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For 90 years, the Florida Wildlife Federation has stood for one thing: protecting what’s wild in Florida.

In a state where growth never sleeps and wild spaces are under constant pressure, we’ve been the line that doesn’t move. The force that pushes back. The wins that add up.

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Born from a movement of hunters and anglers who saw the land changing, we realized that if we didn’t fight for Florida’s wildlife, it would disappear.

That spirit of stewardship became our foundation, and over the decades, our roots have grown deeper.

Today, our impact branches into every corner of the state: our forests and rivers, our coasts and our springs, our neighborhoods and backyards. Wild Florida means something different to everyone, just as our reasons for protecting it vary. We’re anglers and birders. Gardeners and kayakers. Students and researchers. Hikers, photographers, and naturalists.

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Together, we’ve secured  protections for millions of acres of land.

Built wildlife corridors that reconnect fragmented habitats. Stopped developments that would have destroyed critical ecosystems. We’ve given species once counted as lost a fighting chance, and we’ve anchored into law critical protections for the future of Florida. 

Our work isn't finished. It's accelerating.

The threats are bigger, but so are we.

And as Florida grows, we’re growing with it: building stronger coalitions, winning smarter battles, and protecting more with every move we make.

This isn’t about preserving the past. It’s about fighting for our future: a Florida where the wild doesn’t just survive, it thrives. We are Deeply Rooted for Wild Florida. 

90 Years Protecting Wild Florida

1936

April 23, 1936 – Florida Wildlife Federation founded. In the mid-1930s, sportsmen and women across the nation united with a shared goal: to conserve not only game animals and their habitats, but all of America’s natural treasures. This growing conservation movement led to the founding of state wildlife federations, including FWF.

1943

Led the movement to create the Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission (GFC, now the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission) to codify and enforce protections for wildlife in Florida. It established management programs for wildlife based on science, including the restoration of deer populations.

1958

Successfully defended the few remaining Florida panthers to place them off limits to hunters.

1969

Supported the Department of Pollution Control, a new state agency created, now known as the Florida Department of Environmental Protection.

1970

Successfully urged President Nixon to halt construction of the Cross Florida Barge Canal, which created the Rodman Dam and choked off the free-flowing Ocklawaha River. It took until 1990 to finally get this lamentable project de-authorized by Congress.

1972

Supported the passage of the Land & Water Management Act which led to the creation of the Environmental and Endangered Lands (EEL) bill to provide funding for state land acquisitions.

1974

Helped to establish Big Cypress National Preserve.

1976

Supported the Kissimmee River Restoration Act, attempting to mitigate environmental damage done by channelizing the Kissimmee River.

1990

Backed the renowned Preservation 2000 initiative, passed by Florida’s legislature to acquire and protect more than 1.27 million acres of environmentally sensitive land over a 10-year period. In 2000, it gave way to the Florida Forever program, which put more land under conservation.

1994

Became a founding member of the Save our Sealife Campaign that removed gill nets from our marine waters by amending the state constitution.

2005

Joined other concerned organizations, represented by the Everglades Law Center, to force the Scripps Biomedical Institute to halt construction of its Florida headquarters on sensitive land at Mecca Farms right next to the Corbett Wildlife Area and to relocate to a more appropriate site. The project would have opened rural and natural areas of Palm Beach County to urban sprawl and highway construction.

2007

Prevailed in a lawsuit over the pumping of agricultural wastewater into Lake Okeechobee, when a federal judge ruled in our favor, compelling the purchase of Everglades land as part of overall restoration.

2008

Spearheaded the Conservation Easement Constitutional Amendment, which was approved by nearly 70% of voters and made Florida the first state in the nation to offer financial benefits for private land conservation easements.

2009

Created the Save our Seas, Beaches, and Shores campaign seeking to amend the state constitution to prohibit oil drilling in our state marine waters, and urged the Legislature to allow Floridians to vote on this critical issue.

2012

Helped get the Everglades, St Johns River, and Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) River Basin named as America's Great Waters.

2014

Helped to lead the Land and Water Conservation constitutional amendment campaign, securing dedicated funding for land and water conservation in Florida.

2018

Played a key role on the constitutional amendment campaign to ban oil drilling in state waters.

2022

Secured protections for the Goliath Grouper in their spawning areas off the coast of Southeast Florida.

Helped to officially halt the MCORES plan to construct three new toll roads from Collier County to the Georgia state line.

2024

Played a key role in halting the proposed developments within Florida State Parks by advocating for transparency and mobilizing public support. Helped to pass the State Park Preservation Act in 2025.

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I am FWF

We’re collecting stories from supporters across the state about the places, moments, and values that connect us to Florida’s wild places and inspire us to protect them.

I am FWF

We’re collecting stories from supporters across the state about the places, moments, and values that connect us to Florida’s wild places and inspire us to protect them.
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90 for 90 Wild Florida Challenge

Celebrate 90 years of conservation by exploring the wild places that make Florida unique. Complete 90 miles in Wild Spaces, 90 hours on the Water, or document 90 Wildlife species and discover more of the Florida worth protecting.

90 for 90 Wild Florida Challenge

Celebrate 90 years of conservation by exploring the wild places that make Florida unique. Complete 90 miles in Wild Spaces, 90 hours on the Water, or document 90 Wildlife species and discover more of the Florida worth protecting.
Learn More

2026 Photo Contest

Share your best Florida nature photos and celebrate 90 years of conservation. This year's theme, Wild Florida's Legacy, honors the wildlife and wild places that inspire us to protect Florida.

2026 Photo Contest

Share your best Florida nature photos and celebrate 90 years of conservation. This year's theme, Wild Florida's Legacy, honors the wildlife and wild places that inspire us to protect Florida.
Learn More

Initiative Name

Built wildlife corridors that reconnect fragmented habitats. Stopped developments that would have destroyed critical ecosystems. 

Initiative Name

Built wildlife corridors that reconnect fragmented habitats. Stopped developments that would have destroyed critical ecosystems. 
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Initiative Name

Built wildlife corridors that reconnect fragmented habitats. Stopped developments that would have destroyed critical ecosystems. 

Initiative Name

Built wildlife corridors that reconnect fragmented habitats. Stopped developments that would have destroyed critical ecosystems. 
Click Here

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With your help, we can keep Florida wild.

When you support the Federation, you’re helping protect the panther in South Florida through land conservation and expanding habitat connectivity for the black bear and many other species throughout the state. 
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