FLORIDA WILD PLACES
Live Wildly is connecting people to wild Florida.
We’re bringing
wild Florida to you!
Catch Live Wildly in the wild at the beach, in the swamp, on the trail, and at concerts and events throughout the year!
JOIN THE
ADVENTURE
Cool mornings. Golden sunsets. More Florida adventures than you can fit in your calendar. 🌅🌿
Even if your wallet’s hurting from groceries or holiday season chaos, there are plenty of FREE or low-cost ways to get outside, connect with your community, and give your mind the reset it deserves.
📌 Tap the link in bio for the best free hikes, festivals, and fall adventures happening across Florida this November.
Some Florida bats have a secret glow — and scientists are stumped.
When researchers examined six North American bat species (including five that live in Florida), they found something wild: every single one glowed green under UV light. Wings, tails, legs — all shining the same shade.
What’s behind the glow? No one knows. It doesn’t change by species, age, or sex — so it’s probably not for mating or communication. Some scientists think it might be an evolutionary leftover… or maybe a purpose we just can’t see yet.
Whatever the reason, it’s one more reminder that even the most familiar parts of Florida’s wild still have mysteries hiding in the dark.
📖 Study: Roberson, B. J., S. Perea, D. DeRose-Broeckert, and S. B. Castleberry. 2025. “Glowing Green: A Quantitative Analysis of Photoluminescence in Six North American Bat Species.” Ecology and Evolution e71885. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.71885
📸 1: U.S. Forest Service. (2012, May 22). Seminole bat (Lasiurus seminolus) captured during a bat survey in Apalachicola National Forest, Florida. Photo by Porter Libby.
📸 2: Rhododendrites, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
📸 3: Roberson et al., Ecology and Evolution (2025)
This Sunday, Live Wildly hits the Florida Keys with @mistyewells on Discovery Channel’s Let’s Take It Outside.
From lobster dives to big conversations about conservation, we’re sharing what makes Florida’s lands and waters worth protecting.
Catch @lets_take_it_outside Sunday, Oct. 26 at 5:30 a.m. on Discovery Channel. (But if that’s way too early, don’t worry — it’s streaming later on Discovery GO and Discovery Plus. We’re not always morning people either 😂.)
#LiveWildly #LetsTakeItOutside #WeAreWildFlorida
If Florida panthers ever needed a side gig, horror movie voiceovers would definitely be the move 😳
Their deep rumbles and chirps might sound spooky, but they’re just how these elusive big cats communicate, mark territory, and check in with each other in the wild.
With fewer than 200 left, every sound is a precious reminder of their rarity—and why protecting their habitat is so vital.
You can help: click the link in our bio to join the movement—$1 from every sign-up goes directly to conservation.
🎥: FGCU’s Wings of Hope Panther Posse. Follow @fgcu_wingsofhope to support their free environmental education programs about Florida panthers.
impossible to NOT be one when you live in Florida tbh
One of the few places in the world where wildlife comes first… and humans can still enjoy it!
We 💛 National Wildlife Refuges.
Videos from @adventurist_sara
#WeAreWildFlorida #livewildlyfl
the lion does not concern itself…it just lives wildly. 🦁
Which of these is most relatable?
#livewildly #wearewildflorida
It’s World Animal Day — and these Florida critters are flying out to join the global mission for animal welfare. Who’s your seatmate? 🐊🦦🐢
#livewildlyfl
Live Wildly Adventurist, Nat Geo Explorer, and all-around inspiring human, @georgemckenziejr just won a Jackson Wild Media Award (aka the Oscars of Nature Films 👀) for his documentary The Book of George. 🎥🌎
The award was given in the highly competitive People in Nature category, which honors authentic, impactful narratives at the intersection of human experience and the natural world.
The film follows George’s journey from Brooklyn to Florida’s wild landscapes, where nature became both sanctuary and catalyst for transformation. His story is a powerful reminder that wild places can shape identity, inspire purpose, and heal.
Produced by Pure Gold Pictures in association with SLOmotion Films, The Book of George was directed by Danny Schmidt and supported by STIO Executive Producers Alex & Julie Wallace and Mallory Lykes Dimmitt. The film offers an intimate portrait of George and his extraordinary connection to the wild.
Huge congrats from the whole Live Wildly team! 🎉
#WeAreSoProud #jacksonwild #thebookofgeorge #livewildly
‼️🚨PSA: MISSING THESE FALL ADVENTURES WILL HAUNT YOU ALL YEAR. 👻🦇🎃
Pick an event. ANY event. Then send this to your people. Make them tremble with the fear of missing out. It builds character. If they STILL insist on staying inside, we’ll send our ghouls after them.
📌 Click the link in bio to see all the festivals, hikes, and outdoor adventures waiting for you this October!
Big win for wild Florida. 🎉🙌
Shoutout to @wildpath for putting this information together and @leyoho for taking the photos! Give them a follow while you’re here.
On September 30, the State of Florida approved funding to permanently conserve 22,183 acres across seven properties within and around the Florida Wildlife Corridor.
This milestone shows what’s possible when landowners, state agencies, and conservation partners unite for Florida’s future.
We’re grateful to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Florida Conservation Group, Putnam Land Conservancy, Family Lands Remembered, Saunders Real Estate, and many others who made this possible.
The properties include Bentley Ranch (Photo 1), Little Orange Creek Project - Little Orange Creek LLC (Photo 2), Bar B Ranch Project (Photo 3), Caloosahatchee/Big Cypress Project- Hoot Holdings, LLC (Photo 4), Big Bend Swamp/Holopaw Ranch Project - Lakes Place LLP (Photo 5), Caloosahatchee/ Big Cypress Project - Finca Vigia Ranch (Photo 6), and Remlap Ranch (Photo 7).
Remlap Ranch and Bentley Ranch will be protected through a rural lands conservation easement funded by the Rural and Family Lands Protection Program at FDACS. Little Orange Creek, Bar B Ranch, Caloosahatchee/Big Cypress Project - Hoot Holdings, Big Bend Swamp/Holopaw Ranch Project - Lakes Place, and Caloosahatchee/Big Cypress Project - Finca Vigia Ranch will be safeguarded through conservation easements funded by Florida Forever at DEP.
📸 Photos by @leyoho / @wildpath
🗺️ The map was created by Live Wildly’s own @angeline.maps
@fl.dep, Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, @floridaconservationfg, @putnam.land.conservancy, @familylandsremembered
Millions of Floridians and hundreds of species rely on Florida’s first State Preserve: Paynes Prairie.
If you love wild places, it’s a dream! Hike through open prairie, spot wild horses, go fishing, or paddle a canoe. But even if you never visit, Paynes Prairie is still helping you. It acts like a sponge, filtering water before it reaches the Floridan aquifer-aka, the source of 90% of Florida’s drinking water.
Whether you’re a migrating bird, a wild bison, or someone chugging a Stanley full of tap water, protecting this place matters.
We encourage everyone to continue highlighting the vital role wild places play in supporting all forms of life-including our own.
What’s your favorite thing about Payne’s Prairie?
#ProtectWildFlorida #LiveWildlyFL #PaynesPrairie
INVESTING IN THE FUTURE OF Wild Florida
Live Wildly strives to achieve a harmonious and sustainable future where economic prosperity coexists with a thriving and resilient ecological landscape.
