In the Arena: Franklin Adams

February 13, 2025

TRCP’s “In the Arena” series highlights the individual voices of hunters and anglers who, as Theodore Roosevelt so famously said, strive valiantly in the worthy cause of conservation.

Capt. Franklin Adams

Hometown: Born in Miami, Florida
Occupation: Retired; former occupations include warden-naturalist for the National Audubon Society, Florida Master Naturalist, land surveyor (with projects in Big Cypress National Preserve, Everglades National Park, and the Florida Keys), surveyor/mapper for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Merchant Marine officer, and eco-tour operator/ fishing guide with a USCG 100-ton Master’s license
Conservation credentials: As a true Gladesman, conservationist, and historian, Adams has spent more than six decades championing Everglades restoration efforts while working for and with conservation nonprofits, government agencies, and private businesses, as well as chartering inshore fishing adventures. He’s also the former chair of the Florida Wildlife Federation and a 31-year board member, as well as past president of the Florida Division of the Izaak Walton League of America and Collier County chairman of the Friends of the Everglades.

While thousands of people and scores of organizations are involved in the conservation of America’s Everglades, few, if any, have the breadth and depth of experience and understanding as Capt. Franklin Adams. This is a man who was fortunate to experience South Florida in a relatively unspoiled, natural condition, and was on the front lines of early protection efforts. Who else was personally mentored by Marjory Stoneman Douglas – the author, women’s suffrage advocate, and conservationist credited with launching the Everglades conservation movement – and once hunted waterfowl in the wetlands that later became Everglades National Park? Adams has been officially recognized as a “Guardian of the Everglades,” largely for his advocacy for Big Cypress National Preserve and successful effort to help protect what became the Fakahatchee Strand Preserve State Park, now the largest state park in Florida and a refuge for Florida panthers and the rare Everglades mink, as well as the largest number of rare native orchids and bromeliads in North America.

Here is his story.

Franklin and friends at a 1962 Everglades outing. Credit: Franklin Adams

I was introduced at a young age to fishing, hunting, and enjoyment of the great outdoors by my father, G.B. Adams. I actually accompanied my dad duck hunting on West Lake prior to it becoming part of Everglades National Park in 1947. I was taught gun safety and to respect wildlife and wild places.

One of my most memorable outdoor experiences was a couple years before that when I was taken to the woods by my daddy for my seventh birthday. (We referred to the Everglades and Big Cypress as “going to the woods.”) We had to walk into the campsite at night as he and his friends had gotten off work late. It was so new and exciting for a young boy that I have never forgotten that first family experience. A cold front was approaching as we came into deer camp, so dad had me collect some “boot jacks” off a cabbage palm tree in the upland hammock and he used them to start a lightered pine fire.

“I began to see objects in the smoke and mist – deer, Indian chickees, and turkey gobblers floated through my imagination that night as I went into a deep sleep.“

Dad had brought venison chili, which was heated up on the fire grid and biscuits were baked in a Dutch oven. Smelled good, and tasted even better. After supper dad and his friends sat around the fire and sipped some “brown swamp water” and told stories of past trips and experiences. I leaned up against an old live oak and listened as the cold front moved in and enjoyed the odor of the burning, smoking pine. As the front moved in, a ground fog began to mist slowly through the hardwood hammock and I was fighting to stay awake. I began to see objects in the smoke and mist – deer, Indian chickees (traditional shelters used by the Miccosukee and Seminole Tribes), and turkey gobblers floated through my imagination that night as I went into a deep sleep. In the morning, I awoke to the smell of lighter knot coffee, pancakes, and sausage on the fire. That was my first trip to the Everglades’ Big Cypress region and I was captured by that wonderful experience. I have been going back ever since. So, add 80 more years to that 7-year-old’s birthday. Thanks, Dad.

Franklin helming his vessel, Albatross II. Credit: Rick Farren

If I could hunt or fish anywhere, where would it be, and why? That’s a difficult one. There are so many places known for their fishing and hunting and I have never been to them. I want to take my grandson, Michael, with me, so probably the Ten Thousand Islands of the southwest Florida area. Up Lostmans River, Broad River, or Shark River to fish for snook. Why, it’s an area I know and love and not too distant from home.

