12/31/2025
2025 was a rollercoaster. Tumultuous and challenging. Exciting and rewarding.
The moment that stands out the most, the moment forever seared into memory, was this one: sitting next to a “Save Guana Now” sign in my front yard, smoking a victory cigar, glass of bourbon in hand, celebrating a WIN. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced that kind of pride, catharsis and empowerment all at once. The week leading up to this moment was pure torture. The preserve, the fishery, my home, my sacred space, my lifeline to the natural world, my business… was facing annihilation. Guana is part of my identity. She gives me purpose, brings me closer to the natural world, allows me a place of worship and connection. And to think, all of that would be sacrificed so a billionaire could make a few more dollars pillaging one of the greatest natural resources left in Florida? Unthinkable. Terrifying. Torturous.
What I didn’t realize was I wasn’t the only one who felt that way. Thousands of you stood up, organized and rallied behind the preserve. You gave me hope, motivation and determination. You helped me through one of the hardest times of my life and fought for a cause greater than greed. We raised hell, all the way from our little corner of Florida to Washington D.C. And then, at 4pm Tuesday May 19th, just six days after the proposal was connived into existence, I received a phone call from my good friend Chris Shultz who delivered the news: the deal was dead, Guana is saved. For the first time in 6 days I could finally breathe again. After I finished yelling and sprinting around my house, I made phone calls to every person involved, to my family/friends/community members who stood up and refused to let the “Crown Jewel” of North Florida be demolished.
Later that night, I threw a folding chair on my lawn, plopped down, lit a cigar given to me by the legend Ralph Philips, poured a monster glass of the good stuff and waved at neighbors who honked at me as they drove by.
So, for one last time, I thank you all for helping to save that sacred land and water. It means more than you could possibly know.
