Charlotte County Florida Weekly

Florida Python Challenge underway through Aug. 14


 

 

First Lady Casey DeSantis joined hundreds of competitors to kick off the 2022 Florida Python Challenge last week. More than 800 participants and counting, from 32 states and Canada, are beginning their search to find and remove invasive Burmese pythons from the Everglades ecosystem. Participants are eligible to win thousands of dollars in prizes while removing Burmese pythons from the wild as part of the competition that kicked off Aug. 5 and runs through Aug. 14. Additionally, the First Lady announced the milestone of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission python removal contractors removing more than 10,000 Burmese pythons from the wild in Florida.

“I am excited to kick off the 2022 Florida Python Challenge by going out into the Everglades to join those coming from near and far, both novices and professionals, to hunt pythons. Today marks another year of innovative conservation strategies to protect Florida’s beautiful natural resources for generations to come,” said Mrs. DeSantis. “This is significant because every python removed is one less invasive species preying on our native birds, mammals and reptiles. Our family will continue to support conservation efforts in the Everglades, and today I’m doing that by being one of the first out to hunt this invasive species.”

FWC, South Florida Water Management District and the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida are hosting the Florida Python Challenge to increase awareness about invasive species and the threats they pose to Florida’s ecology. The annual competition encourages people to get directly involved in Everglades conservation through invasive species removal.

“Florida’s wildlife and unique landscapes are like nowhere else in the world,” said FWC Chairman Rodney Barreto. “The proactive leadership of Gov. DeSantis has been instrumental in providing us with the resources we need to remove harmful invasive species such as the Burmese python, and events like The Florida Python Challenge provide an opportunity for the public to become personally involved in this important effort to protect our spectacular natural resources.”

Participants in both the professional and novice categories can win cash prizes of up to $2,500 for removing the most pythons.py There will be additional awards for the longest pythons removed in both categories. This year, Edison National Bank is sponsoring thousands in cash prizes awarded to eligible active-duty military and veteran participants.

People interested in competing can still register through the final day of the competition, August 14, at FLPythonChallenge.org. There is a $25 registration fee and participants must complete free online training to compete.

See FLPythonChallenge.org to register for the competition, take the online training, learn more about Burmese pythons and the unique Everglades ecosystem and find resources for planning your trip to south Florida to participate in the Florida Python Challenge. ¦

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