Short film shows veterans making 57-mile trek through Florida Wildlife Corridor
A new short film documents a 57-mile trek along a section of the Florida Wildlife Corridor, the statewide network of conservation lands, by three veterans based in the Sunshine State.
“O2O: Path to Connection” follows U.S. Coast Guard veteran Brandie Dziegiel, Air Foce veteran Joe Howard and U.S. Army soldier Austin Jenkins as they paddle, bike and hike their way north from the tip of Ocala National Forest to Camp Blanding. The O2O refers to a 1.6 million acre segment of the Florida Wildlife Corridor that connects the Ocala and Osceola National Forests.
“In a word, O2O is freedom — freedom for wildlife and humans to safely roam without fear. The O2O is also an excellent place to get away from the hustle and bustle and recharge in nature,” Howard said in the film. “When I feel stress and anxiety, I know that going outside will remove all those challenges and make me refocus on what’s important, which is just enjoying life.”
On day one, the group was joined by Mallory Dimmitt, CEO of the Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation, and Joe Guthrie, a biologist who joined Dimmitt on a 1,000-mile expedition trek of the corridor in 2012. Since then, 18 million acres of contiguous wilderness and working lands have been connected to help Florida’s imperiled wildlife species.
Day two of this trek involved biking and hiking 27 miles from Buckman Lock to Etoniah Creek State Forest led by Jeff Glenn, the regional trail program manager for the Florida Trail Association.
“If I was a black bear or any animal, the obstacles we experience in the unprotected gaps would feel threatening,” Howard reflected in the film after a busy road crossing. “A corridor that links wild places to wild places allows animals, people and everyone to safely navigate their environment.”
Day three saw the veterans trekking and biking from Etoniah Creek State Forest to Mike Roess Gold Head Branch State Park with Rianna Elliott, the director of stewardship with the North Florida Land Trust.
“I saw firsthand that the Florida Wildlife Corridor from the Everglades to Georgia is really the backbone of Florida. Seeing the gaps in the corridor really hit home how important the mission of the Florida Wildlife Corridor is,” Jenkins said in the film. “The more of these gaps that we can close, that will really help conserve Florida’s wildlife.”
The final day of the trek brought the veterans to Camp Blanding Wildlife Management Area, which borders the military installation of the same name. There, the crew spotted endangered red-cockaded woodpecker, using that species as evidence of the corridor’s environmental success.
“The O2O is peaceful and serene. It’s where I go to be present and find inspiration,” Dziegiel said in the film. “This land is home to so many imperiled species and dedicated people who want to preserve it.”
How to watch: “O2O: Path to Connection” is streaming through WEDU, the Tampa PBS member station, online at video.wedu.org.
Read this article in Spanish: Un cortometraje muestra el recorrido de los veteranos por el Corredor de Vida Silvestre de Florida