2021 Impact Report
Protecting Wild Florida for Future Generations
A MESSAGE FROM THE CEO
2021 was a monumental year for the Florida Wildlife Corridor and our organization. The bipartisan, unanimous passing of the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act was a significant milestone that followed decades of advocacy and work among many of our partners, friends, and conservation heroes. The Act officially recognizes the irreplaceable value of connecting lands and waters, totaling nearly 20 million acres, and encourages its protection. We’ve since been publicly celebrating partner Corridor wins (land protection approvals or closings) to highlight regular progress for all audiences.
Protecting wild Florida is a calling I inherited from my family’s seven-generation history in this state. A decade of expeditions through the Florida Wildlife Corridor’s beautiful and diverse habitats bolstered the connection I feel to these lands, a connection that drives me as the CEO of the Foundation to expand conservation efforts for generations to come.
We’re proud of our 2021 accomplishments, which encompass the work of many dedicated scientists, conservationists, legislators, activists, artists, and more – but our work is far from over. We must continue to build that momentum through 2022 and beyond.
The Foundation is growing with new staff and roles. Jason Lauritsen was promoted to Chief Conservation Officer, and we hired three positions including Danna Bramlett as our Director of Development. There’s a lot of work to be done to save the Florida Wildlife Corridor, and our enhanced team empowers us to reach others and build a movement.
In early 2022, we changed our name to the Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation. The new name and logo represent the foundational nature of our organization – it’s inviting, inclusive, and lasting, to better serve us for the future. Our mission, our role, and our 501c3 status has not changed.
Investing in the Corridor is more important now than ever. Our recent Economic Report calculating the economic value of the Florida Wildlife Corridor reinforces the need to act with urgency. Public and private funding is crucial to keep the Corridor whole and sustain the working lands and livelihoods that underpin our state’s economy and provide green infrastructure benefits for all.
We are in a race to protect the Corridor. There’s no time to rest; we must act now and we need your continued support.
A MESSAGE FROM BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHAIRMAN
Thanks to our incredible community of supporters, 2021 was a pivotal year for our organization.
We made remarkable strides in our effort to build an unbroken corridor by increasing resources
and gathering partners. In these pages, you’ll see examples of the results made possible by the support of generous individuals, foundations, and businesses. I’m proud to be associated with this remarkable group and invite you to invest in the future of wild Florida if you haven’t done so already. Because despite our recent successes, there is much work to be done.
Everything we have accomplished this past year, and why we’re excited about the future, is possible because of passionate supporters of wild Florida. Your support is making a difference.
Thank you!
OUR MISSION
To champion a collaborative campaign to permanently connect, protect and restore the Florida Wildlife Corridor.
Florida’s population is growing fast, adding a million residents every three years. This growth exponentially strains our natural resources and habitat connections, and Florida’s wild places are at risk of disappearing forever.
If we wish to save wild Florida and the imperiled species it supports, we must permanently connect, protect and restore the Florida Wildlife Corridor.
Making the Case: Accelerating
the Pace of Conservation
Collective conservation efforts of Corridor partners added protections to 35,000 acres within the Florida Wildlife Corridor in 2021.
From the Panhandle’s Wolfe Creek Forest to South Florida’s Fakahatchee Strand, these conservation acquisitions involved federal, state, and local agencies working with land trusts, conservation organizations and committed landowners.
These actions have increased recreational opportunities on public lands and helped secure conservation values on working lands, both of which support local economies. As we celebrate these meaningful wins, it’s important to put into context the need to increase the pace and volume of Corridor conservation and focus attention on vulnerable sections of the connected landscape.
Making the Case: Accelerating
the Pace of Conservation
Efforts to increase wildlife corridor literacy over the years are now bearing fruit. In 2021, the state approved $400 million in land acquisition funding, four times the prior year’s allocation. Bill language indicated Florida Wildlife Corridor projects were to be prioritized for $300 million of this amount. Sustaining this level of funding in the years to come is essential to accelerate the pace of conservation and make up ground against the backdrop of a rapidly developing state.
BY THE NUMBERS
ECONOMIC IMPACT
FORCE
MULTIPLIERS
We joined forces with Path of the Panther and Archbold Biological Station to work in collaboration with partners including agencies, non-government organizations, private landowners, and statewide institutions toward achieving official recognition and funding for the corridor. Robust partnerships leverage the strength of each organization to amplify our collective wins.
PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
Path Of The Panther
Path of the Panther is an impact media project supported by the Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation and the National Geographic Society working to inspire the conservation of the Florida Wildlife Corridor. Since its founding in 2015, the Path of the Panther team, led by Carlton Ward Jr, has deployed an extensive network of remote photo and video wildlife camera traps on public and private land throughout the Corridor.
This led to a feature story in National Geographic Magazine and an impact film with the National Geographic Society which tangibly influenced the passage of the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act in 2021.
