Corridors give wildlife the space they need, increasing survival for numerous at-risk species – including the Florida panther, Florida black bear, and Florida scrub jay – by reconnecting isolated populations and increasing access to food and shelter. Corridors are also essential in supporting human well-being, sustaining healthy ecosystems, and fostering sustainable development for present and future generations.
The Florida Wildlife Corridor is a statewide land conservation initiative comprised of nearly 18 million acres of contiguous wilderness and working lands. Located in the center of the state, over 50% of the Florida Wildlife Corridor’s 18 million acres are already protected.
Southwest Florida’s Wildlife Corridor
Together with our conservation community, we are creating our own corridor here in Southwest Florida – stretching from Duette Preserve in Manatee County through the Myakka Island Conservation Corridor down to the Babcock Webb Wildlife Management Area and then all the way down to the Everglades. Our ultimate goal is to connect our Southwest Florida Wildlife Corridor with the Florida Wildlife Corridor to create an even more expansive network of conserved lands throughout the state.
Just like the Florida Wildlife Corridor, our Southwest Florida Wildlife Corridor is a landscape-scale, ecosystem-level initiative protecting the natural lands vital to the health of our region. Connecting four rivers – Myakka, Manatee, Peace, and Caloosahatchee – and supporting three national estuaries – Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, and Charlotte Harbor – creating this corridor safeguards clean water; supports working farms, ranchlands, and forests; and benefits numerous animal species from gopher tortoise and scrub jay living in high scrub-lands to tarpon and snook traveling up and down rivers and throughout estuaries.
Continued Connections
To date, we have protected almost 18,000 acres within the Southwest Florida Wildlife Corridor. These include numerous working ranchlands, such as Longino Ranch, Walton Ranch, and Triangle Ranch, along with public lands such as the 5,777-acre Orange Hammock Ranch.
To bolster this corridor and continue filling in the missing pieces, we are currently seeking properties in eastern Manatee County, western DeSoto County along the Peace River, southwestern Hardee County, Charlotte County surrounding Babcock-Webb WMA, and Lee and Collier Counties in and around already protected places like CREW Wildlife and Environmental Area.
Tremendous amounts of funding are available from local, state, and federal government programs to conserve priority lands, especially those falling within corridor focus areas. By partnering with willing landowners to find the best ways to conserve their land, we can creatively and collaboratively protect the natural areas and working lands our future depends on.
Those interested in learning more about how to protect their land, including funding resources available, are encouraged to complete our online contact form here or call us at 941-918-2100. We also invite you to email our Director of Land Protection, Brooke Langston, or our Land Stewardship Manager, Lee Amos.
If you would like to make a gift to support our continued corridor efforts, please visit our donation page here.
