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Dear Carlton,
On behalf of Wildpath, I would like to thank you for supporting our campaigns that are continuing to inspire the protection of wild places like the Florida Wildlife Corridor. We are grateful for your enthusiasm throughout the past year sharing stories from our team and the Path of the Panther project.
The Path of the Panther project, with support from the National Geographic Society and multiple partners, helped inspire the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act in 2021, and the subsequent commitment of more than $800M in new funding for land protection. During the past year and a half, photographing wild Florida has never been more meaningful. Each Corridor property the Wildpath team and I visited is now on its way to being permanently protected as a result of the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act and the new conservation funding it helped mobilize. Since July of 2021, nearly 56,000 acres within the Corridor have been approved for protection by the state of Florida. Please see Wildpath.com/progress to see some of the incredible lands being saved.
Building on these successes, there is still great work before us. The Corridor is facing immense pressure from sprawling development that is threatening the survival of Florida’s native ecosystems and endangered species, like the Florida panther. If we wish to save the Florida Wildlife Corridor and steer new development closer to our urban cores, we must protect 900,000 acres by the end of the decade. This means protecting 10,000 acres per month for the next 8 years.
Earlier this month, world leaders, including the United States, signed a historic agreement with over 100 countries to curb the biodiversity crisis by committing to protect 30 percent of the planet’s land and water by 2030. If Florida rises to the challenge of protecting 900,000 acres of the Florida Wildlife Corridor by 2030, we will have protected 30 percent of our state's land, setting a global example for how ecosystems and economies can thrive together.
As we look towards 2023, we have incredible work ahead for Wildpath and the Path of the Panther project, including a statewide theatrical tour and streaming premiere for the Path of the Panther feature film and release of the Path of the Panther book published by National Geographic. Culminating seven years of work, these publications, and the impact campaign we are building around them, will create the greatest-yet public awareness for the Florida Wildlife Corridor and fuel the ongoing mission of many partners working together to protect it. Please stay connected with Wildpath in the New Year for new ways to join and help grow the movement.
Our team remains focused on the storytelling and advocacy needed to inspire permanent protection of the Florida Wildlife Corridor, while developing exciting new initiatives to conserve land and water. This work would not be possible without generous supporters and champions like you. Your donations help keep us on the front lines of conservation, building stories that inspire action. Please consider supporting our work by a year-end donation to Wildpath. Together, we will create a future in balance for people and wildlife – and the wild places that sustain us all.
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