Franklin in his TRCP hat, as a longtime supporter of the organization. Credit: Ryan Lockwood

Conservation absolutely enhances my outdoor life. This is how my career came about. As I accompanied my father in his surveying business around South Florida, I witnessed the destruction and continual loss of wetlands and woods that we had enjoyed. I began to become concerned and to inquire as to causes for the loss of these treasured natural areas. Why was it necessary to destroy that hardwood hammock, that prairie, or fill in that duck hunting lake? Mom and Dad began to encourage my conservation concerns and provided me with nature books, stressing the importance of outdoor ethics and the value of natural areas if left alone and protected.

“If we are to enjoy the outdoors, no matter what our interests are, then we have an obligation to defend and speak out on behalf of nature and wildlife.“

The more I learned, the more I became frustrated, and somewhat angry. When I was in high school, I discovered Marjory Stoneman Douglas’s book, The Everglades: River of Grass, published in 1947. From her book I learned so much, including that one could speak out in defense of natural areas. Later she would become a mentor and a family friend. In 1970, she established Friends of the Everglades to fight the Big Cypress jetport project and asked me to be the Collier County chairman. As I added on some age and experience, I headed up several conservation organizations as an unpaid volunteer over the years, including serving as chair of the Florida Wildlife Federation and a board member for 31 years.

A Florida panther captured on a trail cam on Franklin’s property, February 2025. Credit: Franklin Adams

If we are to enjoy the outdoors, no matter what our interests are, then we have an obligation to defend and speak out on behalf of nature and wildlife. If you are not already doing so, start by becoming a member and supporter of the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership.

The biggest outdoor challenge we face in Florida, and there are many, is protecting wetlands and the water quality that they provide, cost-free if we protect them. We continue to lose critical habitat to unwise development and, yes, greed, and not respecting nature.

Franklin Adams Guardian portrait. Artwork courtesy Nicholas Petrucci.

It is vitally important to mentor and educate your children, grandchildren, and families as to the importance of conservation; why it is imperative for them to be involved in learning about and becoming knowledgeable defenders of the outdoors they enjoy and love. Otherwise, we will continue to lose habitat. Nature and the outdoors not only are important to wildlife, but they are also vitally important to us as an escape from stress, and provide restorative experiences that we can share with family and friends for a lifetime of memories.

Banner image: Franklin at a Fakahatchee Strand Preserve campfire talk, credit Dino Barone

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by: Ryan Lockwood

posted in: In the Arena

February 4, 2025

In the Arena: “Rivah Sistah” Patricia Clement

TRCP’s “In the Arena” series highlights the individual voices of hunters and anglers who, as Theodore Roosevelt so famously said, strive valiantly in the worthy cause of conservation.

Patricia Clement

Hometown: Northumberland, Virginia
Occupation: Outdoor enthusiast and influencer; retired police officer
Conservation credentials: Clement, who goes by the online handle “The Rivah Sistah,” says her mission is a commitment to helping her followers and their families improve their overall health and well-being by engaging in an array of outdoor activities.

Patricia Clement, aka “The Rivah Sistah,” hosts fishing trips and other outdoor events intended to draw more women and anyone who has not previously had the opportunity to experience the outdoors into a “catch and cook” lifestyle. She has a strong Instagram presence and Facebook following where you can find vivid video examples of her outdoor pursuits presented in a fun and educational fashion. Clement partners with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, TakeMeFishing, and Freedom Boat Club and she’s been featured in Chesapeake Bay Magazine, the Richmond Times-Dispatch, and local Fox affiliate WFXR.

With passions that include fishing, crabbing, camping, boating, and oystering, she owns her own boat and is becoming increasingly immersed in her river lifestyle. Besides her ample time harvesting on the water, she’s a retired police officer and expert shooter, and a former Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services and National Rifle Association firearms instructor.

Here is her story.

Originally being from Brooklyn, N.Y., camping was my gateway to the outdoors. My husband suggested a weekend camping trip in 2017. I loved staying in that cabin and wanted to camp every weekend after that so we purchased a travel trailer.

The first time we went camping with our travel trailer, we went to Cherrystone on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. I saw people catching blue crabs so I purchased a trap, caught maybe two crabs, and the rest is history.

