Ron DeSantis: junkie. Our subject this episode is the fabulous Mar-a-Lago estate on Palm Beach. We discuss it's history from Marjorie Merriweather Post through Donald Trump and what makes the mansion/private club special. Les Standiford, author of "Palm Beach, Mar-a-Lago, and the Rise of America's Xanadu," provides the expertise. Birds of a Feather…

The state's Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson wants to sell off public lands to farmers and ranchers. This week's subject is Betty Mae Tiger Jumper, first chairwoman of the Seminole Tribe in Florida. Our guest is Patsy West, co-author of Tiger Jumper's autobiography, "A Seminole Legend: The Life of Betty Mae Tiger Jumper." Birds of a Feather …

Could golf courses hold a solution for conservation in Florida? Tampa Bay is surprising young, and shallow, and NOT the name of a city. Our guest this episode is Evan Bennett, author of "Tampa Bay: The Story of an Estuary and Its People." Birds of a Feather Talk Together A podcast all about birds. Two bird experts, John Bates and Shannon Hackett, e…

Our episode begins with a $400 million mystery in the state budget. Folklorist and musician Robert Stone joins us. He helped bring the steel guitar music popular in the House of God and Church of the Living God communities in South Florida and around the South to greater prominence. Birds of a Feather Talk Together A podcast all about birds. Two bi…

Former Florida governor Bob Graham wasn't born an environmentalist, he became one. Our guest this episode is New York Times best-selling author, TIME magazine 100 most influential people for 2024, Gainesville resident, and now bookstore owner Lauren Groff. Groff's new bookstore, The Lynx Books, opened in late April 2024 with an emphasis on selling …

We begin this week's episode remembering former Florida governor and U.S. Senator Bob Graham who passed away recently. Our guest is Marty Fleischman who worked in the Jai-Alai industry across Florida for more than 40 years. He explains how the sport came to Florida, its rise to incredible popularity in Miami and Tampa, and the factors which have re…

Did you know there's oil drilling in Florida? Now you do. Our guest for this episode is archaeologist and professor in the anthropology department at USF Nancy Marie White. White researches ancient Indigenous people and cultures in the Florida Panhandle and has authored a pair of books on the subject. We're specifically discussing Indigenous mounds…

Journey along with Craig to Gilcrest Blue Springs. Our subject today is a giant of 20th century activism and equal rights: A. Philip Randolph. Randolph helped push through federal equal employment legislation, had a hand in integrating the American armed forces, and organized the 1963 March for Jobs and Freedom in Washington, D.C. Our guest is Alan…

Craig has a vision for the Museum of Florida History. Few people recognize the name Hamilton Disston. Our guest this episode, Josh Ginsberg, explains why Disston is essential to a complete understanding of Florida's history. Birds of a Feather Talk Together A podcast all about birds. Two bird experts, John Bates and Shannon Hackett, educate... List…

The Florida legislature has appropriated $25 million to study a problem it already knows the causes of and solutions for. Everyone knows Orlando for Disney, even though the theme park isn't inside the city limits, but there's a lot more to the Magic City than rides and tourists. Scott Maxwell has been writing for the Orlando Sentinel since 1998 and…

The Florida legislature is sacrificing outdoor workers to climate change. Read Florida corporate and government watchdog Jason Garcia's outstanding "Seeking Rents." The great Dave Barry joins the show this episode. His humor column ran from 1983 through 2005 in the Miami Herald. He was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for his commentary in 1988. He's aut…

When does "permanent" have an expiration date? When the term is applied to a conservation easement in Florida. Our guest is Florida historian and author Robert Redd who's written numerous books on Florida, including two on the state's role in the Civil War. Birds of a Feather Talk Together A podcast all about birds. Two bird experts, John Bates and…

The Florida legislature is attempting to solve climate change by ignoring it. Florida is the epicenter of right wing efforts nationally to ban books, discriminatory efforts targeting books with LGBTQ+ as well as Black and brown characters. Katie Blankenship is the Director of PEN America Florida, a new outreach effort to combat the government suppr…

Great news for conservation in Florida starts this episode! Janet Reno is best known as being the first female U.S. Attorney General during the Clinton Administration. She was also a Floridian, born and raised in Miami. Judith Hicks Stiehm has written the definitive biography of Reno, "Janet Reno: A Life." Judith Hicks Stiehm's daughter Jamie Stieh…

This episode begins in Estero Bay. Florida's geology, it's sandy surface soil, abundance of surface water and ground water, and limestone karst bedrock make it the sinkhole capital of America. Ann Tihansky studied sinkholes for many years in Florida with the U.S. Geologic Survey and put together the "Sinkholes 101" guidebook. She joins us to explai…

Members of the Florida State Legislature want to protect the rights of single use plastics. Journalist Ben Montgomery worked as a reporting duo helping expose the Dozier School for Boys in Marianna, a facility with a horrifying 100 year history of torture. The story is graphic and gruesome, details we'll discuss in this episode. Additional reading …

