you'd like to learn more about the state's water quality problems, what causes them, what can be done to fix them, a previous episode all about the Floridan Aquifer does so in depth.
This week's guest is artist Kelvin Hair. Kelvin is the son of Alfred Hair, one of the original, legendary, Florida Highwaymen painters. The Florida Highwaymen are the subject of an exhibition on now at the Tampa Museum of Art through March 28. Chadd Scott reviewed the show previously when it was in Orlando.
During the interview, Kelvin mentions a book titled, "The Highwaymen Murals: Al Black's Concrete Dreams." You can find that online here.
As always, this week's episode is brought to you by Hipcamp which is looking for landowners across Florida to welcome its members for experiences in natural Florida. Do you own property on or near a na…
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Feb 2, 2021
Episode 33: Panther biologist Deborah Jansen
This week's episode focuses on two of Florida's - and the nation's - most endangered species. First up, Craig Pittman tells us about recovery efforts for the Florida grasshopper sparrow which he detailed in a recently released story for "National Geographic."
From the very small to the very big, Craig and Chadd Scott are then joined by Florida panther biologist Deborah Jansen, a key figure in Craig's book about the heroic efforts to save the panther against the forces of development and government in "Cat Tale."
"Cat Tale" was the genesis for the "Welcome to Florida" podcast and if you'd like to go back and hear that story, you can do so here.
This week's conversation also references episode three about Burmese pythons, which you can listen to here.
Learn more about the disastrous "Roads to Ruin" M-CORES project threatening Florida.
You can become personally involved in helping to protect natural and wild Florida through groups like the Florida Conservation Voters, Free the Ocklaw…
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Jan 26, 2021
Episode 32: Daytona Beach, Bill France and the origins of NASCAR
Craig Pittman and Chadd Scott begin this week's episode discussing Craig's hope for a modern-day Richard Nixon (???) to save Florida from the disastrous M-CORES project, better known as the "Roads to Ruin." He explains the connection.
Chadd highlights a project working to secure American Beach's historic character and how you can help.
This week's guest is Neal Thompson, author of "Driving with the Devil: Southern Moonshine, Detroit Wheels, and the Birth of NASCAR." Neal talks about Bill France, how France organized NASCAR in Daytona Beach in 1947 from its bootlegging roots, and how it's evolved since then.
"Welcome to Florida" is sponsored by Hipcamp which needs your help welcoming guests to our state. If you are a landowner in Florida, Hipcamp can put extra money in your pocket while using your land to host visitors. Hipcamp features simple plots of land, developed cabins, and everything in between. No matter what you have, you’re ready to get started today. Host when you want,…
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Jan 19, 2021
Episode 31: Cockroaches!
In what is sure to be the grossest episode of "Welcome to Florida" yet, Craig Pittman and Chadd Scott begin by discussing Craig's latest story for the Florida Phoenix which focuses on a toxic sludge disposal facility in Lakeland, aptly called the BS Ranch, that has neighbors upset and is looking to renew its permit to handle 5,000 tons of sludge PER DAY!
From there, Dr. Roberto M. Pereira joins us. He specializes in urban entomology, conducting research on different aspects of the biology and control of cockroaches, ants, bed bugs, flies, mosquitoes and other insects that live in and around houses and other human structures. He earned a Ph.D. in entomology from the University of Florida.
As always, this week's episode is sponsored by Hipcamp!
Hipcamp is a growing community of respectful people looking to get outside for camping, glamping, and RV stays on private land. Anyone with a property that helps people connect with nature can be a Hipcamp Host! Whether you have an acre of raw…
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Jan 12, 2021
Episode 30: Con Men (Lt. Commander Bobby Thompson)
Craig Pittman and Chadd Scott begin this week's episode talking briefly about the history of con men in Florida, the attempted overthrow of the federal government last week by white nationalists which prominently featured a Florida Man, and Craig's latest Florida Phoenix article about ecological catastrophe caused by a paper mill on the Fenholloway River in Perry.