If I could hunt or fish anywhere, I’d head to Panama. My father is Panamanian. He wasn’t in my life, and during my childhood I spoke to him only a few times. I met him in person for the first time when I was a teenager. I haven’t spoken to him in over 30 years, but my roots are in Panama and I’d love to fish there. I also hear every angler should fish the Florida Keys.

When I first started fishing, I caught a lot of catfish. I was catching all I could catch and frying it up. I had no idea I was helping the Chesapeake Bay ecosystem because blue catfish were eating everything up and are an aquatic invasive species here. As far as I know, blue catfish are the number one conservation challenge where I live because they’re eating up blue crabs and everything else. I’m glad that my efforts are playing a part in Bay conservation efforts.

One of my goals with regards to conservation is to become a waterwoman, so I can help educate others about sustainable harvest. Also, since I’m recruiting others to explore the outdoors, I need to know what’s going on myself. Conservation matters for me and my children so our waterways can be healthy for their generation and the future.

All images courtesy Patricia Clement

(Note: TRCP worked with Yamaha Rightwaters, YETI, the American Sportfishing Association, Bass Pro Shops, and other partners on an AIS commission to address the need for better prevention and mitigation of aquatic invasive species like blue catfish in the Chesapeake Bay. See the full Aquatic Invasive Species Commission report here.)

by: Noah Davis

posted in: In the Arena

January 28, 2025

In The Arena: Will Retzer

TRCP’s “In the Arena” series highlights the individual voices of hunters and anglers who, as Theodore Roosevelt so famously said, strive valiantly in the worthy cause of conservation.

Will Retzer

Hometown: Sparks, Nevada
Occupation: Electric Troubleman, NV Energy

Growing up in southern California, Retzer’s family took advantage of the local hunting and fishing opportunities in the mountains near Los Angeles. But once the family moved to Nevada, Retzer’s love for the outdoors exploded. Since then, he’s been able to experience the incredible hunting and fishing of the Silver State and appreciate the conservation efforts that make it possible.

Here is his story.

Retzer on one of his favorite Nevada glassing knobs.

TRCP: How were you introduced to hunting, fishing, and the outdoors? Who introduced you?

Retzer: When I was growing up in California, my grandfather and dad had me out fishing the Eastern Sierra and Colorado River systems as soon as I could walk. As a young boy, my dad took me along as he hunted coastal blacktail deer in the mountains of southern California outside of Los Angeles. Then we moved to Nevada in 1978, and my love for the outdoors grew exponentially. This included fishing the desert creeks and hunting upland game birds and big game.

TRCP: Tell us about one of your most memorable outdoor adventures.

Retzer: I have so many, but if I had to narrow it down, my most memorable outdoor adventure would be my wife Elaine’s Nevada Desert Bighorn in 2022. It was on the sixth day of the hunt, all our help had left, and it was just me and her when we finally spotted the ram she wanted to take. After an hour of glassing and planning, we needed to close about 1000 yards. That included crawling 300 yards on our hands and knees up a mountain across from the bedded ram. She made an awesome shot, and he never moved from his bed.

Tied for my most memorable adventure would be my son Beau’s 2024 elk hunt. I had the same tag 12 years prior and was so excited to experience this premiere muzzleloader tag in Nevada with my son. By no means are we the perfect hunters but this was the perfect Nevada rut hunt. On the second day, we spotted a good bull and made a plan. Beau was able to get into position below the bull and I came in several hundred yards behind and made a few cow calls. The bull bugled and headed straight toward Beau but hung up about 60 yards out. I gave three more cow calls, and the bull bugled again, thrashed a tree, and came within 40 yards to where Beau was able to make a clean shot. Watching this from 400 yards out was an experience as a dad I will never forget.

Don’t get me wrong, I always look forward to the day that tags are released, and I always want to see my name on one of them. However, when my wife, daughter, son, or friends get the tag, I’m just as excited (maybe more). I find it more rewarding helping and supporting than I do when I get my own tag. The chance to be out and experiencing Nevada and what it has to offer just blows me away every time!

Will and his wife, Elaine, celebrate her ram.

