If you know a South Florida middle school student with a passion for our planet, we’ve got good news for you. Our Local 10 News Eco-Hero contest is back!
When you say Florida, most people think of our beautiful beaches, stretching from the panhandle south to Key West.
But our state is much more than miles of sun, sand and sea life. Florida has a wild side.
“Florida is one of the most diverse, beautiful places in our country,” said Ron Magill. “When we go into the internal parts of Florida, you see the crystal springs, the oak hammocks, cypress trees that are hundreds of years old. The history that you find in this state, the natural history, is overwhelming.”
The Eco-Hero contest is Magill’s baby.
Magill is the ambassador for Zoo Miami and passionate about creating young environmental ambassadors, who can make a difference in their schools and community.
“Students listen to their peers many times more than they do adults,” he said. “My objective was to get one of their peers, to plant the seed in them that can grow into this tree of passion about wildlife.”
This year’s Eco-Hero will go deep into Florida’s mysterious river of grass, spending several days and nights at an 8,000-acre ranch in the middle of the Everglades.
Our Eco-Hero will quickly learn that alligators aren’t the only ones who call the swamp home.
“The plethora of wildlife, the diversity, whether it’s bears, its panthers, all kinds of wading birds, otters, raccoons…this is really a dream for anyone who loves nature,” said Magill.
From the everglades, we will travel up Florida’s wildlife corridor, land we must protect to preserve its fragile eco-system and the many animals that call it home.
We’ll spend a week exploring parts of Florida that few get to see, swimming with endangered manatees and tracking Florida’s elusive panthers.
“The Florida wildlife corridor is basically a corridor that runs through the whole state of Florida,” said Magill. “It connects wildlife to different environments. It’s imperative to keep our state healthy, it’s imperative that the wildlife can go from environment to environment, to keep the genetic diversity. It’s a reflection of us. By protecting this corridor, by protecting these animals, we are protecting ourselves.”
This once in a lifetime experience will be turned into a primetime special airing on Local 10.
For more information on how to enter Local 10′s Eco-Hero Wild Florida contest, click here.
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