ABOUT
THE PAPER BEAR

The Paper Bear is a preservation movement that will stem from a soon-to-be-released feature film and bring awareness to the immense biodiversity in the Florida Panhandle. Film audiences will journey beyond the scenic beaches on a coming-of-age adventure and discover natural wonders through the eyes of majestic black bears.

The Florida Panhandle is a national treasure and is considered one of North America's five richest biodiverse hotspots. There are more than 80 distinct ecosystems in Florida, and at least 57 can be found in the Panhandle alone; one umbrella species can help protect it all—the black bear. An umbrella species is used as a conservation tool to help protect a larger group of species and their shared habitats. Black bears have a vast home range that depends on most of these biodiverse ecosystems, and they play a crucial role in maintaining the balance of these habitats.

Biodiversity plays a crucial role in our battle against climate change and in maintaining various life on Earth. Protecting biodiverse-rich locations will ensure greater food security, medicine production, and other ecosystem services that naturally help regulate our environment.

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Millions of people visit the area yearly for its beautiful beaches, and more are moving to become full-time residents. It is critical that residents and visitors understand the full scope of the natural wonders that makes up this biological hotspot and how they can live in better harmony within it.

For years to come, our goal is to create a series of long and short-form content that we will use to educate the community and its stakeholders. We want to enable everyone who shares our passion and spark greater conversation and action across the region.