TRCP: If you could hunt or fish anywhere, where would it be and why?

Retzer: The state of Nevada because we offer world-class hunting opportunities with many species of western big game. The opportunities here are due to the incredible efforts of the Nevada Department of Wildlife and wildlife support groups such as the Nevada Chukar Foundation and Nevada Bighorns Unlimited and their Midas and Elko chapters that fundraise for wildlife conservation.

TRCP: Why is it important to you to be involved in conservation? What are the major conservation challenges where you live?

Retzer: I want to make sure that this generation, and future generations, have the same opportunities to enjoy hunting, fishing, and an outdoor lifestyle like I have for the past 56 years. Drout, wildfires, new growth encroaching on wildlife habitat, wild horses, as well as predator management make up the biggest conservation challenges in Nevada.

TRCP: Why should conservation matter to the next generation of hunters and anglers?

Retzer: Through conservation efforts, Nevada is home to the largest population of wild sheep in the Lower 48. We also recently reissued moose and bear tags. These are just a few examples of the importance of how conservation today can make a huge difference in the future. I was taught by my dad and grandpa to leave our camp better than we found it and have passed that on to my children as well.

Photo credits: Will Retzer

The TRCP is your resource for all things conservation. In our weekly Roosevelt Report, you’ll receive the latest news on emerging habitat threats, legislation and proposals on the move, public land access solutions we’re spearheading, and opportunities for hunters and anglers to take action. Sign up now.

by: Dan Morgan

posted in: In the Arena

January 23, 2025

In The Arena: Eeland Stribling

TRCP’s “In the Arena” series highlights the individual voices of hunters and anglers who, as Theodore Roosevelt so famously said, strive valiantly in the worthy cause of conservation.

Eeland Stribling

Hometown: Denver, Colorado
Occupation: Environmental educator, stand-up comedian, fly fishing guide
Conservation Credentials: Environmental educator, fly fishing guide, wildlife biologist and conservation advocate.

Eeland Stribling is more than a well-known stand-up comic (recently highlighted on Roots of Comedy on PBS) – he is an environmental educator, wildlife biologist, and fly-fishing fanatic (occasionally dubbed the “Black Steve Irwin”) who loves teaching folks about the natural world and helping to create connections that last a lifetime and beyond. Conservation is the backbone of everything he does.

Here is his story.

Nature and the outdoors have been in my life since before I could even tie my own shoes. One of my grandfathers, Gramps, was a wildlife biologist and the other one, Papa, was a nature lover from Mississippi. My Papa would wake me up at an ungodly hour— like 3 or 4 a.m. — and we’d head out to the water. We would sit on the shore for hours, barely speaking, just watching the world wake up around us as we waited for the fish to bite. It was simple and, yes, sometimes boring, but it taught me patience and presence as I learned to see the world through his eyes. My Gramps, a wildlife biologist, showed me the magic of the outdoors through a scientist’s lens. He had a way of making even the smallest insect feel like the most important discovery in the world and it showed me how to ask questions about everything—why do birds sing in the morning? Why do fish jump? Those lessons shaped how I see the world today — full of wonder, curiosity, and respect.

Those early trips were about more than just catching fish – although I still remember pulling in sunfish and bass and feeling like I had just won the lottery. They were about connection —to my family, to nature, and eventually, to myself.

“Conservation is the backbone of everything I do.”

Now, when I guide and teach, I teach a holistic view, where everything is connected – from the weather to the plants to the wildlife, to the slope of the river and everything in between. Catch-and-release practices, respecting wildlife, and leaving no trace all instill a sense of responsibility. It’s hard to spend time in nature and not want to protect it.

I teach everyone how to fly fish — kids in foster care, adults new to fly fishing, and even comedians through [my series] Comedians on the Fly. One moment that stands out was when a foster kid, after catching his first fish, then turned around and taught another kid how to cast. Watching him share what he’d learned was one of the most rewarding moments of my life. It was the first time I’d seen the results of many hours of work in action. I was shocked and it made it so worthwhile to be in that moment.

