First Coast Connect: A bird, a snail and a wild success story

We often think of evolution as happening over centuries, if not millenia. But a remarkable Florida species demonstrated adaptation can happen over just a few years. In her new book, The Kite and the Snail: An Endangered Bird, Its Unlikely Prey, and a Story of Hope in a Changing World, scientist and educator Hilary Flower documents how in just a decade, the bill of the endangered Everglades snail kite adapted to a new prey — the invasive island apple snail — in order to survive. We ask her how a bird and a bug became a barometer of environmental possibility. Guest: Hilary Flower, professor of environmental studies, Eckerd College, and author of The Kite and the Snail: An Endangered Bird, Its Unlikely Prey, and a Story of Hope in a Changing World Community Land Trust A local nonprofit with a unique approach to making homes affordable celebrates its first new homeowner. The Jacksonville Community Land Trust was created in 2022 to marry aspiring homeowners with available land. The trust keeps ownership of the land and dedicates it to the owner of a newly built home through a 99-year renewable ground lease, reducing overall costs and helping to bring home ownership within reach. We talk to the land trust’s leader and partners about the process, participants and path to eligibility. Guests: Robin Pfalzgraf, executive director, Jacksonville Community Land Trust Miguel Milla, general manager, Flight Builders First Coast AIDS Walk In 2023, Duval County ranked sixth in new HIV cases in Florida, and the Florida Department of Health estimates more than 10,000 people in the county are living with the disease. This week, a local nonprofit is hosting the annual First Coast AIDS Walk to honor the lives lost to HIV/AIDS while also advocating to remove barriers to care for people living with the virus. The walk comes weeks after the state cut subsidies for the AIDS Drug Assistance Program, a move that will prevent thousands of Floridians from qualifying for HIV/AIDS medication assistance. We ask the event’s organizer how the funding cuts could affect the local community and how events like this help reduce new infections. The walk will be at 9:15 a.m. Saturday at A. Philip Randolph Heritage Park. Registration is required. Guest: Chris Day, board president, Friends of The QuiltSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.