This week's guest is Jeff Testerman, a now-retired former investigative reporter at the St. Petersburg Times (before it became the Tampa Bay Times) whose background as a mortgage banker gave him a unique ability among reporters to follow a paper trail and discern dirty deeds from a batch of documents. Exposing the Bobby Thompson scam was his finest hour, That story is told in his new book, "Call Me Commander: A Former Intelligence Officer and the Journalists Who Uncovered His Scheme to Fleece America."
"Welcome to Florida" is now sponsored by HipCamp. If you have property in Florida which will help campers, glampers or RV v…
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Jan 5, 2021
Episode 29: America's most evil sheriff: Lake County's Willis McCall
This episode begins with exciting news about "Welcome to Florida's" first sponsor, Hipcamp. Hipcamp is a growing community of respectful people looking to get outside for camping, glamping, and RV stays on private land.
Anyone with a property that helps people connect with nature can be a Hipcamp Host. Landowners across Florida are earning up to $1,000 a month.
It’s free to list and Hipcamp takes care of everything including liability insurance! All you need is a flat spot where someone can pitch a tent or park an RV.
Got a place to share? Get started today at www.hipcamp.com/land or call (917)-563-2616.
Craig Pittman is sharing his weirdest stories of the year from across Florida.
This week's guest is Gilbert King who won the Pulitzer Prize for his book, "Devil in the Grove: Thurgood Marshall, the Groveland Boys, and the Dawn of a New America," which featured a depiction of one of the most evil sheriffs in Ameircan history, Willis McCall. McCall also features in King's most rec…
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Dec 29, 2020
Episode 28: Triumph and Tragedy on Henry Flager's Over-Seas Railroad
This week's episode of "Welcome to Florida" begins with great news for Florida's critically endangered grasshopper sparrow. Being Florida, the story of course involves a long and twisty road with no shortage of "colorful" characters who Craig Pittman introduces us to.
Craig and Chadd Scott's guest this week is Les Standiford, author of "Last Train to Paradise: Henry Flagler and the Spectacular Rise and Fall of the Railroad that Crossed an Ocean."
Standiford provides the definitive account of an essential Florida story featuring one of the state's most prominent figures, an engineering marvel and a deadly natural disaster. Les is the founder of the writing program at FIU and the author of more than 20 books, including the recently released "Palm Beach, Mar-A-Lago and the Rise of America's Xanadu."
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Dec 22, 2020
Episode 27: Jacksonville and the Roots of Southern Rock
Merry Christmas everyone. Craig Pittman and Chadd Scott begin this week's episode of "Welcome to Florida" with unusual ways in which the holiday has been celebrated around the state.
20 years ago, a multi-billion dollar, bipartisan, multi-agency, decades-long plan to restore the Everglades to a more natural water flow and ecology was signed by President Bill Clinton and hailed as a fix for what ailed the 'Glades and a model of future ecosystem-scale conservation and environmental restoration globally. Since then, hardly a fraction of what was envisioned has been completed. Craig wrote about this in the Florida Phoenix online and we discuss.
Today's guest is Michael Ray FitzGerald, author of Jacksonville and the Roots of Southern Rock. Michael had a front row seat as a rock music fan living in Jacksonville when the musicians who would make up the Marshall Tucker Band, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Molly Hatchet came through Jacksonville on their way to superstardom. Why Jacksonville? Why that na…
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Dec 15, 2020
Episode 26: Miami 1980: Riots, Refugees and Cocaine
This week's episode begins with Craig Pittman offering advice to Governor Ron DeSantis.
Craig and Chadd Scott are joined by Nicholas Griffin, author of, "The Year of Dangerous Days: Riots, Refugees and Cocaine in Miami 1980." Griffin's book shares the remarkable, harrowing and history-altering interconnected stories of Cuba's Marielitos, the largest mass migration event in U.S. history, the explosion of the cocaine trade, and the race riots spawned by the acquital of four Miami-Dade police officers following their beating to death of Black resident Arthur McDuffie, all of which shook Miami to its foundations over a matter of weeks in 1980.
