Latest news with #EmeraldCoastOpenLionfishTournament
Miami Herald
13-05-2025
- Business
- Miami Herald
Live Wildly and Florida Wing Factory Bring the Heat for Conservation with New ‘Mild to Wild' Hot Sauces
The Live Wildly Foundation and Florida Wing Factory are turning up the heat to protect wild Florida with a sizzling new collaboration of custom hot sauces that blend bold flavor with a powerful purpose. TAMPA, FLORIDA / ACCESS Newswire / May 13, 2025 / Launching May 17, the new sauces - 'Bearly Burnin' (mild) and 'CATchin' Fire' (wild) - carry a simple message: From mild to wild, Florida's wild places are worth protecting. Each bottle of sauce features the Live Wildly Pledge to protect wild Florida along with a QR code that links customers to the Live Wildly website where they can learn more about conservation efforts across the state and sign the pledge themselves. The Pledge reads: "We are wild flowing rivers and springs, vibrant swamps, soaring forests, and pristine coastlines connect us all. I pledge to honor and protect this home we share. With gratitude, I vow to safeguard what sustains us, nurture what nurtures us, and cherish our wild places for myself and generations to come. I am a guardian of Florida's wild soul." To celebrate the launch of the mild to wild sauces, Florida Wing Factory in Tallahassee will host an in-store promotion from May 17-31. Guests who visit and sign the Live Wildly pledge in person will receive a free bottle of hot sauce - either Bearly Burnin' or CATchin' Fire - and be entered to win a $100 Florida Wing Factory gift card. Even better, for every pledge signed, the Live Wildly Foundation will donate $1 to conservation efforts in Florida on behalf of the individual signer. "This partnership is all about flavor with purpose," said Lisa Shipley, Live Wildly CEO. "Whether you go mild or wild, you're helping protect Florida's incredible natural heritage. It's a simple action that makes a lasting impact." "We're proud to team up with Live Wildly to bring attention to Florida's wild spaces through something our customers love - great hot sauce," said Chris Lee, CEO and Co-Founder at Florida Wing Factory. "It's a win for flavor and a win for Florida." Both sauces will be available while supplies last exclusively at Florida Wing Factory and at events sponsored by Live Wildly, including the Emerald Coast Open Lionfish Tournament in Destin, FL, May 16-18th. Don't miss your chance to taste the heat and help protect what makes Florida wild. About Live Wildly Foundation:Live Wildly is a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to raising public awareness for the importance of wildlife corridor conservation. Through collaboration with partner organizations, Live Wildly is helping improve economies, ecology and livelihoods. Learn more at About Florida Wing Factory:Florida Wing Factory is a locally owned and operated restaurant in Tallahassee known for bold flavors, creative wing sauces, and its deep ties to the community.
Miami Herald
07-05-2025
- Miami Herald
Live Wildly Joins Campaign to Turn Invasive Lionfish from Malicious to Delicious
Press Releases Live Wildly Joins Campaign to Turn Invasive Lionfish from Malicious to Delicious Emerald Coast Open - the largest lionfish tournament in the world - encourages restaurants and their customers to discover the joy of eating lionfish Live Wildly has joined the Emerald Coast Open Lionfish Tournament as a sponsor to help stop dangerous invasive lionfish from destroying Florida's native marine life and habitat. The tournament takes place in Destin, FL, May 16-17. "Florida's unique marine areas are not just beautiful, they also are the backbone of our tourism, commercial fishing, and outdoor recreation economies," said Lisa Shipley, CEO of Live Wildly. "Lionfish are an invasive species that pose a real threat to Florida's natural systems, native wildlife, and nature-based economy." The Emerald Coast Open brings together teams of fishers who compete to catch the most lionfish. Live Wildly is sponsoring a team organized by Ocean Strike Team , a group that supports ocean conservation, citizen science, and research through ecotourism experiences and actions. Winners of the tournament receive cash prizes for the most, the biggest, and the smallest lionfish caught. Live Wildly is also sponsoring AJ's Seafood and Oyster Bar which is participating in the Emerald Coast Open's Restaurant Week which runs May 9-17. Live Wildly is proud to be the first-ever sponsor of Restaurant Week, during which local eateries feature lionfish dishes on their menus, educating customers about the invasive species and encouraging other restaurants to serve lionfish year-round. Lionfish - which can be fried, baked, broiled, steamed, poached, or even eaten raw in sushi - are firm, tender, and flakey with a mild taste similar to snapper, black sea bass, and hogfish. But while lionfish may be delicious to eat, they are malicious when it comes to the threats they pose to Florida's marine systems and native fish populations. Originally from the South Pacific and Indian Oceans, lionfish were first spotted in Florida's waters in the 1980s, believed to have been released by home aquarium owners who originally kept them as pets. Because lionfish have no natural predators in Atlantic waters, and because a single lionfish can produce up to 2 million eggs a year, lionfish have quickly spread from Florida's coasts all the way up to New York posing severe environmental threats up and down the East Coast. Lionfish can grow to more than 18 inches long and have long venomous spines. They are voracious hunters, eating nearly any living creature that can fit into their mouths, including juveniles of many commercially important fish such as grouper, seabass, and snapper. Lionfish also threaten Florida's extensive reef habitats by preying on algae-eating species that help keep corals clean and healthy. And lionfish compete for food with native fish species, further harming their populations. Commercial and recreational harvesting of lionfish are some of the most effective ways of controlling its spread and environmental damage. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission hosts seminars and workshops throughout the year to train people how to catch lionfish and to educate the public about the dangers of invasive species. "Getting outdoors to catch lionfish is a great way to enjoy wild Florida while also keeping it healthy," Shipley said. "Restaurants that serve lionfish are not just providing great food to their customers, they're also helping keep Florida's marine systems strong and productive for residents, tourists, and local economies." This story was originally published May 7, 2025 at 9:30 AM.
