The Florida Madcaps

The Florida Madcaps

A podcast about Florida’s natural areas around the state that offer fantastic recreation opportunities. There is much more to Florida than theme parks and overcrowded beaches. Three veteran Florida enthusiasts Chris, Chelsey, and Ryan share their travel experiences and perspective for exploring the Sunshine State. Each episode will delve into the natural and fascinating aspects of Florida, including the trails, beaches, springs, history, ecological issues, and recreational opportunities.

Episodes

March 10, 2026 33 mins

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This week, our guest is Kristin Anderson, the Programs & Community Engagement Lead with Conservation Florida.  We discuss Conservation Florida's mission to conserve natural areas here in Florida and some of their upcoming events.  To learn more, go to:

https://conservationfla.org/

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This week the Madcaps were joined by Bri, the Community Engagement Manager for the Florida Trail Association as we discuss the details of the 2nd annual Florida Trail Fest.  This year, the FTA staff has been hard at work making the trail fest significantly larger and more engaging than last year.  

For the Florida Trail Fest schedule and details, click here

Vendors scheduled to attend the Trailfest are:

ZPacks 

Florida State...

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In this episode, we spoke with Elizabeth Filippelli of Duval Audubon!  We discussed some of the perils that birds face, particularly in urban settings, and how the average Floridian can make a difference.  Below are some of the links that we mentioned during the episode:


Bird Friendly Toolkit:  https://duvalaudubon.org/bird-friendly-toolkit/

Lights Out Account on Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/p/DUpznHvkXZ9/?ut...

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February 4, 2026 33 mins

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Returning "Madcap" Lars Andersen of Adventure Outpost (who is looking for an assistant for anyone who's interested) discusses some of his vast knowledge of the Ichetucknee River and the surrounding area.

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Get your FREE sticker from the Florida Springs Council and sign up to be a springs advocate at https://www.floridaspringscouncil.org/madca...

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This week, the Madcaps discuss the Florida Trail Thru hike kick-off in Big Cypress in South Florida and their time camping, hiking, and meeting hikers who are hiking the entire Florida Trail.

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Get your FREE sticker from the Florida Springs Council and sign up to be a springs advocate at https://www.floridaspringscouncil.org/madcaps

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This week, our returning guestis  Lars from Adventure Outpost.  Lars discusses some of the paddling opportunities on the Ocklawaha River during the drawdown of the Rodman pool.  Also, Patrick Connolly (from our previous Torreya Hike Episode) joins us as well.


To book a tour with Lars go to https://adventureoutpost.net/ and see his calendar of guided paddles.

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In this podcast, the Madcaps discuss the various hiking events and programs that occur statewide and locally.  

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Get your FREE sticker from the Florida Springs Council and sign up to be a springs advocate at https://www.floridaspringscouncil.org/madcaps

Questions and comments can be emailed at thefloridamadcaps@gmail.com

Ryan can be found...

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December 3, 2025 35 mins

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With the "downdown" of the reservoir, much if what is underwater is currently exposed until January.  Lost springs, old forests, and Florida history are visible now.  The Madcaps discuss their experiences exploring the Rodman Reservoir.  

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This week the Madcaps reflect on the podcast as well as balancing volunteering, exploring Florida, and life in general.

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Get your FREE sticker from the Florida Springs Council and sign up to be a springs advocate at https://www.floridaspringscouncil.org/madcaps

Questions and comments can be emailed at thefloridamadcaps@gmail.com

Ryan can ...

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This week, we have an incredible guest, Bob Lee, who spent decades in law enforcement in Florida.  He has some amazing stories about his detective work to track down poachers, chase down illegal fishermen, and survive a boat sinking at night in gator infested waters.


More info on Bob can be found here:  https://bobhlee.com/

Bob's books can be found here:

https://www.amazon.com/Backcountry-Lawman-Stories-Florida-Hi...

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October 22, 2025 7 mins

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Please subscribe! Shares and reviews are much appreciated!

Get your FREE sticker from the Florida Springs Council and sign up to be a springs advocate at https://www.floridaspringscouncil.org/madcaps

Questions and comments can be emailed at thefloridamadcaps@gmail.com

Ryan can be found on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/the_fl_excursionist/

Chris and Chelsey can be found at htt...

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This week, the Florida Madcaps have a special guest, Martin Uman who is a professor emeritus with the University of Florida and has worked six decades in the field of lightning.  In this episode, he discusses some interesting facts about lightning and answers our questions when it comes to recreating in Florida in the presence of lightning.  

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This week, the Madcaps discuss some of the graves, cemeteries, and pioneer burial grounds they have seen while hiking in Florida and visiting small towns.

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Get your FREE sticker from the Florida Springs Council and sign up to be a springs advocate at https://www.floridaspringscouncil.org/madcaps

Questions and comments can be emailed at thefloridam...

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This week, the Madcaps discuss some of the weird things they have encountered on the trails as they have explored Florida.  From burnt underwear to unattended fruit bowls, this episode has some of the more light hearted aspects of hiking.

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Get your FREE sticker from the Florida Springs Council and sign up to be a springs advocate at https://www.floridaspri...

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September 24, 2025 32 mins

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In this episode the Madcaps discuss a few of the many ghost towns that exist in Florida.  These are settlements that are long gone and have few visual reminders.  Towns discussed:

Ethel https://www.floridastateparks.org/learn/historic-town-ethel

Ellaville:

https://abandonedfl.com/the-town-of-ellaville/

Indian Key;

https://www.floridastateparks.org/IndianKey

Oleno

https://www.floridastateparks.org/parks-and-trails/oleno-state-pa...

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Fresh out of the Venomous Handling Course (hosted by the Rattlesnake Conservancy), Ryan and The Madcaps learn all things venomous snakes and about the great work the Rattlesnake Conservancy is doing to conserve a largely unappreciated species that is vital to our environment here in Florida.

Website: http://savethebuzztails.org
Venomous Handling Certification Course schedule: http://savethebuzztails.org/classes
...

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This week is part 2 of 2 of our podcast of National Public Lands Day and Florida's National Parks.  Started in 1994 and occurring on the 4th Saturday in September, National Public Lands Day celebrates our public lands with volunteer opportunities and events.  Many of our national parks are free, so we decided to discuss the significant ones in Florida!  Enjoy!

https://www.nps.gov/subjects/npscelebrates/public-lands-d...

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This week is part 1 of 2 of our podcast of National Public Lands Day and Florida's National Parks.  Started in 1994 and occurring on the 4th Saturday in September, National Public Lands Day celebrates our public lands with volunteer opportunities and events.  Many of our national parks are free, so we decided to discuss the significant ones in Florida!  Enjoy!

https://www.nps.gov/subjects/npscelebrates/public-lands-d...

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This week, the Madcaps were extremely fortunate to have special guest Anthony Sleiman, who is well known for his dark sky photography in the Everglades.  Anthony shares how he became fascinated with the Everglades and some interesting stories of his adventures.  To see Anthony's amazing work, check out the links below.

website:  https://www.anthonysleiman.com/

IG: https://www.instagram.com/Anthsleiman/

FB: https://www....

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Please subscribe! Shares and reviews are much appreciated!

Get your FREE sticker from the Florida Springs Council and sign up to be a springs advocate at https://www.floridaspringscouncil.org/madcaps

Questions and comments can be emailed at thefloridamadcaps@gmail.com

Ryan can be found on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/the_fl_excursionist/

Chris and Chelsey can be found at htt...

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