The episode closes with two noteworthy museum exhibitions worth your time, "Yesterday, This Was Home: The Ocoee Massacre of 1920" at the Orange County Regional History Center in Downtown Orlando, and an exhibit of the work of Ft. Myers resident Marcus Jansen at the Cornell Fine Arts Museum at Rollins College in Winter Park.
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Dec 8, 2020
Episode 25: Landscape photographer Clyde Butcher
Craig Pittman and Chadd Scott begin this week's episode talking about the return of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to public view following a month in hiding. Craig and Chadd discuss the governor's handling of the Coronavirus pandemic.
This week's guest is renowned Florida landscape photographer Clyde Butcher, Clyde has been photographing the state for 30 years and shares his favorite spots to shoot, tips for hobbyist photographers, and how his career led him into environmental activism.
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Dec 1, 2020
Episode 24: Tarpon fishing ('Lords of the Fly')
Craig Pittman shares good environmental news with Chadd Scott to begin this episode and the two discuss a quirky feature of Fernandina Beach's local government.
This week's guest is best-selling author Monte Burke whose latest book, "Lords of the Fly: Madness, Obsession, and the Hunt for the World Record Tarpon," dives into the tarpon fly fishing craze around Homosassa in the early 1980s. From Flip Pallot, to Ted Williams, Jimmy Buffett to a hardened gangster, everyone wanted to take a crack at landing a world record tarpon on fly tackle.
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Nov 24, 2020
Episode 23: Immigration (Cubans, Minorcans, Greeks, Puerto Ricans, Italians, Sicilians)
Craig Pittman and Chadd Scott begin this Thanksgiving Week episode discussing their favorite holiday traditions before engaging in a conversation with historian and author Gary Mormino about the influence immigrants have had, and continue to have, on Florida.
Mormino is the author of "The Immigrant World of Ybor City: Italians and their Latin Neighbors in tampa, 1885-1985."
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Nov 17, 2020
Episode 22: Florida TV shows
Craig Pittman and Chadd Scott take a break from the anxiety of 2020 to discuss their favorite Florida TV shows and the shows which have shaped the state's image. NPR TV critic Eric Deggans joins to discuss everything from "I Dream of Jeannie" to "Miami Vice," "Golden Girls," "Dexter" and "Siesta Key."
Remember to follow Craig on Twitter and Facebook @CraigTimes and Chadd on Twitter @ChaddScott.
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Nov 10, 2020
Episode 21: Election analysis and the Miami Book Fair
Craig Pittman and Chadd Scott begin this episode of "Welcome to Florida" discussing the 2020 election in Florida, why Trump took the state, where the Democrats failed and what it means moving forward.
This week's guest is Mitchell Kaplan, co-founder of the Miami Book Fair which begins November 15, the most prestigious litterary event in the country. Mitchell is a long-time Miami resident and owner of Books and Books bookstore. We discuss Miami's turnaround, why the fair and his shop have done so well in Miami, and he shares stories of Hunter S. Thompson and Judy Bloom.
Here's more information about the Miami Book Fair, and if you're interested in books, check out Mitchell's podcast, "The Literary Life with Mitchell Kaplan."
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Nov 3, 2020
Episode 20: Presidents at work and at play in Florida
This week's episode of "Welcome to Florida" releases on Super Tuesday! As Floridans go the the polls and await the outcome, Craig Pittman and Chadd Scott share their voting experiences from this year and years previous.
This week's guest is UCF historian Jim Clark. Jim has authored several books on Florida history, including "Presidents in Florida." That's what we're talking about this week. From Andrew Jackson to Donald Trump, Harry Truman's "Little White House" and the seeds of Watergate, we trace Florida's history from presidential afterthought to presidential essential.
Throughout election week, Craig will be covering developments in Florida for the "Washington Post." Follow him on Twitter @craigtimes to stay updated!
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Oct 27, 2020
Episode 19: Discovering forgotten cemeteries
On this week's Halloween-themed episode, Craig Pittman shares Florida ghost stories before Craig and Chadd Scott talk with Tampa Bay Times reporter Paul Guzzo who has done outstanding work finding lost cemeteries in the Bay Area.
The episode wraps up with a discussion of Craig's recent "National Geographic" article surrounding the end of greyhound racing in Florida.