For me, introducing someone to fly fishing is the easiest way to nurture a budding conservationist. Whether it’s a kid catching their first trout, a comedian cracking jokes while learning to cast, or a weekend warrior finding peace on the water, it’s always special. The act of fishing is incredible, but people also get lost in the birds and trees and peacefulness of nature. Fly fishing isn’t just a hobby, it’s a way to connect with nature, with others, and with yourself.

One of my most memorable outdoor adventures was to New Zealand, it was a dream come to life. I spent two weeks hiking and fishing for wild brown trout in landscapes so beautiful they didn’t feel real. The rivers were impossibly clear, the birds sounded like an orchestra, and every step felt like walking through a painting. It was a place where the line between the natural world and the spiritual world blurred. What I brought home from New Zealand wasn’t just memories of giant trout or indescribable views—it was a deeper appreciation for the power of untouched nature and the communities that cherish it.

“I brought home a renewed sense of purpose—to not only enjoy these places but to fight for their survival so others can experience that same awe.”

Another place is Belize/Xcalack, Mexico. I have fully fallen in love with salt flats and permit, bonefish and tarpon – with tarpon being at the top of that list, followed by permit and bonefish. I was born and raised in the mountains, but I feel the closest to God when the sun rises on the beach, and I see nervous waters and tails on a calm salt flat. Part of my love and admiration stems from the lack of knowledge and the quick growth of new skills!

And now, if I could fish anywhere, it would be for tarpon. These fish are the ultimate challenge—massive, powerful, and as unpredictable as they are beautiful. Whether it’s West Africa, Costa Rica, Belize and Mexico, or the Florida Keys, tarpon fishing is like chasing silver ghosts. They demand respect and skill, and every encounter feels like a battle you’ll never forget. There’s just something magical about them that keeps me coming back. I love fish that eat other fish!

At home in Colorado, the Front Range is changing fast. Population growth is eating up wildlife habitat, and the pressure on our natural resources is immense. But what worries me most is “ballot box biology” — where decisions about wildlife management are made by public vote instead of science. It’s a system that can lead to emotional, uninformed choices that hurt the very ecosystems we’re trying to protect.

“We need decisions guided by evidence and science, not just good intentions.”

Steve Irwin said it best: “Humans want to save what they love.” My job is to help people fall in love with the natural world. Whether it’s a kid identifying their first animal track or a client catching their first trout, those moments create connections that last a lifetime. If I can inspire someone to care, I know they’ll fight to protect what they love, too. The future depends on it. Without conservation, the rivers will dry up, the forests will go silent, and the next generation won’t know what they’ve lost until it’s too late.

Conservation is how we honor the past and ensure the future. It’s what keeps the thrill of casting a line, the joy of tracking wildlife, and the magic of the outdoors alive for everyone who comes after us. Without it, the magic of the outdoors would fade.

by: Ryan Lockwood

posted in: In the Arena

January 9, 2025

In the Arena: Jillian Tisdale

TRCP’s “In the Arena” series highlights the individual voices of hunters and anglers who, as Theodore Roosevelt so famously said, strive valiantly in the worthy cause of conservation.

Jillian Tisdale

Hometown: Born in Gainesville, Fla.; seven-year resident of the Florida Keys
Occupation: Operations manager at Seven Mile Fly Shop
Conservation credentials: Tisdale is the Florida Keys outreach & engagement coordinator at Captains For Clean Water

A Florida native, Tisdale’s chief sporting passion lies with pursuing tarpon for the physical and mental challenge. She’s also known as an expert rigger and knot-tier who fishes for snook, bonefish, and other flats fish, and has hunted for turkeys and whitetail deer when she’s had the opportunity to spend time in the woods. Outside her regular job managing a fly shop in Marathon, where she is tightly embedded in the Florida Keys fly fishing community, Tisdale is an angler member of the Florida Keys Fishing Guides Association and Lower Keys Fishing Guides Association and focuses her energy on local conservation. She handles outreach throughout the Keys for TRCP partner organization Captains For Clean Water, helping address the need for Everglades restoration. She strives to restore and protect South Florida’s aquatic ecosystems to ensure that everyone can benefit from them.

Here is her story.

I grew up fishing occasionally with my father, for redfish in the Big Bend of Florida and bass in the lakes surrounding my hometown in north Florida. I began offshore fishing in the Gulf of Mexico when I was 18. When I was in my early twenties, my father was diagnosed with stage four small cell lung cancer. He passed away after a very short, harrowing battle.

