USFSP sustainability club and biology program invited environmentalists to show their documentary that chronicles their journey along Florida’s “Forgotten Coast.”
One thousand miles and 70 days through Florida’s wilderness were captured in the documentary The Forgotten Coast: Return to Wild Florida.
Explorers Mallory Dimmitt, Carlton Ward Jr. and Joe Guthrie completed the journey designed to raise awareness about Florida’s Wildlife Corridor, the state’s “forgotten coast.”
The FWC is a network of terrains that stretch from the headwaters of the Everglades across rural Florida and along the Gulf Coast – finally ending at the Alabama-Florida border.
On Feb 3., the USF St. Petersburg biology department partnered with the Environmental Science and Sustainability Club to host a viewing of the film, in the college’s University Student Center.
Dimmitt and Ward Jr. introduced the film and answered questions after the showing.
Ward Jr., photographer at FWC, served as the film’s photographer, while Dimmitt works as a conservationist with the organization. Guthrie is a wildlife biologist based in Charlottesville, V.A., who helped the team track a bear’s trail, ensuring the authenticity of their chosen route.
From Jan. 10 to March 20, 2015, the group used bikes, kayaks, paddleboards and intrepid hiking to complete the journey.
“FWC” also serves as the name of the conservation group dedicated to protecting the area – a region under constant threat of increasing property development. The FWC aims to preserve and raise awareness of natural paths that are still used by large, wild species like black bears, white-tailed deer and Florida panthers.
Throughout the film, scenic shots of wilderness and wildlife are interspersed with the hiker’s musings about the environmental issues affecting the various regions explored.
Footage taken from cameras attached to bears and panthers show the crew attempting dangerous highway crossings that kill scores of large animals each year.
When asked about their favorite parts of the expedition, Dimmitt spoke about a scene where she swam with dolphins.
“They were feeding right in front of me, and one swam right past, looked at me and made a noise!”
Ultimately, the film seems to does what it intends to — viewers are left awe-struck by the immersive images of Florida’s mysterious side, and instilled with the desire to preserve it.
And FWC offered filmgoers a tool to do just that, in an envelope.
Pre-stamped, and left on each seat, were envelopes that contained informative letters regarding the preservation of the FWC. The letters included a list of contact information for all of Florida’s state representatives.
The written appeals encouraged legislators to use the state’s Amendment 1 funds for permanent conservation of these wilderness areas.
Amendment 1 – the Water and Land Conservation Amendment – was passed in Florida in Nov. 2014 with a 75 percent approval rating, endowing the state’s Water and Land Legacy coalition $10 billion over the next 20 years for the purposes of purchasing areas that surround crucial wildlife habitats, and ensuring water quality preservation extending down through the Everglades.
The film, directed by Eric Bendick and produced by Grizzly Creek Films, premiered in November 2015. It will air a second time on WUSF in April, but is available for immediate purchase from floridawildlifecorridor.org.
