Many folks know the swamplands of the Everglades, but often overlooked and less well-known is a swamp that spans between both Florida and Georgia, the Okefenokee. In today’s episode, we hear from Executive Director of the Okefenokee Swamp Park & Adventures, Kim Bednarek. The Okefenokee Swamp Park & Adventures is an 80-year-old nonprofit dedicated to fostering a deep connection with nature and conserving its ecological health through stewardship, education, and outdoor recreation in and around the Okefenokee. Kim stepped into this role in 2020, and has since led the transformation of the organization to become a regional backbone for conservation, expanded educational access, and advanced a bold vision: an initiative designed to connect community development with nature-based tourism around the Okefenokee Region. From conversations over lunch at Whistlin Dixie’s to representing the United States on the world stage at United Nations meetings, Kim and her team embody place-based conservation.

With her more than two decades of experience spanning environmental conservation, education, and nonprofit management, Kim championed and led the national effort to secure the inscription of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge as Georgia’s first, and Florida’s second, UNESCO World Heritage site, fulfilling a more than 40-year vision.

This discussion explores what this new status means, not only for the National Wildlife Refuge, but more importantly for the surrounding rural communities. We dive into the intersection of natural resource protection and economic development, learning about efforts Kim and her partners are shaping such as the Okefenokee Partnership, a collaboration among local governments, regional employers, community-based organizations, and other stakeholders to facilitate dialogue and connectivity around shared priorities that address regional challenges. This, as we discuss, can serve as a model beyond just the Okefenokee for fostering bio-regional collaboration for economic resilience and prosperity.

We talk about how to tell a representative story about a place, working on large time scales and how to take on and then pass the metaphorical baton of deep place-based work, leading through listening and empathy, and much more.

Be sure to visit the Okefenokee at either of the Okefenokee Swamp Park or Okefenokee Adventures at the gateway communities of Waycross, Ga, or Folkston, GA. To learn more, register and tune in to the Florida Wildlife Corridor’s Corridor Connect + “Flow Of Conservation” webinar on October 23rd at 11:30 AM to hear from Kim, along with other statewide partners; and check out the links below:

Thanks to Kim for her time, and to Josh Howard, Operations Manager at Okefenokee Adventures.

Resources mentioned:

• The Okefenokee Partnership – Okefenokee World Heritage Site
• Okefenokee Swamp Park
• Ocmulgee National Park & Preserve Initiative
• Company 1433 – Okefenokee Project
• Whistlin Dixie Custom Framing and Unique Gifts & Cafe – Folkston Georgia
• The Conservation Fund Halts Okefenokee Mining Threat - The Conservation Fund

This episode was recorded live at Where Waters Meet: Stories of Hope from Florida’s Gulf Coast Estuaries, a National Estuaries Week event hosted by the Tampa Bay Estuary Program and Sarasota Bay Estuary Program at the Bishop Museum of Science and Nature in Bradenton.

The conversation brings together scientists, journalists, and working waterfront advocates to explore stories of hope in estuary recovery, the connection between land and water, and how communities can protect Florida’s natural resources amid continued growth.

The panel, hosted by Mason Gravley, featured:

• Max Chesnes (Tampa Bay Times),
• Karen Bell (A.P. Bell Fish Company),
• Ryan Schloesser (Mote Marine Laboratory),
• Courtney Saari (Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute),
• Shaun Swartz (City of St. Petersburg)

Why it matters now: On November 3, 2026, voters in seven counties, including Manatee and Sarasota, will consider local conservation measures that could help protect natural lands, drinking-water sources, wildlife habitat, and public preserves. Learn more about each of the seven ballot measures here: 2026 Land Conservation Measures - 1000 Friends of Florida

Read more about the event below:

• sarasotabay.org/stories-of-hope-from-floridas-gulf-coast-estuaries
• Read the event coverage in the Anna Maria Island Sun

The takeaway: Healthy bays begin with healthy land. Protecting the places between our communities and our coast is essential to Florida’s conservation future.

Meredith is the Deputy Director of the Live Wildly Foundation, where she applies an entrepreneurial approach to conservation while seeking to balance smart growth, a robust economy, and connected, resilient landscapes. As the organization’s senior strategist, Meredith engages with federal, state, and local governments, institutions, and the nonprofit and private sectors to build and maintain strategic relationships and identify opportunities to deepen Live Wildly's impact.

Her passion for environmental conservation grew from a lifelong curiosity about the natural world. From the lush landscapes of Central and South America to the island nations of the South Pacific, Meredith spent nearly five years after college exploring natural wonders around the world. Upon moving back to Florida in 2012, she dedicated her career to protecting wildlife and the lands they call home. She has more than a decade of experience in the environmental field and brings expertise in imperiled species policy, habitat conservation planning, and wildlife conflict resolution.

Meredith also serves as Board President of the Friends of the Florida Panther Refuge and Audubon Western Everglades. Prior to joining Live Wildly, she worked as the Regional Policy Director with the Florida Wildlife Federation and as an Environmental Policy Specialist with the Conservancy of Southwest Florida. She enjoys spending time with her two dogs, Miss Luci and Mr. Pickles.

In this episode, we cover a lot of topics:

• The value of travel
• Human wildlife coexistence
• Working with a diverse group of stakeholders in conservation
• Local land conservation efforts
• Current statewide policy issues affecting conservation and local communities
• What an ‘entrepreneurial approach to conservation’ means
• The relationship between a robust economy and resilient landscapes
• The role that voters, local and state elected officials, and private investors play in Florida conservation

Resources mentioned:

• Live Wildly: Balancing Economy and Ecology in Florida
• Water and wildlife corridors | Archbold Biological Station
• Climate and wildlife corridors | Archbold Biological Station
• Community Conservation ~ Greenprinting - North Florida Land Trust
• Land Conservation and Open Space Referenda Map - North Florida Land Trust
• Nancy Payton Preserve – Florida Hikes

This episode was hosted and edited by Zach Franco.