Now that his presidential campaign is over, Craig Pittman has some advice for Ron DeSantis. Warren Zanes played music with rock icon Tom Petty and was his friend for decades. He also wrote Petty's biography, "Petty: The Biography." Zanes joins us to discuss Gainesville's Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Birds of a Feather Talk Together A podcast al…

The Florida legislature is attempting to make it more difficult for home inspectors to do their jobs in securing the safety of residents moving into new construction. The era of the Johns Committee was one of the darkest in Florida's history. Stacy Braukman's book "Communists and Perverts Under the Palms: The John's Committee 1956-1965" details the…

Developers and state politicians want to cram more homes into the Keys despite state law prohibiting them from doing so. The inaugural Florida Man Games will be held February 24, 2024, in St. Augustine. Founder Pete Melfi joins us to discuss. Birds of a Feather Talk Together A podcast all about birds. Two bird experts, John Bates and Shannon Hacket…

A Levy County resident wants to put a sand mine on his property endangering the University of Florida's planetarium. We're discussing carnivorous plants this week with Kenny Coogan, owner of Critter Companions by Kenny Coogan nursery in Tampa specializing in carnivorous plants, and author of "Florida's Carnivorous Plants." Follow Kenny on Instagram…

Legendary Florida author Randy Wayne White joins us for this episode to discuss how he came to Florida, making the transition from newspaper man to charter boat captain, and eventually on to becoming the New York Times bestselling writer of the Doc Ford series of novels. We'll also talk about his decision to ride out Hurricane Ian on Sanibel Island…

Craig has a list of New Year's Resolutions to pass out around the state, starting with our idiot Department of Transportation secretary. Author Lu Vickers is our guest this episode. She joined us back on Episode 100 along with an original Weeki Wachee mermaid. This time, we're talking about Dick Pope, founder of Cypress Gardens. If you'd like to su…

When did "environmentalist" become a dirty word to Republicans? Our guest for this episode is author Jack Davis. Davis has joined us twice before to discuss the recovery of the bald eagle and the Gulf of Mexico. Check the archive for those two outstanding shows. This time, we're discussing a Florida icon, a feminist icon, a conservation icon, and a…

A pair of proposed mega-developments in southwest Florida would prevent the Florida panther from ever expanding its numbers if approved. Critical to an understanding of Florida history is its roots as a Spanish colony, not a British colony like Georgia and South Carolina. Kevin Kokomoor is an historian and the author of "La Florida: Catholics, Conq…

Global Warming is causing the oceans to acidify creating an existential threat to the ocean food chain and the seafood industry and Florida politician's largely don't care. Hank Asher is the most important man you've never heard of. He's a Florida man who moved to the Sunshine State in the 70s. His life would intersect with the drug trade, the 2000…

We begin this episode with sad news and the passing of Florida author Tim Dorsey. Dorsey joined us on Episode 73. Did you know the longest private airstrip in America is in Florida? The Brian DePalma-directed 'Scarface' from 1983 starring Al Pacino as Cuban immigrant turned Miami cocaine kingpin Tony Montana alongside Michelle Pfeiffer celebrates i…

"Welcome (back)to Florida" Jeff Bezos. We're getting wet on this episode and learning about the Atlantic Goliath Grouper. Our guest is marine scientist, researcher and conservationist Sarah Frias-Torres who spent 20 years in Florida studying this magnificent fish. Find her on Twitter and Instagram @GrouperDoc. In the episode, she mentioned a scient…

There is no love affair as strong as the one between the Florida legislature and developers. Politicos in Tallahassee just gave the industry another major gift. In 2018, Florida voters in overwhelming fashion put a stop to greyhound racing by voting for a constitutional amendment outlawing it. Carey M. Theil helped lead the grassroots effort to ban…

We enjoy every episode of "Welcome to Florida," but enjoyed this one more than most. This story takes us to Fort George Island about midway between Jacksonville and Amelia Island by the St. John's River and Atlantic Ocean. This is the location of Kingsley Plantation, named for its owner Zephaniah Kingsley. His, however, is not the most interesting …

Was it simple incompetence or something more sinister which cost Florida the chance to receive millions of dollars in federal funding to apply toward residential solar power. Our guest this week is Rebecca Renner who's new book "Gator Country: Deception, Danger, and Alligators in the Everglades" tells the story of an undercover Florida Fish and Wil…

Manatees in Florida could be placed back on the Endangered Species List. One of the greatest miscarriages of justice in America occurred in Port St. Joe, Florida in the case of Freddie Lee Pitts and Wilbert Lee. The two Black men were convicted of a double homicide despite no physical evidence, no credible eyewitness, confessions forced via police …

Valerie Vande Panne fills in again for Chadd Scott on this episode and she and Craig start off by discussing his latest Flamingo magazine article about airboats. Find Valerie and follow her work on her Substack page. This episode's guest is William McKeen, author of "Mile Marker Zero: The Moveable Feast of Key West," which details the cultural, ant…

Valerie Vande Panne filled in for Chadd Scott on this episode of "Welcome to Florida." She and Craig began by discussing his latest Florida Phoenix column on airboats. Keep up with Valerie on Substack. This episode's guest is Craig Allen, author of "Univision, Telemundo, and the Rise of Spanish-Language Television in the United States." Both networ…

