Forget everything you think you know about Florida. The Orlando Museum of Art has opened The Wild Path: Connecting the Florida We Don’t See, Photographs by Carlton Ward Jr. — the largest exhibition to date by the National Geographic conservation photographer, and a breathtaking portrait of a Florida most people never get to see.
The show brings together 70 stunning photographs from two decades of Ward’s work: misty sunrises over Buck Island Ranch, the secret realm of the Florida panther, ghost orchids in mid-pollination, and reef life at Loggerhead Key. Each image is a window into the wild corners of the Sunshine State — the landscapes and creatures hidden far beyond the beaches, highways, and theme parks.
Ward founded the Florida Wildlife Corridor project in 2010 and has trekked 2,000 miles on foot across two National Geographic-supported expeditions, advocating for connected natural habitats and the recovery of the Florida panther. His work even inspired the award-winning 2022 documentary Path of the Panther.
The Wild Path is on view in the Brooker Grand Gallery from September 25, 2026 through January 3, 2027. Come discover the wild Florida that has been there all along.
Photo: Carlton Ward Jr.
