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Patchwork Wild: Stitching the Last Strands
Exploring the critical connections of Southwest Florida
About the Film
The Strand to Slough Expedition explores the Florida Wildlife Corridor from the coastal wetlands to cattle country, starting in Picayune Strand State Forest and traveling north through Audubon Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary, the Okaloacoochee Slough, and ending near the Caloosahatchee River. The core of the Expedition involves a multi-day journey of hiking, biking, and paddling through private and public lands vital to conserving Corridor connectivity. This Expedition explores high-priority areas crucial to keeping this southwestern edge connected to the rest of the statewide Florida Wildlife Corridor geography.
Family heritage, community connection, and spiritual significance tie many Floridians to the lands of southwest Florida. These connections are meaningful, and the unrelenting pace of development in the region has created an urgent need for the conservation of these irreplaceable spaces. The Expedition features family heritage, community and spiritual connections to the land, and local engagement with the Corridor. The trek also highlights agricultural lands critical to maintaining Corridor connections.
Following three trekkers and their guide, all of whom have deep ties to the lands and waters of the Northern Everglades and greater Corkscrew watershed. Over seven days, they hike, bike, and paddle from the ancient cypress swamps of Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park, through Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary and the Okaloacoochee Slough, to the banks of the Caloosahatchee River.
Family heritage, community connection, and spiritual significance tie many Floridians to the lands of southwest Florida. These connections are meaningful, and the unrelenting pace of development in the region has created an urgent need for the conservation of these irreplaceable spaces. The Expedition features family heritage, community and spiritual connections to the land, and local engagement with the Corridor. The trek also highlights agricultural lands critical to maintaining Corridor connections.
Following three trekkers and their guide, all of whom have deep ties to the lands and waters of the Northern Everglades and greater Corkscrew watershed. Over seven days, they hike, bike, and paddle from the ancient cypress swamps of Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park, through Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary and the Okaloacoochee Slough, to the banks of the Caloosahatchee River.
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About the Expedition: 2024 Strand to Slough
From the threaded strands of cypress and shallow sloughs, we follow three local trekkers—Laura Foht, Kenton Beal, and Em Kless—selected for their deep personal & professional ties to Florida's wild spaces, as they traverse through southwest Florida's coastal wetlands and make their way north to the Caloosahatchee River. A multi-day journey, the trekkers hiked, biked and paddled through a mosaic of private and public lands. Their journey highlights the urgent need for conservation in one of the state's most rapidly developing regions.Expedition Name
2024 Strand to SloughExpedition Goal
The expedition goal was to showcase the irreplaceable gaps in the Florida Wildlife Corridor and the vital role that working lands (like cattle ranches) play in connecting protected wilderness.Expedition Maps
Strand to Slough Expedition Map
(opens in a new tab)Start & End
From the coastal wetlands of Picayune Strand State Forest north through Audubon’s Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary and the Okaloacoochee Slough, ending near the Caloosahatchee RiverExpedition Team
Laura Foht
Kenton Beal
Em Kless
