AND MID 80’S ON FRIDAY. EDEN? >> LOOKING FORWARD TO THAT
WARM UP.
THANK YOU, BETTY.
A LOCAL HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR AND
BUDDING WILD LIFE PHOTOGRAPHER
IS MAKING A BIG SPLASH ON
SOCIAL MEDIA DOCUMENTING THE
BEAUTY AND WONDER OF THE
EVERGLADES.
>> HE’S RACKING UP MILLIONS OF
VIEWS AS WELL.
BUT HE’S REALLY HOPING THOSE
VIEWERS ARE MOTIVATED TO HELP
RATHER THAN JUST CLICK AWAY.
OUR ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCATE
LOUIS AGUIRRE SHOWS US HIS
EFFORTS TO SAVE THE EVERGLADES
IN TONIGHT’S DON’T TRASH OUR
TREASURE.
>> SOMETIMES I JUST TRY AND
FIND THE BEAUTY RIGHT OFF THE
ROAD.
>> SLOGGING THROUGH THE SLEW
IN WHAT WAS A VERY CHILLY
SATURDAY MORNING.
LUKA MARTINEZ IS IN HIS
ELEMENT.
>> TO ME, THIS IS PROBABLY THE
MOST SPECIAL SPOT IN THE
EVERGLADES.
>> IT’S HERE, DEEP IN THE WILD
OF BIG CYPRESS NATIONAL PARK.
>> PREHISTORIC LOOKING.
>> THAT I MEET UP WITH THE
18-YEAR-OLD HIGH SCHOOL SENIOR
INSIDE THE PERFECT AWESOMENESS
OF A CYPRESS DOME.
IT IS, IN FACT, HALLOWED
GROUND FOR LUKA, AN EMERGING
WILD LIFE PHOTOGRAPHER WHO’S
BECOME AN OVERNIGHT CHAMPION
OF THE EVERGLADES.
>> I’M CONNECTED TO IT AND I’M
COMPLETELY IN LOVE WITH THIS
PLACE.
>> THIS SUBTROPICAL WILDERNESS
CALLED OUT TO LUKA DURING THE
PANDEMIC.
HE’S NOW SPENT THE LAST TWO
YEARS EXPLORING AND
DOCUMENTING ONE OF THE MOST
UNIQUE AND COMPLEX ECOSYSTEMS
ON THE PLANET AND THEN POSTING
HIS WORK ON SOCIAL MEDIA.
HIS TikTok AND INSTAGRAM
VIDEOS HAVE MADE LUKA A VIRAL
SENSATION WITH MILLIONS OF
LIKES AND HUNDREDS OF
THOUSANDS OF FOLLOWERS WHO
FLOCK TO HIS PLATFORMS TO
EXPERIENCE THE MAGICAL WONDERS
OF A PLACE THAT REMAINS SO
MISUNDERSTOOD BY SO MANY.
>> I POSTED A VIDEO HERE OF
THIS UNDERWATER WORLD.
THE CLEAR WATER, ALL THESE
AQUATIC PLANTS.
IT HIT 12 MILLION VIEWS.
AND PEOPLE COULDN’T BELIEVE
THAT THIS WAS THE EVERGLADES.
PEOPLE WERE SAYING THIS WASN’T
THE EVERGLADES, THAT I’M
LYING.
[laughter]
LYING. [laughter] >> WHAT LUKA WAS, IN FACT,
DOING WAS REVEALING THE TRUTH
OF THE BEAUTY THAT LIES
BENEATH.
THIS COMPILATION VIDEO HAS
OVER 25 MILLION VIEWS ON
TikTok.
BUT HE DOESN’T DO IT FOR THE
LIKES.
>> BEYOND THE BEAUTIFUL
FACADE, BEYOND ALL OF THIS
BEAUTY, BEYOND MY BEAUTIFUL
VIDEOS LIES A REALITY THAT
THIS PLACE THAT HAS GIVEN ME
NEW LIFE IS DYING.
>> INDEED.
FOR 175 YEARS, HUMANS HAVE
SLICED AND DICED AND DREDGED
AND DIVERTED THE HISTORIC AND
NATURAL FLOW OF THE EVERGLADES
WATER SHED FROM LAKE
OKEECHOBEE DOWN TO FLORIDA BAY
WITH DEVASTATING RESULTS.
