Why Do Florida’s Parks Need Protection? | The Story of Florida's State Parks

In the third episode of our documentary series on Florida’s state parks, we continue our journey through the landscapes, stories, and people that shaped Florida's park system. Discover how the visionaries of the 1970s and 1980s fought to preserve Florida’s most treasured landscapes, like Payne’s Prairie, Falling Waters, and the Fakahatchee Strand — the "Amazon of Florida." Meet the rangers, biologists, and everyday heroes who brought bison back to the prairies, restored wildfires as vital ecological tools, and protected sacred Indigenous lands. -Learn about the return of the iconic ghost orchid -Follow the story of bison and cracker ponies on the prairie -Understand the role of fire in Florida’s ecosystems -Explore the towering waterfall of Falling Waters and the deep cultural roots of The Barnacle -See how citizen volunteers helped transform the park system into a national model Watch Part 1: https://youtu.be/2W8y_HoPTMY Watch Part 2: https://youtu.be/1RdFshGENls South Florida documentaries - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLr4S3PqZjXgllk0qd4y709FmUzHS5JH7O ------------------------- We couldn’t do this without you! Support South Florida PBS by donating here: https://bit.ly/SupportSFPBS Subscribe to our channel: https://www.youtube.com/@SouthFloridaPBS Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wpbt2/ Follow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@southfloridapbs Follow us on BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/southfloridapbs.bsky.social -------------------------- 00:00 – Introduction: The Legacy of Florida State Parks 01:09 – Payne’s Prairie: Return of the Bison 05:48 –Prescribed Fire and Ecosystem Management 09:40 – Fakahatchee Strand: Saving the Amazon of Florida 13:50 – Florida's Springs: Protecting Natural Water Wonders 17:40 – Rangers, Volunteers, and the Legacy of Stewardship 21:00 – Protecting the Real Florida for Future Generations --------------------------- #floridastateparks #history #documentary #conservation #floridaparks #floridahistory #historydocumentary #floridanature #naturelovers #paynesprairie #floridasprings #naturepreservation #environmentalstewardship