Bringing Everglades Awareness to a New Generation

Launched during the 75th Anniversary of Everglades National Park and located on UNESCO’s World Heritage Google Arts and Culture Platform is a new immersive digital exhibit depicting the natural beauty of the Everglades National Park and its ecosystems. “The River of Grass” exhibit features photography and videography shot by high school senior, Luca Martinez, who is an advocate for Everglades conservation and raises awareness to the threats facing Florida’s environment using social media.

With over 110 million viewers worldwide, more than 880,000 followers on Tik Tok, and over 200,000 on Instagram, Martinez share’s the beauty of the Everglades on social media through viral cinematic videos and photographs. By utilizing these platforms that provide him with the ability to reach his generation, Martinez can inspire change through raising awareness about the importance of Everglades conservation and protecting its rich ecosystems and diverse wildlife.

It was Martinez’s interest in ospreys that brought him to the Everglades and since then, he’s been capturing all of the Everglades wildlife and natural beauty through the lens of a camera. His love for cinematography evolved from above-ground photography to filming unique beneath-the-surface videography of the Everglades’ underwater ecosystems. Luca shares that what lies beneath the surface is “just as extraordinary and alive as its dry reflection.”

In partnership with the Everglades Foundation Science team and the Everglades Foundation’s Director of Communications, Begoñe Cazalis, Luca Martinez helped to curate the online UNESCO World Heritage Everglades Exhibit as a way to reach and “expose people to the singular beauty of the Everglades, its functions and restoration efforts,” as Cazalis explains.

‘The River of Grass’ Exhibit on the Google Arts and Culture Platform featuring Martinez’s photography does more than just showcase the Everglades natural wonders and diverse wildlife; it also provides captions that describe the Everglades’ intricate historical significance and its importance to the surrounding communities. Martinez explains that the Everglades provide fresh water for nine million people and emphasizes the importance of the Everglades in the captions.

Aside from his photography, Martinez is an environmental and conservation speaker, giving talks at schools and around the country to speak on his experiences in the Everglades, the importance of protecting the Everglades, and what we can do to help conserve it. Martinez has recently spoken with National Geographic Explorer and Photographer, Mac Stone, in November and continues to speak at local community events, school events, and panels.

In sharing his photography and love of the Everglades with the world, Martinez hopes to spread awareness of the importance of environment conservation and inspire others to take action in helping protect the Everglades’ cherished ecosystems. “Too many think of it as dangerous and dirty, but we would not be here without the Everglades providing our drinking water,” said Martinez. “The way to save this place is to share it and let other people experience it.” You can find Luca Martinez on Instagram: @lucamartinez.fl and TikTok: @lucamartinez.fl.