Why reinstituting a bear hunt, which failed ignominiously in 2015, is not the solution for increased human-bear interaction in Florida. In this episode we discuss the ghost orchid with longtime Fakahatchee Strand Preserve park biologist Mike Owen. "Welcome to Florida," as always, is presented by Windstorm Products and windstormproducts.com the No. …

Ron DeSantis wants MORE fossil fuels and fewer regulations on fossil fuel companies. The Florida Museum of Natural History on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville possesses one of the largest, most comprehensive and finest collections natural history in the world. Heather Dewar's gorgeous coffee table book, "All Things Beautiful: …

This episode begins by remembering a legend in Florida journalism. Had a development for the Big Bend area of Florida been proposed in recent years, it would have been approved, and the recent hurricane damage there would have been much worse. Our guest is Paul George from the History Miami Museum who tells us all about the founder of Miami Beach, …

A closed meeting in Israel resulted in Ron DeSantis allowing a foreign company to disperse its supposed miracle cure for blue green algae in waters across the state without the product previously being tested for potential negative environmental or human health effects. Our guests this episode are Vickie Oldham, president and CEO of the Sarasota Af…

This episode begins by paying our respects to Jimmy Buffett and his conservation work in Florida. Our guest is Florida Keys historian Brad Bertelli who tells us all about conch, the gastropod, conchs, the people, and the Conch Republic, better known as the Florida Keys. His Florida Keys history Facebook group is a wonderful resource and community f…

Jacksonville used to stink. Literally. Bad. That was a result of paper mills. What turned Jacksonville around serves as a model for how the state can solve its toxic algae bloom crisis. The Castillo de San Marcos is one of the top tourist attractions in St. Augustine. The Spanish fort at one time served an important military purpose for Spain's col…

We begin this episode with county commissioners in Manatee County favoring sprawl over wetlands. Our guest is University of Florida professor of insect systematics and taxonomy and firefly researcher Marc Branham who tells us all about these fascinating insects. "Welcome to Florida" is presented by Windstorm Products the leading online retailer of …

While the world burns and Florida scorches as a result of global warming driven by carbon emissions, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection is working to prevent fossil fuel power plants from having to clean up their act. Former "Welcome to Florida" guest Diane Roberts wrote a wonderful column for the Florida Phoenix recently titled, "G…

This week's episode begins with Florida's connection to the Endangered Species Act. Our guest is Josh Liller, historian and collections manager at the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse. Josh edited the Florida Lighthouse Trail book and is a member of the Florida Lighthouse Association, which you can join as well. We discuss the history of lighthouses and li…

We begin our episode with a Florida location we've not discussed previously: Alva. Our guest is JB Miller, a Mennonite who grew up in Pinecraft next to Sarasota in the 60s and 70s. A community of Mennonite and Amish farmers started coming to the area to farm in the 1930s and has persisted ever since. No longer farming, tourism is now the top draw. …

We begin with a follow-up to last week's episode in which we talked to legendary Florida conservationist Jack Rudloe. Our guest this episode is author and historian Robert Bucellatto whose book "Rumrunners and Moonshiners of Old Florida" recalls the Prohibition era in Florida. If you'd like to personally support the production of "Welcome to Florid…

What is "environmental racism?" It goes on all over Florida (BIG SUGAR). Craig Pittman explains. Jack Rudloe has been observing marine life on the Gulf of Mexico around Panacea, FL since the 1950s. He's an author. An environmental activist. And founder of the Gulf Specimen Marine Laboratory. We mention Jack's abuse at the hands of law enforcement; …

Not only is climate change adversely impacting those of us on land, it's warming waters around Florida taking a toll on marine life. Our guest this episode is Kevin Sheilley, president and CEO of the Ocala Metro Chamber and Economic Partnership. Ocala is "the Horse Capitol of the World." Kevin explains how the city earned that moniker, when Florida…

This week's episode begins with a look at the series of disastrous bills signed into law by Ron DeSantis that will imperil Florida's environment for decades to come, if not forever. Our guest this week is author Michael Tougias whose book "Above & Beyond: John F. Kennedy and America's Most Dangerous Cold War Spy Mission" centers around the Cuban Mi…

We begin today's show with some shady developer dealings in Captiva. Florida is as well-known as a haven for retirees as anything. Helping people make that transition is the American Association of Retired Persons - AARP. Jeff Johnson is the state director for AARP Florida and he joins us to discuss AARP's work in Florida. Thanks again to Windstorm…

We have hit the 3rd anniversary of the "Welcome to Florida" podcast and we want to thank you for listening. If you'd like to take your support of the show further, you can do so by becoming a patron at www.patreon.com/welcometoflorida. For as little as $5 a month you'll help us continue producing the show and have access to exclusive bonus episodes…

What's weird? A Florida city council suing its citizens over the topic of clean water. Eliot Kleinberg is the father of "weird Florida." In 1998, he published "Weird Florida," a compilation of Florida oddities which would eventually spawn the weird Florida and Florida man genres. Eliot joins us this week, his second appearance on the show. Thank yo…