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Oct 20, 2020
Episode 18: Presidential politics
This week's episode, unfortunately, begins with bad news as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has decided to begin water releases from Lake Okeechobee. Why does this happen and what makes this decision so environmentally ruinous? Craig Pittman and Chadd Scott explain.
Gary Fineout from Politico.com is this week's guest. He has covered government and politics in Florida for almost 30 years. Gary discusses many of the key issues impacting how the presidential race in Florida will turn out focusing on Florida's ever-evolving demographics.
Finally, Craig and Chadd share the story of their first in-person meeting which took place recently in St. Petersburg on Chadd's trip to the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg. The MFA, St. Pete is reinstalling its collection galleries with fabulous items spanning 5,000 years of human creativity. Also in St. Pete, check out the elegant and historic The Don CeSar hotel, on the beach, which has also undertaken a major renovation.
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Oct 13, 2020
Episode 17: Hiking
Craig Pittman and Chadd Scott begin this week's episode talking about a strange obsenity case from Florida's past which is back in the news. They also help you make sense of the proposed amendments to the state constitution on this year's ballot.
They're guests this episode are Sandra Friend and John Keatley. Sandra has written numerous guide books to hiking throughout Florida, she's logged almost 10,000 miles across the state on foot herself, and is the founder of FloridaHikes.com. John's a former NASA employee who's a Florida resident and has hiked, biked and paddled extensively around the state. He's also the author of numerous books on hiking in Florida.
Hiking season in Florida begins in October and we'll learn the best places to do just that.
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Oct 7, 2020
Episode 16: Lisa Nowak the NASA love triangle
In 2007, astronaut Lisa Nowak drove 900 miles to confront her lover's new lover in the parking lot of the Orlando airport. Then things really got weird, especially with the discovery of used diapers in her car.
This episode of "Welcome to Florida" features Craig Pittman and Chadd Scott discussing the NASA love triangle which fed the tabloids and legitimate media for weeks, cast a harsh spotlight on NASA, and changed the way it psychologically profiles astronauts with Kimberly Moore, author of "Starcrossed: The Story of Astronaut Lisa Nowak."
Craig and Chadd also discuss NASA's history in Florida, more chicanery from the state regarding how it approaches clean water and we show love to one of Florida's great historic, luxury resorts, the Ponte Vedra Inn & Club.
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Sep 30, 2020
Episode 15: Religion - Billy Graham, Jim Bakker and the Cult of Cyrus Teed
One of the many histories explored in Craig Pittman's great book on the state of Florida, "Oh, Florida!," is Florida's checkered history of religion. Billy Graham found his calling here. Martin Luther King was arrested here. Jim Bakker visited Florida for illicit sexual affairs.
Craig and Chadd Scott discuss these events on their way to being joined by this episode's guest, Lyn Millner, author of "The Allure of Immortality: An American Cult, a Florida Swamp and a Renegade Prophet." Millner's book recalls the Koreshan cult, which, among other things, believed the earth was hollow and that their founder, Cyrus Teed, was immortal.
Spoiler alert: he wasn't.
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Sep 23, 2020
Episode 14: Cigar City Mafia
Craig Pittman and Chadd Scott begin this week's episode discussing the latest environmental nightmare Floridians, and Florida Panthers, have to worry about.
This week's guest is Scott Deitche, author of "Cigar City Mafia" and numerous other books about the mob. He shares details and stories about the Mafia's involvement in Florida politics and gambling. The Mob was big in Tampa and South Florida, starting in the 1930s when they moved in on the locals who were bootlegging and running the bolita racket during Prohibition. In the 1950s, when the Kefauver Committee held hearings here, Senate investigators found mob influence in everything from the dog tracks to the sheriffs and even the governor's office.
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Sep 16, 2020
Episode 13: The Florida House, Florida's embassy in Washington, D.C.
This episode of "Welcome to Florida" was recorded hours after the attempted murder of Jacob Blake by police officers in Chadd Scott's home state of Wisconsin. Chadd and Craig Pittman discussed the shooting and their reactions to it, how Trayvon Martin's murder was the catalyst for Craig's book "Oh, Florida!" and why the Florida Department of Environmental Protection doesn't protect Florida's environment.