Donor support for these nationally lauded communications were directed through our organization in 2021 and Path of the Panther remains an important partner in protecting the Corridor.
PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
Saving the Florida Wildlife Corridor
Saving the Florida Wildlife Corridor
Through the voices of foresters, fishermen, ranchers and conservationists, the film Saving the Florida Wildlife Corridor offers a glimpse into one of America’s most unique and complex conservation opportunities, and highlights the need to collaborate to ensure its survival. We funded this film to help educate decision makers on the significance of protecting the Florida Wildlife Corridor, emphasizing the importance of the Corridor to local economies and ways of life. Sharing this film contributed to unanimous, bi-partisan passage of the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act in 2021.
PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
Florida Wildlife Corridor Act Becomes Law
Florida Wildlife Corridor Act Becomes Law
In 2021, the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act was signed into law. This landmark legislation takes a first key step toward creating a connected Corridor across the State of Florida and encourages conservation and sustainable development to sustain and conserve the green infrastructure that is the foundation of Florida’s economy and quality of life. The legislation seeks to secure habitats for wide- ranging wildlife, including the Florida panther, prevent fragmentation of critical lands, protect the headwaters of major watersheds such as the Everglades, help sustain working farms, ranches, and forests, and preserve lands and waters to protect coastal estuaries for generations to come.
PROJECT SPOTLIGHT
Spring2Shore Youth Expedition
For the first time in the history of our expeditions, we journeyed with three teen girls from the local region, the Nature Coast, to explore our vital connection to water. The Spring2Shore Expedition showcases our first female lead filmmaker and National Geographic photographer, Jenny Adler. This trek covered 50 miles on a 4-day journey starting from Rainbow Springs State Park and ending with an ocean debris cleanup by boat in Homosassa Bay. The team crossed an important yet unprotected bottleneck in the Corridor. This narrow stretch of Corridor links almost two million acres between the Big Bend and Nature Coast. Bottlenecks like this represent the best and often only remaining threads holding our treasured conservation lands together. The subsequent film, Home Waters, will be available late Spring of 2022.
Sponsors
The Spring2Shore Expedition and the Home Waters film were made possible through the generosity of the following businesses and individuals. Thank you!
PREMIER SPONSORS:
The Spurlino Foundation
Steve and Merrilee Nellis
Anne Drakett Thomas
Brian and Heidi Miller
Burt Eno
RiverGlades Family Offices
The Balmoral Group
Hancock Askew & Co.
Dwight Porter Lawn Maintenance Pamela Adkins
IN KIND SPONSORS:
Adventure Outpost, Lars Anderson
BOTE Boards
Citrus County Chamber of Commerce Dunnellon Chamber and Business Association
Greater Dunnellon Historical Society
Garden Doctor Teaching Farm, Kevin Gunter
Julie Mancini Photography
SPECIAL THANK YOU:
Amy & Jon Sharkey Angeline Meeks
Archbold Biological Station Asher Grilli
Ardath Prendergast Avery Palmer
Bill & Diane Vibbert Bill White
Blackdog Charters
Blackwater Grill & Bar
Captain Anna Snow
Citrus County Academy of Environmental Science
Debra Weiss, Friends of Withlacoochee Gulf Preserve
Donna Morrison Fine Art
Discover Crystal River
Dunnellon City Council
The Florida Springs Institute
Florida Wild
Friends of the Withlacoochee State Trail
George Washington Carver Community Center
Gissy Rainbow River Ranch Grace Hengesbach
Greg Levitt
Healthy Community Initiative Inglis Yankeetown Lions Club Jan Cubbage
John Semmes, Singing River Tours Josh Wooten
Katie Bryden
Lisa Baylor Artworks
Marine Science Station, Citrus Co. School District Missy King
Nancy Myers, Grumbles House Antiques
Ocean Aid 360
Office of Greenways and Trails, FL DEP Paul & Sandra Meraffino
Paula DiPaula
Rainbow River Chapter, National Society Daughters of the American Revolution Rainbow River Conservation Inc. Rainbow Springs State Park
Wally and Kathy Dunn
William Freund, fStop Foundation
William Watson
Withlacoochee Aquatic Restoration
Yankeetown Inglis Woman’s Club
Yankeetown Marina
FEATURING:
Ava Moody
Mallori Grey
Marin Best
Carlton Ward Jr
Joe Guthrie
Mallory Dimmitt
Filmmaker: Jenny Adler
Director of Photography: Ian Segebarth
Camera Trap Photography: fStop Foundation
Photography: Alex Freeze
Naturalist Guide: Lars Andersen
With Gratitude to Our Supporters
A Special Thank You to Bellini Better World for Transformative Gifts that are Accelerating the Pace of Preserving Wild Florida.
SUSTAINING GIVERS
The following individuals and foundations have made sustained gifts of over $1,000 per year, supporting our efforts to preserve wild Florida for generations to come.
