TAMPA, FLORIDA / ACCESSWIRE / December 16, 2024 / A new online conservation tracking tool, more than $300 million in conservation funding, a nature-focused outdoor music festival, and the creation of a state-wide celebration honoring Florida's state parks are just a few of the successes Live Wildly, a non-profit working to advance conservation across Florida, supported in 2024 through partnerships with academic institutions, government leaders, local communities, and others.

Over the past year, Live Wildly has also signed up nearly 12,000 members for its "Join the Movement" campaign, which, in addition to donating $1 to land conservation for every person who joins, also helps people learn more about the important role Florida's lands and waters play in their daily lives.

"Live Wildly believes that people will protect what they love. That's why Live Wildly is helping people fall in love with wild Florida and inspiring them to take action to save it," said Lisa Shipley, Live Wildly's CEO.

Live Wildly kicked off 2024 by working with state lawmakers and the Florida State Parks Foundation to declare January 31 this year "State Parks Day," a celebration of Florida's state parks that draws nearly 30 million visitors each year and generates more than $3 billion in annual revenue.

The Florida State Parks Foundation and Live Wildly also partnered together to host the first-ever "Explore the Corridor Week," a public volunteering drive held at 40 state parks. The annual event drew more than 300 volunteers across Florida who contributed 1,200 hours of in-service time to such essential activities as removing invasive plants, cleaning up litter, restoring hiking trails, and collecting data on wildlife.

Live Wildly this year also worked with the Florida Natural Areas Inventory, a natural heritage program housed under Florida State University, to launch the Florida Conservation Land Acquisitions database, an online tool that compiles conservation data from government agencies and non-profit organizations. The tool allows people to track the progress of conservation efforts across the state with a focus on the protection of Florida's Wildlife Corridor.

The Florida Wildlife Corridor was established by state lawmakers in 2021 and is the nation's largest statewide conservation effort of its kind. Stretching from Florida's panhandle down to the everglades, the Wildlife Corridor encompasses 18 million acres of wild and working lands. Only about 10 million acres of the Florida Wildlife Corridor are currently conserved, with another 8 million considered "opportunity areas" in need of protection. As Live Wildly works to conserve lands and waters across Florida, its first priority is ensuring the full protection of the Wildlife Corridor.

"Healthy lands and waters are the backbone of Florida's thriving communities and economies," said Shipley, adding that the Wildlife Corridor supports 114,000 jobs and generates $30 billion in annual revenue through recreation, tourism, agriculture, forestry, and many other industries. "With more than 1,200 new residents moving to Florida every day, the Wildlife Corridor demonstrates how we can balance the needs of both people and nature."

Other conservation successes supported by Live Wildly in 2024 include:

• Working with the Trust for Public Lands to back four ballot measures that secured nearly $350 million in conservation funding for Florida. Voters in Clay, Lake, Osceola, and Martin counties overwhelmingly approved the measures during the November elections, directing funding to such activities as preserving wildlife habitat, expanding outdoor recreational opportunities, and securing clean drinking water.

• Funding a ground-breaking scientific study conducted by Florida Atlantic University, the Archbold Biological Station, and other collaborators that showed how fully conserving the Florida Wildlife Corridor can help shield local communities from the growing impacts of climate change.

• Partnering with the Sing Out Loud Music Festival to raise over $160,000 for conservation. Along with enjoying music from headliners Noah Kahan, Eric Church, Nora Jones, JJ Grey, and others, festival attendees had the opportunity to explore Live Wildly's immersive showcase tent that surrounded concertgoers with the sights and sounds of wild Florida's lands, waters, and diverse species.

In addition, a new preserve was named this year after Live Wildly's founder, Arnie Bellini. The Bellini Preserve in Polk County encompasses 639 acres of hardwood forests, scrublands, and freshwater marshlands all within the Wildlife Corridor. Bellini, who originally purchased the property in 2020 to prevent it from being developed, worked with the non-profit Conservation Florida, the Department of Defense, Polk County Natural Lands, and the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to create the preserve and ensure its permanent protection.

ABOUT LIVE WILDLY FOUNDATION

Founded in 2022, the Live Wildly Foundation applies an entrepreneurial approach to protecting wild Florida while seeking to balance smart growth, a robust economy, and a connected, resilient landscape. Through creating diverse coalitions, fostering collaboration, and empowering stakeholders to advance conservation efforts, Live Wildly strives to achieve a harmonious and sustainable future in which economic prosperity coexists with a thriving and resilient ecological landscape. Their first priority is the Florida Wildlife Corridor. This 18-million-acre wildlife superhighway is a model for public-private partnership, citizen advocacy, and grassroots support. Live Wildly encourages people to ‘Join the Movement' to protect wild Florida. For more information, please visit www.livewildly.com.

Contact Information

Meredith Budd
Director, Strategic Initiatives
meredith@livewildly.com
239-248-4494

Michelle Yepez
Events Producer
michelle@livewildly.com
813-416-6641

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SOURCE: Live Wildly Foundation