>> RIGHT NOW, 1/4 OF THAT
WATER MAKES IT OUT.
SO WE NEED PEOPLE TO CARE.
>> HALF OF THE EVERGLADES ARE
GONE.
ITS NATIVE INHABITANTS FAST
DISAPPEARING.
AND THOSE RESTORATION EFFORTS
ARE ONGOING, SO IS
ENCROACHMENT AND DEVELOPMENT.
PAVING OVER WHAT REMAINS OF
WILD FLORIDA.
WITH HIS VIDEOS, LUCA IS
LOUDLY SOUNDING THE ALARM.
>> I HOPE MY VIDEOS GET PEOPLE
TO CARE, GET PEOPLE TO SEE
THAT THIS PLACE IS SO MUCH
MORE THAN A SWAMP.
IT’S A PLACE THAT WE RELY ON.
WHAT’S THIS PLACE WORTH TO
YOU?
WHAT’S YOUR DRINKING WATER
WORTH TO YOU AS A FLORIDIAN?
THAT’S WHY I DO IT.
>> LUCA TAKES HIS MESSAGE TO
SCHOOLS, TALKS TO KIDS,
INSPIRES THEM.
MORE THAN JUST A PHOTOGRAPHER,
LUCA’S A STORY TELLER.
AT 18 YEARS OLD, HIS WORK IS
NOW FEATURED ON THE EVERGLADES
FOUNDATION WORLD HERITAGE
GOOGLE PLATFORM.
HE HOPES TO ENGAGE EVEN MORE
PEOPLE TO JOIN HIS MISSION
WITH HIS POWERFUL IMAGES, LUCA
BECKONS ALL OF US TO GIVE THE
RIVER OF GRASS A CHANCE.
>> YOU’LL FALL IN LOVE WITH
THIS WILD THE SAME WAY I HAVE.
AND THAT’S WHAT IT’S ABOUT.
BECAUSE WHEN YOU LOVE
SOMETHING AND CARE TO PROTECT
IT, IT’S ONLY WHEN YOU LOVE
SOMETHING THAT YOU’LL FIGHT
FOR IT.
WHAT GIVES ME HOPE IS THAT THE
WILD WILL NEVER STOP FIGHTING
BACK, NEVER.
THIS PLACE IS SO RESILIENT.
THAT’S WHAT GIVES ME HOPE.
>> LAST MONTH, THE SOUTH
FLORIDA WATER MANAGEMENT
DISTRICT ANNOUNCED A NEW
PROJECT TO REDIRECT BADLY
NEEDED FRESH WATER SOUTH TO A
PARCHED FLORIDA BABY RIPPING
OPEN PARTS OF AN ABANDONED
HIGHWAY INSIDE EVERGLADES
NATIONAL PARK AND MORE
PROJECTS ARE ON THE WAY.
THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT HAS
EARMARKED $447 MILLION FOR
EVERGLADES RESTORATION.
THAT’S A NEW RECORD, BY THE
WAY.
IN JANUARY, GOVERNOR DeSANTIS
COMMITTED TO SPEND $3.5
BILLION ON EVERGLADES
RESTORATION OVER THE NEXT FOUR
YEARS.
FOR LUCA AND ALL OF US WHO
LOVE THE ENVIRONMENT, THESE
PROJECTS CAN’T HAPPEN SOON
ENOUGH.
IF YOU’D LIKE TO LEARN MORE
ABOUT LUCA’S WORK AND GET
INVOLVED WITH THE CLEAN UP,
SCAN THAT QR CODE THERE ON
YOUR SCREEN.
IT WILL TAKE YOU DIRECTLY TO
THE DON’T TRASH OUR TREASURE
SECTION ON Local10.com.
WOW, WHAT CAN YOU SAY?
WE NEED MORE LUCA MARTINEZ’S
OUT IN THIS WORLD.
>> WHAT A TALENTED AND
PASSIONATE YOUNG MAN.
WE NEED MORE JUST LIKE HIM.
>> MOST OF US WHO LIVE IN
SOUTH FLORIDA DON’T TAKE
ADVANTAGE OF THIS NATURAL
WONDERLAND THAT WE HAVE HERE
IN OUR BACKYARD.
I KNOW THIS HITS CLOSE TO HOME
FOR YOU TOO, KRISTI.
>> OH YEAH, WE WERE JUST OUT