Joseph Ambrozy • Grace Anderson • Virginia Arabia • Thomas D. Arthur • Ralph Arwood • Renée Athey & Tito Vargas • Rebecca & Mike Bays • Ann Burchenal • Don Burton, Burton Family Foundation • Mike & Janet Carroll • Culbreath Family Foundation • Lawrence & Vevie Dimmitt • Liz Dimmitt &
Piers Davies • Mallory Dimmitt & Bert Martin • Holly Duncan • Pit & Joy Gills Foundation • Allyn Golub • Neil & Sarah Harvey • Sally & David Hemerick •
The Jorgensen Foundation • Hunt & Molly James • Beth Jones • Kosman Foundation • Krusen Family Foundation • Joshua & Eileen Magidson • Marsha H. Martin • Deborah Mast • Sara & Harold O’Connell • J. Crayton Pruitt Foundation • Scott Rubin • Armando Sanchez-Abali • Marlene Spalten • Charles Sawyer • Thayer & Tready Arthur Smith • The Spurlino Foundation • Don & Bretta Sullivan • Tom Touchton • David & Linda Ward, Jr. • Alex & Sue Williams • Rob & Jackie Williams • George & Allison Wood
CORPORATE CONNECTORS
Corporate Connectors are a respected network of businesses that recognize the direct link between a healthy environment and a healthy economy. They share a vision of Florida growing the right way, for both people and wildlife alike.
The Bank of Tampa • Cadence • Carlouel Beach and Yacht Club • Carpe Diem Community Solutions • Columbia Restaurant Group • Creative Contractors • Crystal Springs Foundation • Homes by WestBay • JPMorgan Chase & Co. • Lykes Bros. Inc. • Pinch A Penny Pool Patio & Spa • RiverGlades Family Offices • Shutts & Bowen • Sunshine State Goods & Apparel • Van Middlesworth and Company, P.A.
DISTINGUISHED DONORS
Support from the following made a difference for our critical mission.
Oscar Anderson • Robert & Jill Bendick • Bellini Better World Foundation • Medea & Bruce Bern • Tiffany Busby • Grete Case • Gage Couch • Patricia Davies • Lisa Hanlon • Mary Jane Hillard Jones Foundation • Brent & Lois Fraser • Gregory Glenn • Ansley Graff • Harry Harrison • Neil l. Harvey • Christie Heavener • Sheryl Hockenbery • Glenn & Mary Jones • William G. Kelly • Tom & Lynda Mack • Judy Maish • Quinn Morgan & Upacala Mapatuna • Enrique l. Matta • Kristie McComb • Julianne McKeel • Wellington Meffert • Hannah & Wade Miller • John Mohr • Mark C. Patterson • Maurice LaMar Pearson • Lynn Pierson • Emily Perkins • Elizabeth & Peter Reynolds • Edward Rucks • Rebecca & Stu Sjouwerman • Townsend & Eileen Smith • Hilary M. Swain • David Tereshchuk • John & Wendy Thomas • Craig D. Timmins • Carol Woolfolk
Board of Directors
Thank you to the Board of Directors for their time, talent and treasure.
Sue Williams, Chairman
Community Leader and Philanthropist | Clearwater Beach
Amanda Moore, Vice Chairman
National Wildlife Federation | St. Petersburg
PJ Marinelli, Treasurer
RiverGlades Family Offices | Naples
Chad Rischar, Secretary
DRMP, Inc. | Gainesville
Oscar Anderson
The Southern Group | Orlando
Arnie Bellini
Bellini Better World Foundation | Tampa
Tiffany Busby
Wildwood Consulting | St. Augustine
Lynn Cherry
Carpe Diem Community Solutions | Panama City
Gage Couch
Cadence | Fort Lauderdale
Bert Martin
Martin Capital Management | St Petersburg
Maurice “Mo” Pearson
MSE Group | Orlando
Kimberly Davis Reyher
Coalition to Restore Coastal Louisiana | New
Orleans
FINANCIAL REPORT
REVENUE
TOTAL 2021 REVENUE: $4,958,309
EXPENSES
TOTAL 2021 EXPENSES:
$2,486,752
LIABILITIES: $1,172,605
ASSETS*: $5,614,169
*Includes reserve funds of $3,101,231 for future programming
Gross Revenue
2019: $1,481,010
2020: $1,215,652
2021: $4,958,309
WAYS TO GIVE
We offer a variety of giving vehicles through which you can support our vital mission. To learn more please visit our website at floridawildlifecorridor.org, or email,
Danna Bramlett, CFRE at Danna@floridawildlifecorridor.org
DONATIONS CAN MADE ONLINE OR MAILED TO:
2606 Fairfield Ave S
Bldg #7
Saint Petersburg, FL 33712
Gifts made to The Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization, are tax deductible.
CONTACT US
727.202.9055 info@floridawildlifecorridor.org
2606 Fairfield Ave S
Bldg #7
Saint Petersburg, FL 33712
