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462 Reef at Loggerhead Key - LE Tier 2 by Carlton Ward

The Wild Path: Connecting the Florida We Don’t See Photographs by Carlton Ward Jr.

The Wild Path: Connecting the Florida We Don’t See presents 70 works by National Geographic conservation photographer Carlton Ward Jr., focused on wild Florida. Ward founded the Florida Wildlife Corridor project in 2010 and has since trekked 2,000 miles during two National Geographic supported expeditions to advocate for the corridor’s protection and the recovery of the Florida panther, which led to the award-winning 2022 documentary Path of the Panther.
These are the first-ever photo showing a streaked sphinx month Protambulyx strigilis probing and potentially pollinates a ghost orchid bloom. This location is in the Fakahatchee Strand within Florida Panther National Wildlife Refuge. The entire sequence, from the moth landing on the lip of the flower to back diving off lasted exactly one second. By 1.15 seconds the moth was gone. The ghost orchid is growing on the side of a pond apple tree wth cypress knees from the root system of a large cypress tree in the background. A total of 5 potential pollinators were documented by Carlton Ward Jr's camera traps at this location in the summer of 2018.

Ghost Orchid Pollination

  • Carlton Ward Jr.
Carlton Ward photo of Buck Island Ranch

Sunrises, Buck Island

  • Carlton Ward Jr.
Carlton Ward photograph of a panther

Realm of the Panther

  • Carlton Ward Jr.
A photo taken by Carlton Ward Jr. of a shark in Florida waters

Larry the Shark

  • Carlton Ward Jr.
Reef at Loggerhead Key by Carlton Ward Jr. Photograph of lighthouse and reef

Reef at Loggerhead Key

  • Carlton Ward Jr.

September 25, 2026 – January 3, 2027

Brooker Grand Gallery

The Wild Path: Connecting the Florida We Don’t See presents 70 works by National Geographic conservation photographer Carlton Ward Jr., focused on wild Florida. Ward founded the Florida Wildlife Corridor project in 2010 and has since trekked 2,000 miles during two National Geographic supported expeditions to advocate for the corridor’s protection and the recovery of the Florida panther, which led to the award-winning 2022 documentary Path of the Panther.

Go deeper into the exhibition with The James Cottrell & Joseph Lovett Chief Curator Coralie Claeysen-Gleyzon’s essay on Carlton Ward Jr.’s two decades of photographing Florida’s wild places, from cattle ranches and panther country to springs and coastal waters, all within 200 miles of the museum. Read “Carlton Ward Jr.: Hidden Lands and Waters, Our Unifying Bond”.

Generous Support for the Exhibition Provided by

Julie and Alex Wallace

The Tiedtke Family

Diane Boswell

Kathryn Fuller

THE MUSEUM IS CLOSED NOVEMBER 9–13

8/28/2026-9/24/2026

We’re closed November 9–13 while we install Festival of Trees. General admission tickets aren’t available for these dates. Festival of Trees tickets are sold through Eventbrite.

Get Festival of Trees tickets

Discounted Admission*
Adults $10, Seniors $10

*TAM Retail ticketing link isn’t available for this window. Please purchase tickets on-site for discount.