Katrina Shadix–founder and executive director of Bear Warriors United (BWU), whose stated mission is to preserve and protect bears, and all of Florida’s natural resources and wildlife—recalls, as a second generation Floridian, the formative joys of growing up in rural Seminole County.
Shadix explains how that experience forged a profound connection with Florida wildlife—
very much including Florida Black Bears—that propels her advocacy while remaining a resident of Seminole County, noting she’s downhearted by the rampant development in that area. She discusses the experiences that served as catalysts for inspiring her to protect Florida Black Bears (which, she later notes, is a subspecies of the Black Bear): Hearing now-former Seminole County Commissioner John Horan declare at a meeting that there were “too many bears.” Shadix also recounts a pivotal period in 2015, early in the last bear hunt, when back surgery had confined her to bed. She was scrolling through Facebook, horrified to see posts about the hunt–called a friend to drive her to witness the ursine carnage; she shares a scene in which she encountered a female bear (pointing out 
those killed in the slaughter were 60% female), promising the bear she would never allow another hunt to happen. Clearly, Shadix is doing her level best to make good on that promise, educating gatherings about the critical numbers–once, the Florida Black Bear population was 11,000; it’s now 4000…20% die annually, owing to habitat change and being hit by vehicles. And she underscored the importance of voicing opposition to the hunt through comments emailed to BearComments@MyFWC.com 
(additionally, there was a commenting portal available on the FWC website, but it closed on May 16) or, in person, at the FWC meeting on May 21 in Ocala, starting at 8:30 a.m. [College of Central Florida, The Ewers Century Center, Klein Conference Center, Building 40, 3001 S.W. College Rd. Ocala, FL 34474.] Shadix said plenty more, including offering some observations about some FWC commissioners, described her recent major victory on behalf of manatees, winning its federal lawsuit against the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (FDEP), declaring the FDEP violated the Endangered Species Act–and tipping her hand that Bear Warriors United plans to file a lawsuit against the FWC. (https://bearwarriorsunited.com)
ALSO: I spoke with Dara Worthington, CEO of Friends of Strays. In providing something of an elevator pitch, she explains that Friends of Strays is St. Petersburg’s oldest no-kill animal shelter, and outlines the organization’s mission. Acknowledging that Friends of Strays offers a steady slate of events, Worthington touches on the rationale for producing so many, chiefly their value in cultivating a sense of community. She previews some of the imminent events, including Cats & Mats Yoga, Barks & Brews, the Puppy Pride Party, and their Catsino Night—a major extravaganza, Friends of Strays’ first casino event, slated for June 14. (https://www.friendsofstrays.org/, https://www.friendsofstrays.org/catsino-night-2025)
COMEDY CORNER: Mike Birbiglia’s “I’m A Bear” (DS edit) (https://www.birbigs.com)
MUSIC: Rebekah Pulley’s “Talking Animals Theme,” instrumentals
NAME THAT ANIMAL TUNE: We didn’t play “Name That Animal Tune” today.
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