Walking the Florida Wildlife Corridor with Carlton Ward Jr | 360°

As an conservation photographer, Carlton Ward Jr has a vested interest in preserving Florida's natural lands. As an eighth-generation Floridian, it's a bit more personal.

In 2010, Ward helped create the Florida Wildlife Corridor, a program to raise awareness for an ecological corridor connecting Florida's protected lands. By joining existing parks and preserves, the corridor would conserve one continuous habitat for endangered species, like the Florida Panther, and protect key water sources. While the corridor spans 15.8 million acres, only 9.5 million acres are currently protected. The remaining 6.3 million acres are under threat, as they’re developed at a rate of 100,000 acres per year. Without additional conservation, much of the corridor could be lost, permanently isolating Florida’s parks and preserves.

Through his photography, Ward strives to raise awareness and appreciation for these vulnerable lands, which are critical to Florida's future. In this 360° video, Ward takes the viewer deep into the various habitats that make up the Florida Wildlife Corridor, from an underpass beneath Interstate 75, to the middle of a Cypress Strand. On the journey, he shares the unexpected beauty of these wild places, and why they deserve to be protected for generations to come.

For more information about the Florida Wildlife Corridor, visit: http://floridawildlifecorridor.org/.
For more information about Carlton Ward Jr, visit: https://www.carltonward.com/.
For more information about Ward’s Path of the Panther project, visit http://pathofthepanther.org/.