Carlton Ward

Member since: 2022

Proposed by: Late Bloomers Garden Club, Zone VIII

Seconded by: The Garden Club of the Halifax Country, Zone VIII

A passionate conservationist and award-winning photographer and filmmaker, Carlton Ward Jr. uses his photos to tell the stories of endangered species and the need for a sustainable environment. In 2010, he founded and advocated for the Florida Wildlife Corridor project to connect all of Florida's national and state parks with tracts of open land from the Panhandle to the Keys, ensuring the survival of wildlife by protecting their habitat. In 2021, Governor Ron DeSantis signed the Florida Wildlife Corridor bill into law. Another project, "Path of the Panther," brings attention to America's most endangered cat.

An eighth-generation Floridian descended from a pioneer ranching family, Mr. Ward's photographs show how farmers and ranchers are part of the solution, protecting biodiversity and wildlife corridors. His work on PBS and in National Geographic, Smithsonian, and Nature Conservancy magazines has helped change attitudes and spurred people to conserve Florida's ecosystem.

Honorary member since 2022.