This was a very sudden and difficult loss for me, as he was my biggest supporter and the person that I looked to for advice at every transition in my life. It was then that, thankfully, I was introduced to sight fishing and hunting, and I fully immersed myself in the outdoors. It was the outlet that I desperately needed to get through that time of my life and I clung to it. There was absolutely no looking back.

I’ve since been very blessed to hunt and fish in some of the most incredible places with some of the best outdoorsmen in the country. I remember hunting in north Alabama one morning. I had hiked through a bunch of flooded timbers to get to my tree stand well before sunrise. I watched the woods awaken with the sun, but the water below me was dead calm, reflecting every single thing above it so that I couldn’t even make out a horizon until a big buck came in chasing a doe, creating ripples in the water as far as I could see. I’d never felt so enveloped and vulnerable at the same time.

Also very memorable was catching my first tarpon on a fly. I’d spent a whole lot of time in the Everglades, conventional fishing and fly fishing, for redfish, tarpon, snook… zigging and zagging through mangrove tunnels and across massive open bays. After a couple of days targeting big, rolling tarpon deep in the Everglades, getting bite after bite and breaking every single one off, I finally got one to stick. I managed to clear the line without wrapping it around a hand or foot and learned very quickly exactly what I wanted to dedicate my time to for the foreseeable future.

Large tarpon are my favorite fish to target, so a trip to Gabon (on the west coast of Africa) is at the top of my bucket list. That being said, I live in one of the most diverse fisheries in the world, and it also happens to be home to plenty of big tarpon. I feel very fortunate to have the Everglades, Florida Bay, and the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary at my fingertips, which together are home to the largest seagrass meadow in the world. While it is one of the most challenging places in the world to fly fish for bonefish, permit, and tarpon due to angler pressure and habitat loss, it is certainly the most rewarding for me and many other people. Plus, the tarpon migration down here is second to none.

“The intense love that I have developed for the Everglades… exists only because many people before me used their voice to advance Everglades restoration.”

Conservation is the only reason my passion for the outdoors is possible and will be the only reason I am able to continue fishing. The intense love that I have developed for the Everglades and the extraordinary fish that live there exists only because many people before me used their voice to advance Everglades restoration and defend those fish. As the saying goes, everything flows downstream – and with respect to the Everglades, that stream actually starts north of Lake Okeechobee, in the Kissimmee Chain of Lakes. The Everglades are home to hundreds of different fish and wildlife species (including alligators AND crocodiles) and it is the centerpiece of the largest hydrologic restoration project in the United States – the Comprehensive Everglades Reservation Plan (CERP) – which aims to restore historical flows from Lake O and send more clean water south through the “River of Grass,” to Florida Bay.

The state of Florida is suffering from a million paper cuts: overpopulation, nutrient runoff, red tides, the list is long. But I feel that Everglades restoration is one of the most important solutions to our water quality issues in South Florida. Currently, there is a power struggle over the operation of Lake Okeechobee. Special interests want to keep lake levels high to use the water at their discretion, resulting in high-volume discharges to the east and west, and cutting the Everglades system off from the clean freshwater that it needs to balance out high-salinity issues that cause massive seagrass die-offs and algae blooms. Returning the adequate flow of clean water south, the way it historically flowed, is paramount to preserve the habitats and ecosystems to east, west, and south that enable our fish and wildlife to flourish.

TAKE ACTION FOR EVERGLADES RESTORATION

Utilization of natural resources for recreation and my livelihood bears with it an inherent responsibility – my responsibility to protect it. In my opinion, there is nothing more important than the water quality of the Everglades, Florida Bay, and Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. People come from all over the world to see the natural wonders surrounding the state of Florida. It is our responsibility to protect them, and that includes educating visitors and residents alike about the issues we are facing as well as the science-based solutions that are in place, so that everyone can use their voice to advocate for those solutions.

The next generation of hunters and anglers have already proven to be even more educated and adamant about conservation than myself and prior generations. I admire their passion, and hope that they continue to fight with the tenacity they have today to protect the wild places that are left for the generations that follow us.