This week's guest is Diana Beckman, executive director at the Florida House, Florida's embassy in Washington, D.C. Florida is the only state with an embassy! Why does it need one? What takes place there? Find out on this episode of "Welcome to Florida!"
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Sep 9, 2020
Episode 12: The Floridan Aquifer
The Floridan Aquifer is one of the most amazing natural resources in the world, producing eight billion gallons of fresh water daily! Julie Hauserman joins Craig Pittman and Chadd Scott to discuss her book, "Drawn to the Deep: The Remarkable Underwater Explorations of Wes Skiles," which examines the aquifer, one of it's greatest champions - Wes Skiles - and the threats it faces.
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Sep 2, 2020
Episode 11: Author Carl Hiaasen
Multi-time best-selling author, Florida native and resident, Carl Hiaasen, joins us to discuss his latest book, Squeeze Me, a satire not-so-loosely based on Donald Trump.
We also shout out another of our favorite Florida-focused podcasts, "Wait Five Minutes," great work being done to restore coral reefs by the Mote Marine Laboratory & Acquarium and Craig shares exciting news on his writing career.
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Aug 26, 2020
Episode 10: Florida's State Symbols
This week, Craig and Chadd discuss Florida's state symbols with Mark Lane, Daytona Beach News Journal columnist and author of "Roaring Reptiles, Bountiful Citrus & Neon Pies."
Did you know Florida has a state song and a state anthem? A state reptile, state mammal, marine mammal, saltwater fish, freshwater fish, tree (which is actually a grass) and a remarkably unremarkable state bird due to the lobbying efforts of one of Florida's most villianous influence peddlers. And a state soil too.
Oh, and there's a state play with an outrageous history.
The seemingly mundane becomes contentious and provocative with regularity in Florida and the state's symbols are no exception.
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Aug 19, 2020
Episode 9: Tampa Bay Noir - a sunny place full of shady people
Craig and Chadd begin this week's episode discussing a recent list of Florida's "secret" tourist destinations.
This week's interview is with Colette Bancroft, editor and contributor to Tampa Bay Noir, a collection of fictionalized crime short-stories set in the Tampa Bay area.
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Aug 12, 2020
Episode 8: NUDISTS!
This week's episode begins with a conversation surrounding the loss of a great fall tradition in Florida before transitioning into a recent story Craig wrote in the Florida Phoenix about Governor Ron DeSantis' failure to fill vacant positions on the state's five water management districts. What are water management districts? Why are they critically important to life in Florida? We discuss.
This week's guest is Erich Schutthauf, Executive Director of the American Association for Nude Recreation. We talk all about how Florida became America's capitol for nude resorts, what to expect when visiting one, and common misconceptions about nudism.
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Aug 5, 2020
Episode 7: Wildlife rehab - The Bird Man, the Tiger King and the Bank Robber
Craig and Chadd begin this episode looking at Florida's checkered history of hosting political conventions. Craig wrote about the topic for Politico.com earlier in the summer as the Republicans were supposed to nominate Donald Trump in Jacksonville in late August before the event was cancelled due to COVID-19 health concerns.
This episode's guest is author Sarah Gerard who penned a series of essay's collectively titled "Sunshine State: Essays." One of the essays shares the story of the Suncoast Seabird Sanctuary and its founder Ralph Heath. Heath oversaw the Tampa-area wildlife rehab facility from its heights as the largest nonprofit wild bird hospital and sanctuary in the United States and tourist attraction, to run down and under investigation by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Every Florida story seemingly has a bright side and a dark side, this one brighter and darker than most.
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Jul 29, 2020
Episode 6: Walking across Florida with Lawton Chiles and Kent Russell
Craig Pittman and Chadd Scott recall the story of former Florida governor "Walkin'" Lawton Chiles and how he helped inspire author Kent Russell to similarly walk across Florida. Russell shares the story of his journey in the new book, "In the Land of Good Living: A Journey to the Heart of Florida."
