Drawn in by the haunting specter of the Florida panther, photographer Carlton Ward and a coalition of biologists, ranchers, conservationists, and Indigenous Peoples find themselves on the front lines of an accelerating battle between forces of renewal and destruction that have pushed the Everglades to the brink of ecological collapse. In a struggle resonating across the globe, the panther's habitat has become an island. Its lush territory transformed into subdivisions. A paradise vanishing into thin air.

Perched on the edge of extinction, the panther is an emblem of our once-connected world. These wide-ranging apex predators, one of the most elusive and endangered wild cats in the world, are also the inspiration for a visionary idea: a wildlife corridor. It's the beginning of a wild 'path' that could one day stretch into every corner of the American continent. What began as a moonshot photo and film mission is evolving into a 'Path of the Panther' movement. This groundbreaking collaboration with National Geographic Society and other partners inspired the passage of the Florida Wildlife Corridor Act — the first legislation of its kind and a blueprint for addressing habitat fragmentation and species extinction across the globe. Today, the movement continues to grow. 

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As the last big cat surviving in the eastern United States, the panther is an emblem of our once-connected world. An icon of our last wild places. A vision of what could be again. Through impactful storytelling, field programs, and conservation campaigns, the Path of the Panther Project works to inspire the protection and formal recognition of the land the Florida panther needs to survive — the Florida Wildlife Corridor — which serves both humans and wildlife.

Support the project and take action here: https://bit.ly/43vjq4x