YOLO Board Teak Voyagers will be used during expedition to raise awareness for the Florida Wildlife corridor project
YOLO Board announces its participation in and support of the Florida Wildlife Corridor Expedition, a campaign to raise awareness and generate support to connect remaining natural lands, waters, working farms and ranches from the Everglades to Georgia, protecting a functional ecological corridor for the health of people, wildlife and watersheds. The expedition began January 17th in Everglades National Park and will include a 100 day journey of 1000 miles to Okefenokee National Forest in southern Georgia. YOLO Board donated two Teak Carbon Voyager stand up paddleboards for the expedition.
“YOLO Board is headquartered in Florida and we are very passionate about protecting the Florida ecosystem as it is the inspiration for what we do and what we represent as a company,” said Jeff Archer, co-founder of YOLO Board. “The interior of the state offers one of the most unique ecosystems on the planet. We are honored to help the Florida Wildlife Corridor spread awareness of this campaign and look forward to footage of the crew paddling YOLO Boards during their journey.”
The expedition crew is composed of a team of explorers including photographer Carlton Ward Jr, cinematographer Elam Stoltzfus, bear biologist Joe Guthrie and conservationist Mallory Lykes Dimmitt. The team will document the corridor through photography, video streams, radio reports, daily updates on social media and digital networks, and a host of activities for reporters, landowners, celebrities, conservationists, politicians and other guests. Stoltzfus will document the expedition to produce a film about the journey and the Florida Wildlife Corridor. ent the corridor through photography, video streams, radio reports, daily updates on social media and digital networks, and a host of activities for reporters, landowners, celebrities, conservationists, politicians and other guests. Award-winning cinematographer Elam Stoltzfus will document the expedition to produce a film about the journey and the Florida Wildlife Corridor.
Using YOLO Boards for paddling phases of the expedition offers explorers the ability to document their surroundings from a unique perspective, standing upright on top of the water. “Pushing across the Everglades in the stand up position allows me to see above the sawgrass and across the landscape, reminding me of what it may have been like to be an old-time Gladesmen in an Everglades skiff,” explains team photographer Carlton Ward. “As a photographer, the elevated perspective the YOLO board provides is especially useful for capturing landscapes and wildlife.”
“We believe the Florida Wildlife Corridor Expedition will be instrumental in raising public awareness of the need to protect Florida’s natural resources and landscape and hopefully to inspire similar movements across the country,” adds Archer. “This is truly a You Only Live Once experience for the crew members.”
The Florida Wildlife Corridor Expedition is slated to conclude on April 22nd. To learn more and follow the journey in real time, please visit www.FloridaWildlifeCorridor.
About YOLO Board
“Jeff Archer and co-founder Tom Losee didn’t invent SUP or its boards … but their savvy, marketing-driven approach has, despite the sport’s West Coast roots, made the Santa Rosa Beach, Fla-based company an industry leader in just five years,” said Entrepreneur magazine.
Established in 2006 along the world-renowned beaches and diverse waterways of Northwest Florida’s Gulf Coast, YOLO Board is a standup paddleboard (SUP) brand that is aptly named for the lifestyle mantra, “You Only Live Once.” The company manufactures a variety of custom boards suited to fit any paddler, from the recreational novice to the elite pro racer. Rentals, lessons, corporate and team building packages and seasonal community race events are available through YOLO Board Adventures. For more information, visit www.YOLOBoard.com or call 850.622.5760.
About Florida Wildlife Corridor
Founded by Dr. Tom Hoctor, Director of the Center for Landscape and Conservation Planning at the University of Florida and Carlton Ward Jr, Conservation Photographer and founder of the Legacy Institute for Nature & Culture (LINC), The Florida Wildlife Corridor aims to protect and restore connected landscapes throughout the Florida Peninsula to create a viable corridor from the Everglades to Georgia. The corridor addresses the fragmentation of natural landscapes and watersheds from the Everglades ecosystem north. Their vision and collaboration was inspired by the bear research of David Maehr and the commitment of his students, Wade Ulrey and Joe Guthrie, to continue his legacy. Through the Florida Wildlife Corridor Expedition, the team hopes to transcend cultural, perceptual and geographic boundaries, to connect people to the places we need to protect, and ultimately help reconnect and restore the fragmented lands and waters in Florida. For more information, visit www.FloridaWildlifeCorridor.