This episode also features Craig explaining old-time Florida lingo such as "Florida cracker," "he-coon," and "worm gruntin.'"
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Jul 22, 2020
Episode 5: Classic roadside attractions (Weeki Wachee and Skunk Ape Research Center)
Craig and Chadd begin this week's episode discussing the collapse of the Apalachicola Bay oyster fishery which is likely to prevent the harvesting of any oysters there for the next five years.
This week's featured guest is Cathy Salustri, author of "Backroads of Paradise," a book detailing her 5,000 mile road trip across Florida highlighting the strange, kitschy and wonderful roadside attractions throughout Florida including Weeki Wachee Springs and the Skunk Ape Research Center.
The episode concludes with an update on Chance the Snapper at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm.
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Jul 15, 2020
Episode 4: The Villages
Craig and Chadd begin this week's episode with follow ups to Episode 3 on invasive species and Episode 2 regarding American Beach and Evan's Rendezvous. Also discussed was Craig's recent story from the Florida Phoenix about the Stillwright Point neighborhood in Key Largo and how Florida continues pushing for more development in areas especially prone to flooding.
This week's guest is Andrew Blechman, author of "Leisurland: Adventures in a World Without Children," which is all about the famous/notorious Florida planned 55+ community The Villages. The Villages has been in the news recently for fiesty Trump vs. Biden protests - from the comfort of golf carts of course - one of which led to Trump retweeting a video of a supporter shouting "White Power."
A conversation that was expected to be amusing takes a seriously dark turn as Blechman recalls stories of his time spent living in The Villages.
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Jul 8, 2020
Episode 3: Pythons!
This week's episode begins with Craig discussing his recent Florida Pheonix column about an experimental program releasing genetically modified mosquitos in the Keys. Also from the Florida Phoenix, Craig has a story about the longest running environmental battle in the state, the fight over the Kirkpatrick Dam.
Most of the episode, however, is spent with Burmese python hunter Donna Kalil who shares her harrowing adventures of python encouters in South Florida. For more than 10 years, Donna has been hunting these invasive snakes which have devastated the Everglades ecosystem. How many are there? How do you kill them? What do you get paid for killing them? What do they taste like? Oh, yeah, Donna cooks some of her catch. All of these questions and more are answered in this expansion of Craig's Flamingo Magazine article on female python hunters.
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Jul 1, 2020
Episode 2: Florida's Civil Rights history and American Beach
Craig Pittman and Chadd Scott begin this episode discussing a personal experience with white supremacy as Black Lives Matter protests and the nation's history of racial inequality fill our consciousness.
Craig shares stories of Florida's Civil Rights past including details about the arrest of Martin Luther King Jr. in St. Augustine.
The episode concludes with a conversation with Marsha Dean Phelts, author of "An American Beach for African Americans." Marsha grew up in Jacksonville visiting American Beach as a child. Why is American Beach important? Because the beach and community on Amelia Island was the first beach and resort in Florida set up specifically to welcome black visitors. Marsha has lived in American Beach for over 30 years now and shares stories of its past, present and future.
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Jun 24, 2020
Episode 1: ALLIGATORS!
J.R. Greene enjoys taking "Sweetie," the blind, 6-foot rescue alligator he cares for at Jungle Adventures wildlife park in Christmas, Florida to the Florida Key Lime Pie Store in Cocoa Beach. Despite her name, Sweetie does not eat pie.
A photo of Sweetie and J.R. at the Pie Store went viral recently as a classic, "only in Florida" sighting.
Craig Pittman and Chadd Scott talk to J.R. about how citizens in Florida share the state with alligators, safety tips for dealing with alligators, alligators' surprising comeback story in Florida and what to see and do at Jungle Adventures.
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Jun 18, 2020
Welcome to Florida: Preview
Meet best selling author, award winning reporter and Florida native Craig Pittman who is joined by radio personality Chadd Scott for the preview episode of "Welcome to Florida." In this series, Craig and Chadd will explore Florida's history, people, politics, environment, animals, current events and weirdness.
Meet Craig and Chadd as they discuss what they love most about Florida and how they came together to create the "Welcome to Florida" podcast.
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